A Little About the Purpose of Life

Sorry Miss H...

At first I thought my account was *deleted*

I'm beginning to think there are as many purposes to life as there are lives. And here we all are. No one of us, no common or master soul either, has all the answers. If a high ranking adept gives an opinion shall we accept it solely because of the credentials of he or she who speaks?

The wise in history know of the fluidity of truth. They understand the tentativity of facts, that these seldom describe firm boundaries. The wisdom to be able to do this is one of the greatest achievements available to we Earthlings. Does this idea agree with any purpose?

When we learn we certainly near some primal or immediate purpose but it is only after we apply that which is sensed that we come close to any less tangible, higher purpose. But we don't always know this in advance.

In my experience, the greater purpose is demonstrated by or perhaps consists of two parts and that any measure of success must result from both these considerations, together. A human being has a God given abstract mind which, when coupled with the lower, rational mind, is capable of considering, not only the physical, that which is supposed to be but is, as yet, un-quantified. No insect has this kind of capability. Many higher animals do to a degree. Many animals are fully capable of imagination but it is only mankind who can raise an idea to beyond his immediate sphere of activity. This is the realm of the Einsteins among us, those who dare to dream knowing that proofs will follow at their own pace. Does this very spiritual stance promote the idea of any purpose to life?

We can and we do send our minds to distant places some of which are undreamed of and we are able to bring back the ideas, sometimes stories, that we listened to. And what is supposed today might well become the accepted fact of tomorrow. First we have faith. We do not reject out of hand. Next we dare to dream. We have learned that a truth is not dependent on the approval of our concrete minds. A thing may be true regardless of our ability to adequately quantify it. We all know that air exists but none of us has seen it.

Human beings are not insects. We are capable of more than merely moving about on a world. Insects do have purpose. They participate in the evolutionary and ecological cycles of a planet in a positive way. We humans do also but we are not thus limited. We can stand with our feet on Earth while our abstract minds are beyond the orbit of Mars if we like. Does this ability constitute or agree with or indicate some purpose? Yes. Our singular grand purpose in all of the many incarnations we endure is the acquisition of wisdom. Where today we send our minds tomorrow we will visit with our bodies. History remembers dreamers calling them wise, sages. First the dream. Next the knowledge. Lastly the wisdom born of experience.

Thanks for reading. Just thought I'd share my "take"...

[BigJohn]

Nice points......

[inavalan]

Originally Posted by bartholomew

I'm beginning to think there are as many purposes to life as there are lives. And here we all are. No one of us, no common or master soul either, has all the answers. If a high ranking adept gives an opinion shall we accept it solely because of the credentials of he or she who speaks?
... Just thought I'd share my "take"...

"Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime." - author

Same in this case ...

Don't look for somebody to tell you the purpose of life (gurus or dogmas). Learn how to find it out for yourself (tap into your inner source of knowledge)!

[r6r6]

Miss Hepburn...This is the Philosophy and Theory Section.
If you want scientific...

I did not as for anthing "scientific" in this catagory, that I can recall in a few years Ive been here.

or logical answers post your questions in the Science and Spirituality Section...maybe in Strong Opinions

So philosophy is irrelevant to rational, logical common sense? That appears to me to unjustified sort of a smack in the face of anyone attempting intellectual integrity.

---otherwise it smacks of harassment and goading people into quarrels, also, mocking what simply can not be explained.

Ok so it appears that your saying, that, when in philosophical catagory the words rational, logical and common sense are not allowed.

To me this appears to be kinda of weird and illogical for a philosophy catagory. Oops I presume the word illogical is also not allowed to ask of others, or to infer their comments illogical in a "philosophy" forum is not cool and "smacks of harrasment and goading" also. My bad again?

Is this above also a SF policy M Hpeburn, to not use those words in philosophy catagory?

Ok, soany of those words are ok to use in Science or Spiritual forum. I think this is just being over sensitive nit picking, cause somebody's feelings are hurt --at drop of hat?--- but i I will do my best to remmber not to use the words you mention above in this philosophy catagory.

