Enlightenment VS The Meaning of Life

[thesynapseislife]

What is the purpose of enlightenment? What is the purpose of leading a superficial life? What is the purpose of anything?

While on the path to enlightenment one must sacrifice finances, a social life, family, friends, anything that would obstruct this path. And in the end, if one finally reaches enlightenment - without trying to sound cynical - what is the point?

What is the point of leading a 40 hour work week, or more, and raising a family? If one has any sense of the divine or the absolute he certainly will not be happy in this lack-luster self-made hodge podge of tainted reality.

Is it worthwhile to toil for a hope or glimpse of attaining enlightenment? Is it worthwhile to toil for anything less? Ah! There is the answer! If one must toil no matter what, why not toil for something that is the furthest thing from being superficial - enlightenment.

But, what is enlightenment?? And what do you do with it? What does one do with the mind's eye fixed in the eternal while physically stuck in the temporary? What happens when you die? Does it matter??

[David Quinn]

Synapse,

Check out this discussion from Genius News, called The meaninglessness of existence.

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[Kevin Solway]

What is the purpose of enlightenment?

One seeks truth because it is more deeply satisfying than untruth.

"What is the personal purpose of one who is enlightened" would be a different question.

What is the purpose of leading a superficial life?

It is a quick-fix, as opposed to seeking truth.

What is the purpose of anything?

Generally, when we give something a purpose, the purpose is that it satisfies us.

While on the path to enlightenment one must sacrifice finances, a social life, family, friends, anything that would obstruct this path. And in the end, if one finally reaches enlightenment - without trying to sound cynical - what is the point?

At that point you have rock-bottom territory. You are like the earth itself, as opposed to a butterfly which flits from flower to flower, and only lives a couple of days at best.

The option of being like that attracts certain kinds of individuals.

But, what is enlightenment?? And what do you do with it?

Once enlightened, you could even have a family if you wanted - and if you really had to.

What does one do with the mind's eye fixed in the eternal while physically stuck in the temporary?

One must view the temporary as the eternal.

What happens when you die?

The same as what happened before you were born.

[thesynapseislife]

Synapse,

Check out this discussion from Genius News, called The meaninglessness of existence.

I read it and I still don't know what to think. There is no outside meaning, I already knew that.

I find that we - humans - are like little "purpose filters". We 'strain' reality of it's bits and pieces (I'm not sure whether consciously or subconsciously - probably both) and the chucks we can manage are what percolate through and enter our mind and become one with us. These chucks, however, are probably just the random bits of Totality that we 'select' to fit our mould of what we want to see. Therefore, inherently, we are beings of structure. We make our own purpose and cannot have it any other way. Which would explain war, egotism, elitism...everyone has a purpose, "good" or "bad".

[David Quinn]

Right, so what's the problem?

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[thesynapseislife]

The problem is, I guess, that we can only make our own purpose which will usually be different from anyone else's, and that purpose we make is essentially, well... nothing. So, what's the point of making your own purpose if you know there isn't much true value to it besides what it does for your emotions, or ego?

[sevens]

Synapse,

Enlightenment is glorious. But, so is Life. The purpose you assign to yourself is what you desire to see, hear, breathe, smell, and taste. The limitation of your world, is only bound by your imagination -- your Dreams. Don't let terms like Ego and Emotion (however important and powerful they may be) belittle your desire to experience, a purpose.

[Kevin Solway]

The problem is, I guess, that we can only make our own purpose which will usually be different from anyone else's, and that purpose we make is essentially, well... nothing. So, what's the point of making your own purpose if you know there isn't much true value to it besides what it does for your emotions, or ego?

Any purpose you have has been given to you by the whole of Nature, so it's not nothing. Secondly, you should try to ensure that there is as much truth in your purpose as possible.

The purpose of an enlightened person has no untruth in it.

[thesynapseislife]

I understand what you both are saying but I just dont want to delude myself into experiencing purpose when there is none...

I'm a very intellectually honest person and if there's delusion I do everything I can to destroy it - remanants from being a christian I suppose. That didn't last long.

But I honestly do love wisdom, intelligence (which is only a tool I know, and not terribly important), and clarity of thought. These are the things I seek in life, these are my purposes for living. I delight in seeing them in other people as well because it reaffirms in me that they even exist.

[LooF]

Well, first of all, why do you seek purpose?

[Sapius]

Synapse,

But, what is enlightenment?? And what do you do with it? What does one do with the mind's eye fixed in the eternal while physically stuck in the temporary?

IMHO, it is nothing more than achieving a clear non-contradictory picture of the most fundamental questions regarding existence. It provides a very self-satisfying mental tranquility. It leads to total elimination of frustrations otherwise induced due to lack of understanding the nature of existence. It leads to passionate affection through personal appreciation of consciousness and All that thereby one meaningfully experiences. It gives real meaning to existence through understanding the utter meaninglessness of the Totality.

Existence of Totality may have no meaning or purpose at all, but consciously experiencing anything makes it all meaningful. Is the fact that we are consciously experiencing anything amounts to nothing at all? Existence of anything has no meaning until consciousness comes into play. Our own existence boils down to just one thing, and that is, experience.

What happens when you die?

Until I have proof otherwise, my body rots, and all the functions that it used to perform dissipate into thin air, but as long as I'm alive, I live a very meaningful life, just for my-Self of course.

Does it matter??

Not to Totality, no, but to a Self, yes. At least that is how I see it.

[thesynapseislife]

I find your points interesting because shortly after I personally renounced being a christian I found that life can now be lived by enriching my experiences of daily events - however superficial they may be. It was once those things that I saw as a "waste of time" but now that I know there is no point to living and when I reconciled with myself that "we just do" it was once again a pleasure to take part in daily pleasures.

I know that is basically what you just explained to me and now I'm saying the same thing back. However, I think it's important anyway say again anyway.

[David Quinn]

Is this another way of saying that you no longer have any interest in becoming enlightened?

Life has no point, therefore I will settle back into being a cow .... is this what it has all come down to?

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[Sapius]

Is this another way of saying that you no longer have any interest in becoming enlightened?

Life has no point, therefore I will settle back into being a cow .... is this what it has all come down to?

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No, in fact it means just the opposite. It provides all the confidence in exploring and perusing what one is driven by nature to do, think, and decide through personal values the most logically satisfying path. A cow would be the one who is satisfied with eating the same kind of grass day in and day out, and remains stagnant not realizing how dynamic conscious experiences really are. Consider it a step beyond “enlightenment”.

[Sapius]

Synapse,

......it was once again a pleasure to take part in daily pleasures.

In my personal opinion, I find that thinking logically and truthfully is one of the most satisfying daily pleasures one can come across. In fact, it gives new meaning and absolutely different perspective to all other experiences that entail.

[LooF]

that is essentially "enlightenment"

to see all as it is, and be it as well.

how hard it is to achieve that!

[Sapius]

that is essentially "enlightenment"

to see all as it is, and be it as well.

how hard it is to achieve that!

It is as hard as you think it is, otherwise, logically, there should be no trouble at all.

[joel knoll]

Hey, DQ! When were you a cow?

[David Quinn]

Around the time of my birth, I should say. We were all cows back then - living in the moment, sucking on a dummy, no real consciousness of the wider world. The trouble is, most people want to remain cows for the rest of their lives. That is their nirvana. Religion is very much shaped by this principle.

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