Are we supposed to find meaning

[David Byrne]

I was just wondering as humans are we supposed to find meaning in our lives or are we really supposed to let God (whatever you refer to that being as) map out our lives for us ? From my own personal experience , as I'm sure it's yours too , I've been trying to find a meaning as well as a purpose to my life but all that's ever done is cause me pain , suffering and I admit it's made me selfish because it's strengthened my ego by wanting more power , success and we all know that leads to greed. The more I search for meaning in everything the more my ego takes things personal when it doesn't get things or have things go his way because by trying to search for meaning in everything I've made myself believe that every moment , every experience and every second of life has to be this spectacular event which all its doing is make everything seem bigger than they are , that's why depression sets in because I'm ego living. The ego is false but not entirely false because if the ego is used correctly it can achieve many great things for myself as well as for the world you just have to look around you to see the evidence. For example Michael Jackson was known as 'The king of pop' now I'm sure that gave him a great ego boost although it doesn't seem like he had an ego but of course he did he was human , like you and I are , but he put that to good use too by helping the sick and poor. So that's evidence that we have an ego for a reason because if put to good use you can move mountains. However when you become ego driven you get taken over by a false set of beliefs that you deserve this , that and whatever you're ego tells you that you deserve , you lose sight of living and that's where the veil gets lifted over your eyes. So what if it is true that God is supposed to map out our lives for us and that's why we find our lives so painful because by taking ourselves away from God we are taking ourselves away from life itself , which is where the term 'The sauce' comes from , so we are now separate from the God head. A lot of us are living life but we must remember that living is not the same as being alive because that's completely different things and I believe a lot of us start our journey of 'enlightenment' intending to live life from our hearts which will ultimately give us the results of seeing ourselves as we are -  pure loving beings - but we get taken over by the ego because the ego tries to put this enlightened experience into a product such as books , seminars etc and we are so desperate that we forget that the stuff we are reading , watching can never ultimately help us because it's the authors own experience and we also forget we already are enlightened. . . The ego is very similar to Christianity's devil as it will trick you with no guilt and it appears in many false disguises

[lionl]

Hi David.

Two thoughts come to mind whilst reading your post, although you may not find them relevant.

Firstly, I would say that it is not the goals we set for ourselves that matter, but the way we try to reach them. What good is it to become rich if along the way we lose our friends, our compassion and our humility?
Someone wise (I can't remember who)once said "It's not the destination that is important, but the journey.

Secondly, I am reminded of a quote of Buddha's - "However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?"

These thoughts may not be what you were getting at, but I thank you for your post anyway. It made me think.

[sparklekaz]

A question that comes up often in our discussions; Is do we have 'free will' or is everything that we do, or that happens to us, preordained (mapped out) for us. I believe that the answer is somewhere in the middle, or both. That we do have free will, but that whether we make bad or good choices is very much dependent on 'where we are at', in terms of experience, maturity, emotional and spiritual growth.

I believe we come into the world with 'a plan' or a purposeful intention, to learn certain life lessons through the process of experience and interaction with others. How we fulfill that purpose is up to us. Though I do think 'pre agreed' encounters at trigger points in our lives occur. Where we are given the 'opportunity' to learn something important as part of our soul evolution.

There have been times when faced with difficult situations or choices, that I have surrendered 'my will' and asked for guidance from a higher power. But I don't believe that waiting for things to just fall into my lap, is what allowing things to unfold naturally means. We all have within us the potential to achieve whatever we want to achieve in this life. But it is up to us to develop the skills, knowledge and insight to do that. So we have to be self-motivated. That it is our responsibility to develop emotionally and spiritually through our own efforts.

No one is going to just 'give us' anything. As other's have said, it is the process of learning through our failures as well as our successes that teach us the most valuable lessons. I believe that cultivating the right conditions for growth and developing a higher awareness of life must come from within. Not from 'something'or 'someone' outside of us. It's taken me a long time to reach this conclusion, and I'm not saying I'm right, simply that this is what I believe. So I guess my answer to your question David is. No, we don't just let God lay everything out for us. Because I don't think God, works that way. I believe God wants us to go out and get what we want through our own efforts. But, if we are struggling and need help and ask for it. He will give it. Be it through our intuitive connection to him/spirit or though the people we meet as we walk this beautiful path of life.

Love and light
Kaz

[tribunalofmercy]

David wrote - "I believe a lot of us start our journey of 'enlightenment' intending to live life from our hearts which will ultimately give us the results of seeing ourselves as we are - pure loving beings - but we get taken over by the ego because the ego tries to put this enlightened experience into a product such as books , seminars etc and we are so desperate that we forget that the stuff we are reading , watching can never ultimately help us because it's the authors own experience and we also forget we already are enlightened..."



That's a Great way of expressing it, David I agree -