The Meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything: The Answer is Much Greater Than 42*
Posted: Monday, April 28, 2008
by Jeff Brown
Inner Projection
*Deep Thought, a computer specifically designed to answer this question, takes 7 million years to respond with 42 ( Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams).
Two men on a university campus coming to the end of their conversation.
First man points to a page in the New Testament: "So you can see that it says right here that any time two or more gather together in His name there He will be."
First man, without hesitation: "This passage clearly states that where two or more gather in His name there He will be. Those of faith continuing his work."
"But don't you need some type of authority? Can any Tom, Dick, and Jane come together "in His name" and start a church? If so, how do you know what to do? Do you get specifics merely from the Bible on direction and administration of your church? How do you know what you're doing is what He wants if He's not there to tell you? Even the Constitution-like the Bible, a highly interpretive text-needs considerable debate and conjecture as to its interpretation . . ."
Second man pauses, waiting for response.
Second man continues: "And when you think about it, how do we know God actually talked to Abraham? Did he? Did he talk to Mohammed? Did he talk to Christ? How can we be sure what they heard wasn't simply some Son-of-Sam-given-instructions-by-a-dog misguidance?"
A long pause. First man does not respond.
Second man: "Like I thought."
Encounters like this in the United Sates happen every day. You may find yourself sitting on the subway, standing on the sidewalk, waiting in line and, for the first time in weeks, a stranger strikes up a conversation. Unfortunately, you think one of three possibilities: interested in dating, salesman, or religious. You find out it's the latter, excuse yourself and move away.
Religion like politics is a volatile subject. You need to take care when discussing these topics, or you do like many; you don't breach the subjects at all. But since they are unavoidable, and since religion, specifically, is the main cause for the founding of this country, since it is found in many of our national songs, symbols, and literature, there is little we can do to avoid it. It will be discussed. But to discuss it we must ask the question, what is it? What is religion based on?
By and large, religion is based in faith. Faith is of the heart. Logic or reason is of the head. Mankind, by nature, is heart heavy and head limited. Let's take a look at the latter first.
Many religious leaders have seen man's limitations and given warnings. For example, Martin Luther warned that reason is the great whore of the earth. Meaning, if man relies too much on his limited mental faculties he is heading for a fall. Jonathan Swift carried this theme into his work, Gulliver's Travels. The men living on the Island of La Puta (whore), these great minds of science, come up with impractical inventions while the masses below starve. But is this mere fantasy? Can we find a parallel to Swift's work in the real world.
Today, scientists explain existence based on two theories: relativity and quantum. The math for these theories work fine separately, but when you combine the maths of the two theories there is great contradiction, thus the reason for the need of a third theory to tie them together: the string theory. And, according to Stephen Hawking, author of A Brief History of Time, when this third theory is discovered, we will "know the mind of God," or rather, discover through the rational mind, where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going.
But even the great computer Deep Thought, after 7 million years, could only come up with the number 42, making all numerologists happy, but most of us are still looking for the answer. But getting back to Hawking's statement, there is a problem. Consider the disparity between the mind of the average man or woman and the mind of God. If you or I have a tough time simply remembering what we've had for breakfast and our ability to see into the future consists of being able to look at the lunch menu at breakfast, the chance that we will be able to comprehend a mind that allegedly designed the universe is not great. But even Stephen Hawking notices this.
He states that no theory is absolute, meaning that any theory of great complexity (not a simply theory like "the sun is in the sky") can ever be proven beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt correct. However, consider what it would mean if mankind ever came up with a theory that was absolute. First, the person or people designing the theory would need to possess all existing knowledge and all knowledge to come, apply it objectively with little or no potentially erroneous human subjectivity, knowing all possible outcomes to the end of time. Or more simply, they would need to be gods.
Now, scientists like this open-endedness. They love the nature of possibility. But if you're dealing with people's existence-why we're here, where we're going-for these people, that open-endeness is not so much fun, for there is an end, and that end is called death, a big, scary, ominous end that doesn't encourage great patience. Most people would like answers before then and not have to rely on the infinitely limited mind of man whose best shot comes in creating a super-duper computer that crunches numbers for over seven million years only to answer the ultimate question by stating 42.
OK, let's now turn our attention to the other part of the equation: the heart.
Why is the heart primary? Over and above the mind. Let's take a step back before we get into answering this question.
By and large, man desires perfection. He desires, fantasizes about being invincible, thus the popularity of super heroes. Why growing up every child--especially the vulnerable and un-empowered--want to be Superman, Rouge, Wolverine, Spider Man and the like. However, when adults, most set their sights a little more realistically and admire Tiger Woods, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Michael, Jordan, Stephen Spielberg, those at the tops of their fields. But reaching perfection is not a great possibility for humans. And neither the heart nor the head can do so; however, we do have a much greater chance to be perfect where the heart is concerned. And since mankind desires this perfection in droves then it is to the heart we must look for answers, answers even to the great questions of life.
Reconsider the foolishness of obtaining perfection through the rational mind, or attempting to find perfection in designing scientific theories. But science is not for the many. What of other attempts at perfection or finding solutions through the rational mind. Even attempting to find absolute answers to such issues as gun control, abortion, the death penalty is difficult if not impossible. But there is one place most can reach toward and nearly touch perfection, and that is in matters of the heart. For it is here when we reach out with sincere intention to aid and comfort, to lift and embrace, that we do so with little chance to err. For if we reach out with an honest heart, it is here where we not only heal the healed but ourselves as well, and in the process, the good deeds we do leave a positive, uplifting impression that is carried on exponential from person, to person, to person, affected in kind down the line.
So what is the answer to the meaning of life, the universe and everything? Not my call. It is an individual call. The call of the atman or individual spirit to home, the collective spirit. And it is only in this freest of countries where we are left alone, enabled by great fought--for freedoms, that we are able to find the time and opportunity to sit one on one with the Great Spirit, the child seeking home, and parent to child find the answers our innocent hearts have sought all along. It is Mother Tersa who stated it best when asked to answer the great question, why are we here: "To love and be loved." Amen.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Beautfiully presented and so well written. Your ability to gather it up and deliver is quite inspiring. Thanks for sharing YOUR heart and mind. Beautiful on both counts.Camille, Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks for the uplifting comments.
hi jeff, this was a beautifully, well written,interesting article. thanks for sharing, best regards, sue thomSusan, Thanks for saying so and for stopping by with such kind words. Jeff
And then Deep Thought's predecessor comes up with the Question, and did it even make sense? Turns out yes, it did, if you know anything about math. Yeah, it's a rabbit trail, but I just had to stick that in there. I'm sure if I thought about it enough I could turn it into an appropriate comment, but...nahhhh, just liked the reference. :)OK, since math is the perfect language, I'd just like to respond by saying E = m 0 c 2 / (1-v 2 /c 2 ), m = m 0 (1-v 2 /c 2 )-,. And I'm sorry to be so blunt . . . but there ya have it, math guy.
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