Life is something bigger than yourself - part 2 (let me try again..)

Human beings do not exist on their own.

Everything we eat must come from what is living.

The air that we breathe is created by bacteria, algae, plants and trees. They have even created our atmosphere which protects us from deadly radiation.

We view ourselves as individuals and separate from the bacteria, algae, plants and trees, but truly, we are all part of the same thing and share common ancestors. This is true.

---

There was a time when not a single plant or tree grew, and not a single creature walked the land.

3.5 Billion years ago or so, and likely much earlier, some of the earliest forms of life made their appearance. And since then, for millions and billions of years, continuously replicating themselves, facing new environments, changing form, and consuming/eating one another, and interacting with each other; life developed into various forms.

All life that you see today, probably came from the same origins of this archaic life. The trees, the insects .. you! That's right you!

All of the cells in anything that is living share common ancestors.

It's hard to believe, but the evidence is there for you to see.. every step of the way.

We are not separate from life.. we are a part of life.. a greater system.. greater than yourself.

Truly, we are one with the rest of the living world.

---

Many humans (and possibly non-humans) have grown arrogant. Feeling like they control things, and own the world, but it is the other way around - nature owns you, for you are a part of nature.

Like bees who go about doing what they do, unaware that they also help to proliferate the plant life on this great system, so we go about doing what we do, maybe unaware.

Many people feel like we are responsible for continuing life on this Earth; as if it is in our hands for it to continue to exist - but this is false.

The existence of humans may be in jeopardy, but the existence of life is not. Life permeates almost every rock. It is not going anywhere.

So humans came to be on this planet without the help of humans. And life came to be on this planet without the help of humans. And so it shall continue (life) with or without the help of humans.

Yay a post that is not by a raving lunatic Christian Jesus pushing yah yah something or rather, great thread I would star and flag you if I knew how so instead I will give you a
, more more give us more.

a reply to: nOraKat

I get what you are saying, and for the most part it's true, this planet was here for a long time, will continue to be here after us, and we don't even know what, if anything at all, we are supposed to do with our time here.
But shouldn't we be involved? what i don like about that notion is that for me at least, it seems like i should just sit by the sidelines and watch stuff happen without doing anything.
In reality, we might not own the world, but we can control how we interact with it, with a clear distinction between right and wrong.
I do not own my girlfriend, but in interacting her i can go for a slap or a kiss. i know the outcome for both scenarios, so why not pick the option that yields the best results (not that one, you madmen, the other!)

We are the dominant species, and our actions have a clear impact on how we use this place, and our time here. so know not make decisions that at the least will facilitate the continuity of life instead of impeding it?

a reply to: nOraKat

I think that there are many "Gods" and that there is a "God" that created this universe, however, he is not like the other popular "Gods" that hand out religious doctrines or go by "names" - he is a "God" that can only observe us, and that is all he can do, and one can choose to recognise him or not. I feel that he has been walked-over by all the "Gods" that have visited our universe, and perhaps, they do not like him, and this can be seen as translating to "arrogance" of those who have accepted different or more powerful "Gods"...

Truly, I feel that this universe was a "set and forget" - he made his plans, formulated his designs, "gave birth" to the universe, and sat back and watched. I sense that many feel "bitter" about this and would rather belong to "realms" where the "Gods" actively manage reality so as to prevent chaos and evils from occurring.

In terms of my perception of life, it has a simple "additive" principle, the principle of adaptation - and this means that we are allowed to go about our own devices, so, there are not really any "rules" or "guidelines" - only what we are able to discover and figure out for ourselves.

So, here is a universe, here is its functioning's and structure, here are the elements, and here you all are - lets see what you make of it.

I even remember having a dream about him, pottering around making new galaxies - although that could have just been another "participant" in this universe.

a reply to: nOraKat


Sounds like you are trying to make a case for intelligent design.

a reply to: nOraKat

Completely agreed.

Holistic realization of these fundamental truths must fully be realized if we are to survive as a species.

Sadly, there is a great imbalance in several aspects of human interaction with members of it's own body and in their inherent disconnect from their place and purpose within the natural order.

I am doing everything in my own little and limited power to maintain a personal balance with the fundamental Truth.

