Do Death and Mayhem Have Purpose?
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2009
by Jeff Brown
Inner Projection
The universe is a tough task master. As we attempt to avoid pain and embrace pleasure at every turn, the universe unrelentingly won't leave us alone inflicting inevitable pain on all. And if you have not suffered, over a lifetime the amount will be considerable. Of course, few if any will tell you this, for there are few brave souls wiling to stand out from the crowd to never mind accept the truth but let you know of it, but most importantly, to know of its purpose and how to use it to your benefit.
People often wonder why God or nature, or whatever your label, allows such pain and suffering. Let us examine this issue with as much honesty and depth as humans of extreme limited insight into the bigger picture can.
First, out of great calamity, even death, come great lessons. And consider that without these negatives, always living in the positive of comfort, what we couldn't learn. And why else do we come here? If little but our thoughts and impressions have the potential to go with us beyond mortality, then things temporal and temporary (material wealth, prestige, social standing, political achievement, etc.) are short lived and, therefore, not of great consequence or merit. That which lasts, as we speak of great art, then is significant. But even greater than any material or intellectual products or goods that are left behind by individuals, what of that which is longer lasting, of greater merit and worth? If the earth ends, what is left? Once again, it is that of our actions, thoughts, words, and deeds in the positive, or the aura of such, which goes beyond earthly time, a reverberating effect that is eternal.
Inspiring, guiding, uplifting thoughts and ideas are wider reaching and of greater significance than all material, social, and political acquisition gained combined.
And in considering all this, perspective is critical. Most don't live or think much beyond the moment, and that's OK. But you do have to keep at the forefront of your mind the critical fact that in an infinitesimally, insignificant period of time of 150 years, all living now will be dead. And considering the millions, billions, trillions of years or eons of time that have and will exist . . . Well, that will put things into perspective, won't it? But let's put our feet back down on the currently existing earth.
What we don't, wont, or will never learn in our comfort is staggering. All life's great lessons come in the friction of pleasure / pain. It is this ying /yang, the opposition that we find life's greatest, longest lasting lessons, for if we are always in comfort, always in the womb, we never learn, especially lessons of greatest significance.
As the child moves out of the house, moves out of himself by taking on spouse and family, moves out of his comfort zone taking on more responsibility and trials of growth, only by embracing discomfort does she not only grow but enable the tool of giving, only by breaking free of comfort and the self does she grow for personal betterment and the betterment of family and, potentially, as that growth continues, for all humankind-the greater picture.
It is the soldier in the battlefield who overcomes his prejudice by fighting side by side with his fellowman of difference. It is when life breaks things down to the lowest common denominator-survival--when all things small minded and insignificant disappear (prejudices, bias, difference of socioeconomic class, etc.) that we truly prosper.
It is in the harshness of war that we learn the significance of life. It is in the sting of the parent's slap that we learn precious principles. It is in the breakup, the loss of employment and health in which we go deeper in our understanding and appreciation for that which we may take for granted and, if growth continues, are humbled and moved to compassion for others in like states.
It is in injury and disease that we build fond appreciation for health so much that it is often the only motivation to better health, beyond anything Jenny Craig can do to help us permanently maintain a good diet.
It is in the dire difficulties of the most challenging job on earth that the parent learns how to teach, to obtain patients, selflessness, or true giving, a priceless lesson in the Charity of Christ.
Time and time and time again, friction, difficulty, trial, pain, even mayhem and death teach us life lessons that are of sure consequence they stay with us through time and eternity, for even though our main goal is to obtain ease, safety, and security it is only in their opposites that we learn lessons of lasting importance.
For it is only in that of great substance and significance-that which is more precious than the priceless stone-that we find those things beyond measure we can use now in this lifetime, to have and to hold, life without end.
Look to the precious. Look beyond the priceless gem or stone to lessons of value and depth that need to be addressed, learned of and from, and then pass them on to as many brothers and sisters as you can.
May we all learn with great abundance those precious lessons of life.