Certainly makes it more difficult to disscuss philosophy, in hopes of winnowing truth from non-truth. Maybe philosophy is not about ascertaining truth, tho I always thought it was. H,mmm.

[Busby]

Originally Posted by r6r6r

If so then perhaps there is a place for my comment that perhaps the purpose of Universe is to see what a pancake looks like before and after it is cooked

Yes, your comment has, for me, in its simplicity, hit the nail on the head.

Personally I don't believe for one moment that we are here to learn. Everything we know comes from experience, experience leads to knowledge. We are here (and everything else too) to experience - to live 'it'.

On experienced knowledge we build. Shakespeare said 'All the world's a stage' - and we are the players. We are the observers of the condition of the universe. We experience and pass on in the form of feedbacks that which we have experienced. When we lie on the beach and feel the sun's warmth on our skin we are feedbacking. When a mother screaming in pain giving birth is feedbacking. When bombs are dropped feedback takes place.

All of knowledge thus gained is embedded in evolution, the universe's way of turning chaos into order.

Wishing us all a happy and prosperous new year. I really do hope it is less interesting than 20 was. We shall see.

And when adversity strikes how do we respond? With charity and the understanding that none of us is perfect.

There is an orthodox tradition in my adoptive home country of Ukraine and throughout Russia too. I am German/Hungarian by blood but no matter. On New Years day a swim in the river in company of friends. If it is iced over break the ice but swim in only a bathing costume. Cross and immerse yourself three times. Why? We seek to cleanse ourselves of our sins of the past year and begin the new year trying again to be godly in disposition towards others.

Perhaps in this way we can make modest contributions to some unknown purpose. Perhaps. It's worth a try.

Forgiveness and blessings to all who have posted on this thread.


Bartholomew

[Native spirit]

Please be aware that Everyone has their own ideas. please keep this topic Respectable


Namaste

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by r6r6r

.. but i I will do my best to remmber not to use the words you mention above in this philosophy catagory.

Thank you.

This is not for only you: There are so many ways to ask questions -
"Can you explain better, I'm not following why you think this?"
"Can you expound more on your ideas/theory - I don't know how you came to this. Thanks"
''Thanks, but I don't agree. Here's how I see it..."

See, there's no snark, no sarcasm.
You get the same results with out being quarrelsome. :)

Keep it polite. Simple, right? Rhetorical.
(Btw, hurt feelings had nothing to do with anything.)

[Miss Hepburn]

Interesting conversation that changed my perspective a lot years ago! (About the purpose of life.)

Oldest friend, a therapist and a long time ACIM© person ---
Subject, me distressing about my dear sister's many problems making her sick even.
She can't sleep, her thoughts torment her so --(her words).
Worrisome, fearful, gets hurt so easily, then ruminates for days over some slight by a cashier and now is OCD +more!
" I just wanna help her."

My friend: "That's just your ego that wants to change her."
Me: "What? I love her and don't want her in so much pain."

My friend: "Not everyone comes here to seek peace and love or even God.
They may come here to feel torment - dis-ease and turmoil.
Each person comes for different reasons -you're imposing your idea
of how you want her to be onto her."

(My sis never wants any advice from anyone. Just wants others to listen to her problems, btw)

Me: "Huh?"
My friend: "Some people come to resolve their issues, to deliberately advance spiritually. Others come because they need
(for their own experience) to feel what it's like to feel distraught and desperate... not trying to escape that."
Me: "Huh?"

I've said before here, "I'm a slow learner."

So now I say, 'Sure, offer help to a friend ---offer once again later.
Then shrug and let it go...they know what they want ---maybe it's to be miserable and complain.'
In a year offer a little assistance..just to see if they're ready.

Ok.
But I'm goin' to therapy for myself to rid myself of pain and suffering...
to advance myself spiritually.
That's my purpose here. I can't say what another's is - 'To each his own path.'
Cuz it's all still advancement, whether learning how E=mc2 works or how to open a jar.