I am certainly not the only one who is somewhat obsessed with finding out the true purpose of our existence. Philosophers through the ages have engaged in such contemplation, and I am not sure that any progress has been made in formulating a workable hypothesis. The search for meaning often leads to angst and hopelessness, and many simply throw up their hands and surrender to the notion that we function is a sea of randomness. It’s the only conclusion one can reach when questioning why bad things happen to good people. Over the years I have come to certain personal conclusions on this topic, which I understand might not resonate with the views and beliefs of many, but I will nonetheless elaborate.
I start with the suggestion that our physical world is broken. It hasn’t always been that way, as ancient cultures had insights that have just about disappeared from the Western World. Ancient philosophers, along with mystics and shamans, tried their best to instill their knowledge of a cosmic consciousness on the masses. Ever since the trap of materialistic thinking and religious doctrine took hold, our globe has been besieged by wars, famine, greed, hatred, jealousy, discrimination, prejudice, and a laundry list of horrors that have become part of our heritage. We now reside in a disconnected world, separated by physical boundaries from our fellow man, and by conditioning from the non-physical realms.
Once we come to accept the notion that we are broken we can begin to explore the nature of our anxiety, our grief, and our disillusionment. The majority of the world population adheres to religious doctrine that promises good things will happen to those who adhere to the rules. It promotes the illusion of invincibility, as certainly nothing bad will happen to us because we believe in a higher power, we are good natured at heart, and such things only happen to bad people. When tragedy strikes good people, a major complication in our grief is the notion that we have been let down, denied something to which we were entitled, and a promise was not kept. The façade crumbles as we lose our footing.
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard about people who escape a perilous situation, and they subsequently avow that a miracle took place as God intervened to make the save. Conversely, when the escape is not made and we experience a tragic passing, we are counseled that it was time for them to go, and God has a higher purpose in mind. It always seemed to me that such logic is faulty, as you can’t have it both ways. Furthermore, suggesting to someone bereaved that a higher force neglected to intervene to save their loved one can be extremely harmful. I fully recognize that we all may have predetermined exit points from this physical realm, and that could explain why someone whose life’s purpose was fulfilled is not saved by a higher source, but I am not convinced.
I do not mean to infer that religion is solely to blame for our predicament. There has been a flurry of metaphysical books in recent times that espouse the benefits of creating our own reality. Through focus and intention we can manifest everything from wealth to happiness. If you do not want bad things to happen to you or the ones you love, simply focus only on the good things. I am certainly open to the possibility that this is true. However, in a broken world perhaps the focus is misdirected, and many are setting themselves up for great disappointment. Maybe we only get through to the universe when there is enough collective positive energy to support the transmissions.
OK, so it certainly sounds like I am suggesting that we live in a disconnected random world, a realm devoid of purpose and meaning. However, it is not as bleak as it sounds. In fact, we have a definite purpose, and we must consider the possibility that we are now broken by design.
I used to balk at the spiritual notion that our physical realm was simply a learning experience. I didn’t sign up for a lifetime of schooling, especially when I could not recognize the subject matter I was being taught. However, I now believe that to a certain extent parts of this teaching model make sense. If we believe in an organizing design to the universe, and the evidence certainly suggests this, then our world is broken for a reason. Once we realize our situation, once we acknowledge the fact that we are owed nothing, we can collectively take the steps towards becoming whole. That, in and of itself, is our true purpose….turning the disconnect into unity, transforming the hatred into love, and recognizing the higher forces that often remain unseen but are always in play.
My personal belief differs from most. I believe that what happens in this physical world is random, and it is so by design. That certainly may sound like a contradiction in terms, but not in my view. Perhaps we were put here to see what we make of ourselves, how we handle the randomness, and how close we come to the recognition that higher realms of consciousness exist. In this model there are no spiritual reasons why good people die young, why heinous individuals live long lives, or why some people live lives of success and happiness while others live in poverty stricken misery. Some people are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time based upon the decisions they make, while other decisions bring good fortune.
However, the universe, knowing that this physical existence is just a blip in eternity, takes over after our physical passing. All of the randomness suddenly becomes coherent, as from our new perspective we understand things differently. Things that we thought of as either good or bad in the physical realm simply become experiences that have helped to prepare us for our birth into the non-physical realm. Darkness is simply the absence of light, and in our new environment that light can be transforming and all consuming. There is one proviso – we must be open to the possibility that the degree of light is commensurate with our actions in the physical realm. Miserable wretches most likely don’t experience the higher realms and joy initially, even though progression is inherent in the cosmic consciousness. On the other hand, what we think of as angels might be the people who let their light shine while embodied.
Every time we act from the heart with compassion and empathy, we not only move one step closer to recognition of our true self, but we add one more drop of light into the reservoir of darkness that plagues our world. Our loved ones in the non-physical world may not have all the answers, but they do recognize the need for us to do our part in mending that which is broken. This is why they communicate and try to influence our actions. They know that when we awaken by being able to elevate from our dense environment, the barriers that shackle us greatly diminish or disappear.