First, out of great calamity, even death, come great lessons. And consider that without these negatives, always living in the positive of comfort, what we couldn't learn. And why else do we come here? If little but our thoughts and impressions have the potential to go with us beyond mortality, then things temporal and temporary (material wealth, prestige, social standing, political achievement, etc.) are short lived and, therefore, not of great consequence or merit. That which lasts, as we speak of great art, then is significant. But even greater than any material or intellectual products or goods that are left behind by individuals, what of that which is longer lasting, of greater merit and worth? If the earth ends, what is left? Once again, it is that of our actions, thoughts, words, and deeds in the positive, or the aura of such, which goes beyond earthly time, a reverberating effect that is eternal.
Inspiring, guiding, uplifting thoughts and ideas are wider reaching and of greater significance than all material, social, and political acquisition gained combined.
And in considering all this, perspective is critical. Most don't live or think much beyond the moment, and that's OK. But you do have to keep at the forefront of your mind the critical fact that in an infinitesimally, insignificant period of time of 150 years, all living now will be dead. And considering the millions, billions, trillions of years or eons of time that have and will exist . . . Well, that will put things into perspective, won't it? But let's put our feet back down on the currently existing earth.
What we don't, wont, or will never learn in our comfort is staggering. All life's great lessons come in the friction of pleasure / pain. It is this ying /yang, the opposition that we find life's greatest, longest lasting lessons, for if we are always in comfort, always in the womb, we never learn, especially lessons of greatest significance.
As the child moves out of the house, moves out of himself by taking on spouse and family, moves out of his comfort zone taking on more responsibility and trials of growth, only by embracing discomfort does she not only grow but enable the tool of giving, only by breaking free of comfort and the self does she grow for personal betterment and the betterment of family and, potentially, as that growth continues, for all humankind-the greater picture.
It is the soldier in the battlefield who overcomes his prejudice by fighting side by side with his fellowman of difference. It is when life breaks things down to the lowest common denominator-survival--when all things small minded and insignificant disappear (prejudices, bias, difference of socioeconomic class, etc.) that we truly prosper.
It is in the harshness of war that we learn the significance of life. It is in the sting of the parent's slap that we learn precious principles. It is in the breakup, the loss of employment and health in which we go deeper in our understanding and appreciation for that which we may take for granted and, if growth continues, are humbled and moved to compassion for others in like states.
It is in injury and disease that we build fond appreciation for health so much that it is often the only motivation to better health, beyond anything Jenny Craig can do to help us permanently maintain a good diet.
It is in the dire difficulties of the most challenging job on earth that the parent learns how to teach, to obtain patients, selflessness, or true giving, a priceless lesson in the Charity of Christ.
Time and time and time again, friction, difficulty, trial, pain, even mayhem and death teach us life lessons that are of sure consequence they stay with us through time and eternity, for even though our main goal is to obtain ease, safety, and security it is only in their opposites that we learn lessons of lasting importance.
For it is only in that of great substance and significance-that which is more precious than the priceless stone-that we find those things beyond measure we can use now in this lifetime, to have and to hold, life without end.
Look to the precious. Look beyond the priceless gem or stone to lessons of value and depth that need to be addressed, learned of and from, and then pass them on to as many brothers and sisters as you can.
May we all learn with great abundance those precious lessons of life.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Great article. Well done.I could not agree more. I remember reading in a book something about a cooks work being consumed and forgotten and a writers work being almost immortal. I can't remember in what book it was in but it backs up your point anyway."a cooks work being consumed and forgotten and a writers work being almost immortal"
I like that! I've also heard that after all is said and done there will only be need for teachers and artists, for what else is there in the extreme positive than the need for learning and creation?
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
Very well-said. I remember reading that the destruction of Earth wouldn't matter one whit to the Cosmos. I don't know why I was thinking that while reading this, but it seemed to bring your points home. Always appreciate life as you live it, not as you wish it could have been, since you never know what tomorrow brings.Thanks for writing this, it's very uplifting.Thanks Mike,
I was watching Titanic in Spanish on Telemundo last night with my wife and son, and yes, even my wife who comes from Colombia would rather hear the real actors voices, but nevertheless . . . I was watching as hundreds of people died kicking and screaming fearful for their lives. And it struck me while listening to Kate Hudson's character at a very advanced age recount the story, what does it matter if we die at 30, 40, 50 . . . 100? For if we die later than sooner, so what? What's another 10, 20, 30 years of life on this planet in relation to the zillions of years we won't be here, huh? So there must be something that we need to do while here, and we damn well figure out what it is fast and then get to doing it. Well, there's my deep thought for the day. Thanks for reading.
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