If Presented With the Choice: A Lifetime of Monetary Wealth or ALL the Answers to the Universe?

Money. I have no interest in knowing everything. Would take the fun out of learning for me. With enough money to always be rich I could use that free time to learn more about the world and enjoy my life.

Until a very few years ago, there would have been no contest -- I would have chosen the knowledge without hesitation

And until a very few years ago, I always believed Heaven would be the ultimate university/library where all knowledge would be dispensed

So I surprise myself now by saying I think I'll take the wealth, thank you, as long as it would be restrospective (lifelong wealth as opposed to receiving it at this late stage of the game)

After all, if Heaven is the ultimate university/library, I'll receive all the answers to the universe upon physical death, anyway

It occurs to me the question is similar to which came first; the chicken or the egg. If we had all the knowledge of the ways of the universe would we even care about money or would we just understand it is a tool in the land of duality. A self imposed class system that would be easily and effortlessly discarded with our new found enlightenment and the realization of the interweaving of all beings. The concept of we are only as strong as our weakest link. Wouldn't we all truly understand altruism?

reply to post by UberL33t


Easy, screw the aswers there never be a time when anybody can know all the secrets, not while living, so to stay living and Not have to die, I'd choose a lifetime of monetary wealth...no scratch that even if I could know all the answers and remain alive, IDGAS, I'd take the monetary wealth for a lifetime cause WTF would knowing everything be worth? NADA dang...that's what!!!!!

I would pick the knowledge..because with that knowledge..you can make a lot of money anyway due to all the secrets and technologies you can unveil.

very good question and a major dilemma for many people because the knowledge may be so vast that our brains might literally explode.

Originally posted by Annee
Easy for me.

All the answers of the universe.

I have learned a lot in my 63 years. Once you acquire material possessions - your life becomes about protecting and holding on to those possessions.

When you have nothing. Life is about love - life - and family.

Edit - I hate spelling errors.

[edit on 19-3-2010 by Annee]

What a crock...I have no money and I hate everything and everybody,I even hate the guy I am with...I hate my life...having no money sucks@!!!!

[edit on 19-3-2010 by ldyserenity]

I would pick all the answers

Originally posted by Dock9
Until a very few years ago, there would have been no contest -- I would have chosen the knowledge without hesitation

And until a very few years ago, I always believed Heaven would be the ultimate university/library where all knowledge would be dispensed

So I surprise myself now by saying I think I'll take the wealth, thank you, as long as it would be restrospective (lifelong wealth as opposed to receiving it at this late stage of the game)

After all, if Heaven is the ultimate university/library, I'll receive all the answers to the universe upon physical death, anyway

So true, Dock9! That's exactly what I was inferring in my response!!!

All the answers in the universe.



I've already lived a few years of my life in that "Wealth" lifestyle now I'm just happy being me. I still have many friends who make big bucks. The only difference between them and myself now is that I'm grateful for what I have they on the other hand worry about all their possessions and how to keep from losing their wealth. It's a full time job you know.


If I knew everything then I would quickly realize that money can't buy you happiness. Oh wait I already knew that. I would take the answers and try my best to help mankind.

That's a very good question!
Obviously I'd pick the knowledge how to convince everybody we're all equals. And everything in the universe belongs to each of us, and all of us. Then we'd all see the uselessness of a monetary/status quo system.

Then I'd take a voyage with some friends to a planet seven million light-years away, but get there in the blink of an eye.

Well seeing as the people on ATS are seekers of knowledge, I would say almost everyone on here would pick all the answers in the universe. Only very few on here would choose money. That being said, a lifetime of wealth would be great.

This is a no brainer honestly. with the knowledge you could create the wealth. uhm 2nd line.

Knowledge so I could give the U.S. government some long needed pointers. Not that we really need any special knowledge for that come to think of it.

reply to post by UberL33t

There is a lot of static in your post. The static is the dilemma of consciousness as seeking. It isnt answers that are needed it is getting rid of the questions in Divine Ignorance or Bliss.

Chapter 3 - Dawn Horse Testament

My earliest and most basic practice was an example of what is traditionally called "prapatti", or simple, direct, non-technical, and unconditional surrender to whatever is always already the case. It was not a practice informed by any conventional religious philosophy, or by any traditional spiritual philosophy, or by any inherited god-concepts. All that was possible for me was the real practice of divine ignorance, or spontaneous submission to the unknown and unknowable condition in which the conditional self and the conditional world are arising in every moment.

