| Finding Meaning in Life |
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| Steven Henson | |||
| Thursday, 02 February 2006 | |||
Everyone asks themselves, at some point or another in their lives, the simple yet profound question "Is there a meaning to Life?" It is one of the questions that parents of young children dread having to answer, simply because there appears to be no immediate or obvious explanation. As we grow and mature we may ask ourselves this question many times without necessarily finding a satisfactory answer. However we can all understand the importance of the question. As we grow, we develop what is known as ego structure - a certain sense of 'self' which makes us different and 'separate' from others - and our acceptance, or non-judgement, starts to recede. We prefer those whose gestures and mannerisms agree with our own and slowly, but surely, we subtly narrow down our scope in life. This whole process happens at a very subtle level of our consciousness. It is character forming and is what the Buddhists sometimes refer to as the 'chain of karma' - a chain we create sub-consciously and propagate without conscious intent. At the culmination of this process, at whatever age we happen to be, we find that we have reached a great distance from our original nature. With this realisation we come to the vital possibility of choosing to reclaim our birthright, by dissolving our brought about egoism, out of our own free will. It is at this point that our own individual quest for Meaning starts in earnest. We begin to question who we are and why we are in this world. The alchemical process is now fully engaged. We have on board 'ourselves' the richness of everything we have learnt in life and all the necessary intellect, energy and contrasts of experience to begin to consciously question our 'reason for being', and the resolve to respond to a calling so deep inside us that we hardly even remember where it came from. This calling is the calling of the Heart to reclaim its home, its sense of wholeness and completeness which our evolved egoism has removed from our immediate sight. We can now consciously choose to respond to this calling with what can only be called Love - and this takes place so very deep within the human Soul that it may be some time before we truly become aware of its consequences. Here we should add that by shining the light of consciousness on our beliefs we start to break the chain of karma. Discrimination, as to the possible effects of our thoughts and actions, becomes a very important part of how we choose to move forward. Such discrimination can only come from knowledge and it is essential, at this stage, that we find a source of wisdom that gives us the necessary stimuli, at the Soul level, and support & guidance to enable us to plan and execute our own campaign of reclamation. We bring all this into action by a process known in mystical terms as Service - the conscious act of working to align ourselves with our original nature. The response from our Source, to our request for alignment, is known as Mercy. It is likened to the act of giving medicine to a sick child. The medicine might taste bitter, and the child may well complain terribly at having to take such an unpleasant liquid. However the child remains ignorant of the 'good' contained within the remedy. Were it otherwise the child would not complain. Through our efforts and intentions a response comes from our Source that aims to cure our illness. Once restored back to good health we are at home. There is no need for anything in our being other than Love - the fundamental cause of all that we call creation. We find our place in the order of things and come to know who we are, not intellectually, but in Being. This journey from the outer-most limit of consciousness, to the return to our Source of our own free will, is the highest possibility that Man can aspire towards. It is for this possibility that this Universe, in all its vastness, was created, and all the prophetic writings and saintly guidance handed down to Mankind is solely intended to assist us in making this journey for ourselves. Everything will return to the Source via 'the stream' (i.e. unconsciously). That is not the same as our deliberate intention to find the Truth of our own identity in this very life. Those who undertake the free return to our original nature find peace in their hearts. They are the peacemakers whom Jesus said are blessed "for they shall be called the children of God". Thus to find Meaning in this life is to come to know oneself. To do so we must re-awaken the vast potential we were born into this world with and act consciously, with deliberate intent focused by knowledge - and inspired by Love, in complete certainty that Mercy WILL come to remedy the sickness of our false sense of identity. We are all capable of undertaking this journey. It is the greatest possible challenge that any person can embark upon in their life - and the most meaningful act we can do for ourselves, our planet, the environment and Mankind.
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