If there is even one cellular body of discontent and disconnect, it can rapidly spread like a cancer within the Body of Consciousness. We need to isolate whatever component in our matrix that is responsible for this defiance from Grace and Harmony within the Planetary Collective.

I speculate it may be a series of genetic markers that gives some a predisposition towards towards an emotional and spiritual negation. Such genetic components might on day be easily manipulated to prevent the degeneration of the healthy and beneficial genetic composition.

Until that day is possible, we are very much touch and go and trial and error.

I personally believe quite strongly in the importance of positive man-made environments that don't overstimulate the mind into a complete state of dis-associative apathy. Too much of the wrong stimulus for certain individuals can incite a negative rebellion because the essential needs of that person (or collective of persons) is being mismanaged or exploited.

Self-serving interests and endeavors that do not take into consideration the overall well being of the Global Organism and it's cellular manifestations (community groups, for example) are dangerous and destructive. We should always seek to operate within our proper areas of specialization without being pigeonholed into a fractal nightmare of discontent.

There are so many dynamics at play that I cannot stay focused enough to extrapolate further.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our collective awareness for further consideration and discussion.

a reply to: nOraKat

S&F!

When we can take moments to truly understand,... to truly be overcome with a realization that all of reality is fully interconnected by infinite chains of cause-and-effect,... the co-dependent nature of all things,... and the elemental/atomic co-origination of all,...

when this grand and beautiful 'THING' is felt inside,... we no longer need to worry about a great majority of mankind's problems, because the majority of our problems are a direct result of us forgetting, ignoring, or being unaware of the unity of the unintelligible 'THING' that was mentioned.

I often find it hard to empathize with people who feel an immense importance in the scheme of all things.

My husband and I discuss this a lot, because where I feel we are like grains of sand on a beach, he feels something else, which I don't think I can accurately describe... if I can't empathize with it, my expression of his perception is bound to be flawed.

We share with each other very contrasting attitudes about death, for example. I don't fear death (though I fear pain). He says he fears death, will even welcome pain if it means avoiding death. Living is something akin to running from death in each moment.

In thinking of my own death, I simply see the world unchanged, still turning, all the other people and life forms going about their business without any impact coming from my absence. That gives me a sense of comfort.

He, however, is horrified by that thought. There is something repulsive to him in the idea of his existence being so unimportant. So life for him, besides being a race from death, is also about finding some way to impact the world and others that continues after his death- reaching a form of immortality. Becoming important.

I find this difficult to wrap my head around, though I have actually heard this type of expression from many people, ALL of them males. It might be a part of the hard drive in gender differences?

I have analyzed myself enough to become aware that the thought of all life forms continuing uninfluenced by my physical passing away comes from my internal sense of connected-ness between all life- in a sense, even if my individual form disappears, "we" go on. I am not just a "me", but "us" (refering to more than just human beings, but all life).

I think, (not sure, like i said, can't feel confident speaking for someone I cannot yet empathize with completely) that he doesn't feel that "connection". So feels it must be created and sustained through conscious mental processes- people having memories and thoughts about him as an individual creates a connection. Thus, the necessity for attention, for standing out, to create connection.

Just interesting differences in perception, fun and challenging to try to understand!

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse

originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
a reply to: nOraKat

But shouldn't we be involved? what i don like about that notion is that for me at least, it seems like i should just sit by the sidelines and watch stuff happen without doing anything.

I am certainly not saying that. I think what we do (the actions we take, the dispositions we hold) is important for ourselves and others.

I think we should give consideration to the suffering of all beings.

originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
a reply to: nOraKat

We are the dominant species, and our actions have a clear impact on how we use this place, and our time here. so know not make decisions that at the least will facilitate the continuity of life instead of impeding it?

Yes, indeed, I am partial to our well being.

originally posted by: Bluesma
...in a sense, even if my individual form disappears, "we" go on. I am not just a "me", but "us" (refering to more than just human beings, but all life).

originally posted by: nOraKat
The existence of humans may be in jeopardy, but the existence of life is not. Life permeates almost every rock. It is not going anywhere.

So humans came to be on this planet without the help of humans. And life came to be on this planet without the help of humans. And so it shall continue (life) with or without the help of humans.

