The search for the meaning of life was brought home to me in a frighteningly personal way on September 11, 2001. The day a terrorist assault made thousands of people perish in a pointless act of violence. My partner Jo arrived home that day from a trip to Canada and New York on a United Airlines flight via New York. Two weeks previously, she had stood on top of the World Trade Centre. Only good luck and timing saved Jo from death. Whilst Jo was away, I had been reflecting on a change of awareness that occurred for me many years ago. After a number of years of self-discovery, research and trialing, I woke one morning with the knowledge that my awareness was very different than normal on awakening…thought was absent and there was a impression of stillness and harmony. This lasted about 2 hours. Since that miraculous event, this serene state comes and goes in my life, so it seems nothing is enduring. This also makes me see why killing any living creature, when one has an alternative, is immoral. Thought makes us think that we are somehow superior to other animals. Take thought out of the equation and it is a another story! However, I was still troubled by the question posed in the title of this article. I feel a million times better about life and the world, but is that it? Do I bliss out for the rest of my life without thought for the morrow? Can I comprehend what happened to my brain and can it be duplicated by others? I considered this for weeks until the insights started flowing. Here they are in no specific order of value: Nine Insights On What a Change Of Awareness Means 1. The chief value is life itself, compassion for all living creatures of all forms. If we value thoughts more than life, then we kill others because of their opposing ideas, and this has been the trouble with humanity for thousands of years. 2. For life to keep going in a fast-changing environment, it must become increasingly intelligent. This means it must sometimes adapt just to stay around. 3. Gurus who claim that awareness is the only reality and 'things and bodies' are an illusion are making the huge mistake of looking for a answer to their mortality. These same gurus don't want to precisely circumscribe this elusive 'thing' called consciousness? For me it's purely awareness of existing, and it is an fundamental part of my being, including my body. 4. Illumination for me simply means being my own light and making the most of my one chance at life in the context of the present world situation. It would be illogical and dangerous to accept any one person's views on life or follow anyone else. 5. Living things are self-organizing and self-maintaining. They produce order out of turmoil. This is a repeated, dynamic process. Moments of ecstasy (or peak experiences) take place for an individual organism when 'everything is in order' i.e. food and other basic needs are gratified, for the moment. Therefore bliss is a consequence of order being maintained. 6. Progression on Earth does not have an objective as such, other than to keep going, moment-to-moment. As conditions on Earth change quickly or steadily over long periods, life has developed a pattern of mounting complexity. 7. My awareness changed to a natural consciousness because I began living from day to day on a 'NOW' basis, and I ceased placing energy into maintaining false values (improving self, drive, arrogance, seeking permanent anything). 8. Human beings do not have a option regarding whether there will be a new consciousness. The existing planetary disaster will resolve itself, one way or another. So we are not in charge of our own progress even though we are practicing participants in the flow of life. We either co-operate with the whole of life or we self-destruct. 9. Thought is a very principal instrument for resourceful living, but not for psychological identification, because it then creates disorder in the organism. Life, in humans cannot become less complex and go back to the state of so-called innocence or pre-thought. However, thought must be included with the organism's number one value – the continuance of life. I am ravenous and selfish for more life. Isn't everyone? That's a huge problem too. Not to admit that you desire a lot more out of life than you are receiving. It's called being selfish. Everyone's self centred because it's how a living being is wired. Let's not be hypocrites and make things worse by pretending otherwise. When we acknowledge the truth we are free to be self-seeking or unselfish without feeling guilty. There is utterly no point in chasing after safety, because there is none. Life is a transient business, so go for the biggest ambition you can envisage, and be ready for dissatisfaction, failure, humiliation, laughter, foolishness, learning, success and surprises galore. This is our greatest trial in the present time and where real meaning and purpose lie in wait for every person. Perhaps too much serenity can be boring too, if meaningful living is {absent|not present|missing}. I ultimately got bored being 'blissed out' all the time and leaving the troublesome things to others. Challenges are all over the place. Start someplace – today!
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All human beings at some time pose the query; "What is the meaning of life?" Just following the daily isn't sufficient to fulfill our innate desire for a ambition in life. But how do we break out of our reliance upon the expectations of ourselves and others to realize our own exclusive objective in life.
Gary Hipworth is a life planning consultant who believes that all people are capable of being their own life coach. For this purpose he created Superlife Life Planning Software to help you discover What is the meaning of life
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