I soon enjoyed a profoundly essential insight into the felt dilemma and the urge to seek that characterize the born self. It became clear to me that the feeling of dilemma and the urge to seek god, happiness, fulfillment, or release via the acquisition of experience, knowledge, or any condition or conditional object at all are not in fact the means for the realization of truth itself. I understood that the problem-feeling and the urge to seek are not a program for the actual discovery of truth, but they are merely symptoms of a curious disease. I observed that these symptoms, which tend to characterize every moment of ordinary existence, are in fact the evidence of the very state that must be transcended if the truth itself is to be realized. It was clear to me that the feeling of dilemma and the seeking - urge are nothing more than a confession that god, truth, or happiness is not presently experienced or known. And this seemed remarkable to me.


So let's go over some of this material on the Meditation of Understanding. I describe here on page 165, I give a kind of diagram of the process that occurred in every case where I was involved in exploring some aspect of the problem of existence through some method or other, approaching consciousness through the problem of mind, whatever. I would go through some adventure of some sort and the end result in every case, of each particular form of the spiritual adventure I went through, was what I called understanding. I arrived at the same thing in every case. As I went through a particular form of the problem of existence, this led to concentration and observation, then insight, then freedom, then recognition of understanding as prior to the search.
www.beezone.com...
4. No dilemma: there is no dilemma.

There is no dilemma.

There is only the sensation,

The appearance,

The assumption of dilemma.

We are never at any moment

In the dilemma we fear

Ourselves to be.

There is no separation,

No radical dilemma.

There is no dilemma.

There is nothing

About the present

That is not truth.

All of this is not

A dilemma

From the beginning.

It is simply reality.

It couldn't be more obvious.

There is no dilemma.

There is one reality,

Without differentiation.

It is full,

It is blissful,

There is no danger,

And there is no curse.

There is no prior guilt,

No praise, no blame.

There is only enjoyment.

Truly.

There isn't this crazy asylum.

There is only enjoyment.

Everything is a form of bliss.

Consciousness is just a ride.

There is no dilemma.

There is no real contraction.

There is only the enjoyment

That is truth,

What is always already the case.

There is no dilemma.

There is no one superior

To the other,

No problem,

No jealousy,

No distinction.

There is only enjoyment.

Reality is no-seeking,

No dilemma,

Real knowledge,

Real meditation

And real consciousness.

Real existence

Is apart from

Every kind of seeking.

It is from the beginning

Radically free

Of any goal

Of liberation or salvation.

It is unqualifiedly free,

Present, active,

Creative and alive.

There is no dilemma

And no search.

There is enjoyment

And the creative play of existence

In perfect, unqualified certainty.

When thee is no seeking, no contradiction,

There is only unqualified knowledge and power.

That is reality.

Reality is fullness,

No dilemma,

Silence and brightness

Or creative force.

It is always there.

This is the greatness of truth,

Of understanding,

For it disarms all fear,

All circumstance,

All dilemma.

It is always already the case.

Grace is eternally generated.

There is only God.

And there is no complication,

There is no limitation,

There's no suffering,

There's no destiny

Even in the midst of limitations,

Destinies, worlds,

Appearances,

Births and deaths.

Everything is moving together

As a single design

With a single intent.

Nothing happens to you

That is not appropriate.

All events serve truth.

From the beginning,

Presently,

Not merely at the end,

Life is already founded

In the form of reality.

Life or the world

Is being manifested

In this moment.

It was not manifested

Billions upon billions

Of years ago.

It is manifested at this moment,

Instantly,

And may be known as such.

Reality is not properly

The goal of striving.

It is the very source,

Foundation and motivation

Of real creative life.

Bliss,

Which is conscious reality,

Is the ground

Of all creativity,

Transformation

And evolution.

A man's perfect food is truth.

This is literally so.

Truth is not just a concept.

Truth is the living force

Of reality.

It is intensity.

Truth is love.

Reality is love.

This is love.

We are,

At any moment,

Always and already free.

We are always already "there."

This is it.

There is no dilemma.

There is only reality,

Presently.

It is not somewhere else.

It is not hidden within us,

Nor behind the world.

It is only obvious.

There is no higher world

That is the special and exclusive

Communication of truth.

All worlds communicate truth

In exactly the same way,

So there is no special advantage

In any world beyond here.

There is no radical difference

Between the higher

And lower worlds.