I wrote a thread a short while back about how through our modern technology we could render future extinctions obsolete, Wasn't received all that well. What struck me was the overwhelming feeling from many who replied was that WE the 'The Human Race" was all that and we were meant to dominate the planet regardless of other species who call Earth Home.

The Earth in it's long history has been through quite a bit as far as mass extinctions, Why is it that many feel we'd be 'Special' and wouldn't have to face the same types of species hardships as those that came before us?

Human arrogance. Earth will go on in one shape or form, but will we?

a reply to: nOraKat

Human beings do not exist on their own.

Everything we eat must come from what is living.

The air that we breathe is created by bacteria, algae, plants and trees. They have even created our atmosphere which protects us from deadly radiation.

We view ourselves as individuals and separate from the bacteria, algae, plants and trees, but truly, we are all part of the same thing and share common ancestors. This is true.

Yes, we're all eating each other alive, feeding off each other in a holy food chain wherein the winners live to feed another day and the losers don't. Yay us.

a reply to: Cloudbuster
Yay a post that is not by a raving lunatic Christian Jesus pushing yah yah something or rather, great thread I would star and flag you if I knew how so instead I will give you a

, more more give us more

There is a white flag upper left hand corner
CLICK it will turn black u have then flaggged a post

2 Star a post same thing click on a star above the post.

a reply to: Bluesma

Perhaps the universe expands inwards as far as out. Just grains of sand on a beach, but home to numerous living organisms working together to make our body on many levels. Our brain amalgamates the experience, but one human body is the result of an incredible, stupendous number of systems working synchronously.

Interestingly, both ways of thinking about it seem to lead to a similar experience and perspective.

a reply to: zackli

originally posted by: zackli
Yes, we're all eating each other alive, feeding off each other in a holy food chain wherein the winners live to feed another day and the losers don't. Yay us.

Actually, I had a similar reply to Bluesma (I edited out to not go off topic).

originally posted by: Bluesma
...in a sense, even if my individual form disappears, "we" (life) go on.

I replied..

Whether that is a good or bad thing is a point of contention, since there is so much physical and mental suffering experienced in life. Like you said, billions of beings are eaten alive each day, their bodies torn apart, they watch their children or mothers torn apart and eaten alive. It is a vast perpetual machine in this process. Life is brutal.

a reply to: nOraKat

I edited out to not go off topic

What IS a topic, anyway? Imagine a railroad station that connects all of the major nearby cities and towns, and that all of those cities and towns are connected to other cities and towns that connect to the original one. With the first railroad station depicting a topic, and each other railroad station in other cities and towns depicting a different topic stored in your brain at a relative geographical distance, who's to say what is or what can be connected to the topic at hand?

How is it not just a person's ability to communicate that the topic is connected to something pertinent in someone else's brain?

Whether that is a good or bad thing is a point of contention, since there is so much physical and mental suffering experienced in life. Like you said, billions of beings are eaten alive each day, their bodies torn apart, they watch their children or mothers torn apart and eaten alive. It is a vast perpetual machine in this process. Life is brutal.

Just because we hear and see a lot about pain and suffering doesn't mean that there is a lot in other places. There are numerous psychological biases that distort the way we see things that we don't really see. If you imagine the world as a HUGE bag of marbles with different colors and pull them out, over time, patterns will emerge that don't actually exist. We can't get away from noticing that after the fourth pull of all red marbles, there are a lot of red marbles. It COULD be that those were the only four red marbles in the entire bag, and that if you stopped pulling at that point you would likely conclude it was almost all red marbles. The point is that you can't know. Once you recognize that your set of marbles is just one out of an infinite number of possible combinations of marbles, it ceases to mean much at all.

That is not to downplay the bad things that do happen, but without any way of knowing which patterns of marbles correspond to the whole bag, you will likely not be very effective in action. If your aim is just to feel better about it though, don't let your lack of knowledge stop you. It hasn't stopped billions of people and I have yet to see evidence that it ever will. I recognize that I, like everyone else, have a bag of marbles and concede that my marbles might be different (in fact, are probably MUCH different) than the proportions that the bag of marbles has.