I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that the “universe” isn’t out to get it you. There is no cosmic conspiracy to single you out. There is no punishing god. The bad news is that the “universe” isn’t for you either. There is no god to bestow rewards. The universe just is. It exists and it is life bearing and therefore we exist for reasons that are currently beyond total human comprehension. Science is far from settled on the subject of origins. Even the cherished Big Bang Theory has a new challenger in the world of theoretical physics.
Meanwhile, the great philosophical question – why is there something instead of nothing – persists. How does conscious awareness arise out of seemingly unconscious processes? This can boggle the mind. Thus far no satisfying scientific answer has presented itself unchallenged. And yet, here we are. The Zen Buddhist answer is to simply return to your cushion; to sit and practice. We reign in our craving and step into the flow of life. We don’t annihilate our ego. We embrace it and allow it to expand in a way that makes room for all those “others” out there. We take each other by the hand and step together into a fully aware life.
These questions as profound and necessary as they are can be a bit of a distraction. It can take us off road for a while and we can even get lost in terms of spiritual practice or development. This is why the Buddha cautioned his followers to avoid what he called “idle metaphysical distraction.” What is important in our practice is to increase our experience of empathy for all sentient beings and to act with increasingly great love and compassion.
As Lord Buddha is reported to have said, “God exists or God does not exist. The matter of our enlightenment remains.” For me this means that the answers to the ultimate questions may or may not be answerable by me. I have limits to my own intellect. However, I am still here living and I must do find a way to be more loving and compassionate.
Please don’t think I’m criticizing science. I love science. I am fascinated and deeply humbled by all the great knowledge our species has acquired and overwhelmed by what is left for us to learn. I think we should continue. However, in terms of spiritual practice stop trying to find your purpose or meaning. This is the quest of a hungry, unsatisfied ego overwhelmed by dukkha. We are each other’s purpose. We create meaning each and every moment we are awake, but it is a conscious act and it requires that we learn how to choose this. Our practice is to increase our conscious awareness so that our actions have a directed viable purpose.
Some of you will no doubt disagree with me. You will say there is a conscious creator of the universe and such. You might believe that there is a divine purpose ordained by your creator. That is fine. That’s your story and the above is mine. However, let us at least recognize that really is what our beliefs are – stories. We use them to explain those things that are beyond our comprehension. We are each responding to our subjective need to understand life and our place in it. Let’s just not become attached to the stories. When we cling to our beliefs we stay in a tribal consciousness that seems to keep us separated from the totality of ultimate sentience that unites us all. We slip into the contentious and violent world of us vs. them. Our practice leads us to the way of the bodhisattva.
Just as all the previous
Sugatas, the Buddhas
Generated
the mind of enlightenment
And
accomplished all the stages
Of the
Bodhisattva training,
So will I
too, for the sake of all beings,
Generate
the mind of enlightenment
And
accomplish all the stages
Of the
Bodhisattva training.
Let us bow to the Buddha. Let us bow to Shantideva. Most importantly let us each bow to each other. Our purpose here is enlightenment. I believe there are many ways that this can be done. Choose your way and be faithful to your practice. More importantly, in truth and compassion, let us be faithful to each other.