There is no radical advantage

In any kind of experience.

In fact there is no such a world

Of separation.

It is unreal.

No one has ever literally experienced

Such a world.

Experience is void.

It is without form,

Without qualification,

Without limitation

Or center.

No one

Actually perceives

The conditions

Wherein any thing

Or any one

Becomes known

As an entity.

In fact, the only

reply to post by UberL33t


Perhaps the answers.

Then again there's the saying, which I believe fully, It's not about the destination it's about the journey that counts. Would an easy way out be worth it?

On the other hand, if I were rich, and never had to work, I could do the things that are only dreams at this moment.

I think I would take the money.

Just having all the answers doesn't mean you will like them. What if you came to know that death was just a state of non existence your entire life? How would you deal with that?

my answer would be ALL the Answers to the Universe who we are? where are we from? why are we here? and what is beyond?
think about it what would the bi-products of all the Answers to the Universe
wealth immortality sadness and possibly fear and from others they would possibly hate you for the ultimate truths you would know
people love there ignorance and being lied to

I didnt even have to think about it. I would rather have all the answers to the Universe than money. I would choose money over pretty much everything. I dont really care about money, to me money is the root of all evil. What does everyone fight over? MONEY! I think knowing all the answers is more valuable than anything I could buy with money. I just want to know if my theories on Mars are right now that would be priceless to me!

I just read the responses so far. They are, for the most part how I expected them to be. However, in the OP I said...

When I say "everything" I mean all the questions, theories, and "what if's" that presently science, more so humanity, has been unable to solve.

Albeit broad, people are posting their replies as what they deem "ALL the Answers" would be to them, as well as what it would entail. Interesting to say the least. The religious to science based responses are an intriguing look into humanities version of "All Knowing".

My personal reply to a few posts that stuck out to me the most:

Helping Humanity

reply to post by xxcalbier

or just invent coldfusion

reply to post by SpaDe_

Just imagine with all the knowledge in the universe at the drop of a hat you could single handedly solve all energy issues, hunger, housing you name it. You could solve or help solve all the problems plaguing civilisation today. (or atleast a good majority of them)

reply to post by December_Rain

I can use the money to help animals who would otherwise not benefit from the answers

reply to post by SLAYER69

I would take the answers and try my best to help mankind.

reply to post by loveguy

I'd pick the knowledge how to convince everybody we're all equals. And everything in the universe belongs to each of us, and all of us.

reply to post by Smell The Roses

Knowledge so I could give the U.S. government some long needed pointers.

Whether it was the money or knowledge that was the motivation I find these responses to be the most refreshing. If I possessed such knowledge or money, the bettering of the species and our prolonged existence would be my absolute motivation hands down. As I composed this thread I never once gave it thought that possessing all the answers would come with any "divine powers". It is simply the answers to the questions I have personally.

The same as if I took the money, I would either have a lot of money or a lot of answers. If you take one, in fairness you would forfeit the other so to speak. The posts that claim having all the answers would thwart a monetary outcome. I suppose you could exploit the knowledge, but like other posters stated, would you see that life is not about monetary possessions.

This Post:

reply to post by Nightflower

Now the knowledge of everything sounds tempting, but as long as i have such a primitive ego, i wouldn't be safe from corruption. I think i couldn't handle it, and there's probably a reason why we don't know everything yet. Ultimate power with such a primitive egoistic mind? No thanks. Look at the world what humans have done with that limited knowledge, now imagine that with ultimate knowledge. The existence would be in danger

Sadly, this is true in our species current state, but this isn't limited to having all the answers because having all the money can have the same effect in the end. I think this knowledge would have to be handed to a unique and specific individual(s). The same could be said with the money. If TPTB mirrored the sentiments from the above posters wanting to better humanity, I think we would be living in a much happier existence.

Last but certainly not least:

reply to post by RRokkyy

There is a lot of static in your post.

That is just my avatar background image is all

reply to post by ldyserenity

What a crock...I have no money and I hate everything and everybody,I even hate the guy I am with...I hate my life...having no money sucks@!!!!

This is a great example of how "negative" money (or the lack thereof) can allow one to get.

We work, to make money, to live happily, there in lies the phrase:

"Working for a Living"

It should be:

We Live, We Laugh, We Love, there in lies the phrase:

"Living, Laughing, and Loving for a Living"

So much less stress this way

Let's see..........MONEY. I already know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop.