I want to say, that I think I truly understand the pull humans have always had towards spirituality and religion. The need for there to be something more. Recently I've really become aware of this within myself. The way I search and search for some spiritual system that I can reasonably accept, and that gives me a sense of wonder and purpose. I can feel how this impulse is just towards...something. Very open-ended, just something. I feel that I need it. 'Feel.' Because, if there truly is nothing beyond this physical reality, and mundane human affairs. Then...what is there at all? Where is the purpose? Because if you think about it, if there truly is no spiritual aspects to reality, higher levels of reality...just think about it. Everything is completely arbitrary. Why was I given the genetics I was, born into this genetic line? Why was I born into the socio-economic environment I was? Why did I have the overall environment I did? Why did I live where I did? Why was I surrounded by the people, and general social influences, that I was? Because, this is the stuff that makes us who we are. This is almost everything. What happens to us, our inherent dispositions, the people around us...that's who we are, that's what makes us who we are. If there are no karmic or spiritual reasons for any of it, then everything about who I am, and who we all are, is completely arbitrary. We're all interchangeable, just randomly being inserted into the slots we are. I just can't help but see meaningless and arbitrariness, if there really is nothing more.
I'm sorry, but you need the meaning quote...from a wise man Meaning is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that unique pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the particular balance of success or failure is of less account. -John Gardner Find something you love and do it. The rest will take care of Itself.
There isn't anything wrong with identifying with something Higher, per se. It just helps to know you are a person with meaning and worth in and of yourself first..haha..Put it in perspective.
Things only exist as a result of some meaning they have, although that meaning is relative. All meaning is relative and no meaning is inherent. This means that all of existence is relative, all of reality is relative and nothing "inherently" exists of itself. Does anything exist if nothing is observed? When the mind achieves the primordial state and dwells in space without quality or attributes, then clarity abides and all lack thereof departs. http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Ganga-Mahamudra-Upadesa_of_Sri_Tilopa_(translated_by_Rodney_Devenish) This translation isn't one that I particularly enjoy, so I'll leave another as well. http://www.dharmafellowship.org/library/texts/the-ganga-ma.htm
This question gets asked a lot. There are arguments to be made for both perspectives. Yet, it is true that we can only know something through our experience of it. It seems that 'things' are still there regardless of our perception of them - the bed remains a bed even though we're asleep in it. Yet for us, while we are asleep, there is no bed, not even the concept remains available. This warm and comfortable space we call bed only exists upon awakening. While we sleep, there is no bed. Life is constantly being interpreted through the ideas, beliefs, and labels we give it, which are only what they are because we do it like this. We create our world in every sense of the word. It can be said that nothing is as it seems when viewed from the quantum level. Yet this is the reality that forms the world we experience. Our world must be of our own creation, and as such, cannot be what it appears even though it is what we experience. It therefore cannot exist unless we are there to experience it.
If you genuinely want these questions answered you should look into Michael Newtons work, specifically "journey of souls" and "destiny of souls" he goes over, in depth, the answer to all the questiones, unbiasedly, not pertaining to religion. I hope you actually look into them because they are extremely interesting and informing
Well here, as an atheist let me give you my perspective. I do not believe in any higher being at all. I don't believe in heaven, hell, or that people have souls. I believe that when we die we are dead. It's not depressing to me and it's far from meaningless. I am but one human being among millions who are going to be on earth long after I'm dead. Right at this very moment we are even working on putting the first colony on Mars in the next decade or so. Humans have come a very long way, as I'm sure other alien races have out there in the cosmos that we are not even aware of. Does this make my life meaningless? No. Not at all. People seem to think that as an atheist, you have nothing to live for. It's the complete opposite. We have nothing to die for. We have everything to live for. I dislike the thought of being conscious forever anyways. I value the present and look forward to the future. Day by day I try and do my part and make it a better place for everyone here. I look up to scientists and inventors as inspiration in all of the ways they have helped our modern society. The Cosmos excite me. Space excites me. Life outside of earth excites me. There are all kinds of things out there. Beyond you, beyond earth, beyond our milky way, our galaxy, and even our universe. Looking at the big picture may make you feel small, but we are a part of something greater. We are a part of the universe in the most spirtual of ways in my opinion and that is not meaningless. The circle of life and death is beautiful. By the way, in order to get a beautiful perspective on life in general and know more about the universe, I highly suggest the works of Carl Sagan but also the new show "Cosmos: A space time Odessy" with host Neil Degrasse Tyson. He does a splendid job at storytelling and is a wonderful science educator. I seem to find purpose within the stars but I realize not everyone will relate with this, and that's okay too. However it really is worth a view if you are interested in space, life, and coming as close as possible to knowing where we came from.
I completely respect your opinion and I'm not saying your wrong, but even science is starting to suggest the idea of a soul being comprised of quantum energy and explains how we are (as a soul) quantum energy flowing through a body and how when we die the quantum energy leaves the body (or it actually leaves the body moments before death). Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it has to go somewhere. it explains the idea behind near death/out of body experiences and how when people leave their body during a near death experience, it is their quantum energy (ie. Soul) leaving their body. Some people come back to life while others don't. It explains why, when people have out of body/near death experiences, they say the see "god" or whatever their idea of a higher creation is. Once again I am in no position to your wrong because people are entitled to their opinions, but when you die, don't be scared when you start to float away from your body and you are greeted by your guide and people of meaning in your life. You don't have to believe me, just remember what I said.
There are atheists that have near death experiences and changed their minds about science and spirit being incompatible.
Just because I don't have spirituality doesn't mean my alternative is meaningless. I'm an Atheist, I don't believe in god, but my life has meaning, I try to build a solid life, not being a dick to others, I live and then I die, the end. My life will have been full of meaning to me when I'm through with it.
It's not really arbitrary more like defined naturally. Everything you're looking for occurs naturally (karma, purpose, etc). Morality is simply humans evolving to the point where they realize, "Hey, if we don't fuck each other over... things go a lot smoother overall." Our very basic purpose is to populate this planet... obviously that's not a very eloquent purpose so a lot of us, myself included, adapt different interpretation of purpose. So, rooted in existentialism is nature (my dad has made this argument for a long time before I realized what he meant). You'll certainly be disappointed if you rely on meaning in some sort of metaphysical sense. Albert Camus, a prominent French author/philosopher out of Algiers, wrote extensively for people going through the same thing you are. During his epoch in Algiers there was a growing discord in the purpose of deity and active religion. In short, there was an agnosticism movement going on. Camus, Satre, and Kierkegaard (of course earlier in French history) all had their opinions on it. Personally, Camus' absurdism really speaks to me so I recommend you checking it out and maybe getting a copy of The Stranger by him. It's a short novel that I like to think is the fantasy of every intellectual. Hope you look into it.
Ah, existentialism. I had to read that book in philosophy class in college and I read it by candle light since we lost power for a week, but anyway, I enjoyed the book and traded it when I was done with it to my friend for the art of war.
I'm glad you've read it! I'm a big fan of existentialism. Admittedly, I've yet to read Art of War. My buddy has it, I might snag it off him.
We are living within infinite potential and just like the Buddhism teaching or the quantum physics state, all are random and unpredictable. Just do what you are passionate about and let the universe take care of the rest.