A Good Use of Time

Every now and again, even the least curious and least introspective of us must have moments of wondering what the point of all of This really is. It's hard to imagine an entire lifetime passing without some curiosity about "The Meaning of Life."

Pondering the mystery of physical manifestation is the most trenchant application of our mental energy. What prevents us from doing so more frequently, it seems, is the all-encompassing obviousness of It All.

If you stop for a moment and think about it, it really is all so odd, isn't it? If it weren't for our brain's automatic habit of ignoring all but the most novel and dramatic sensory input, I imagine we would all walk around in a constant state of dumbfoundedness (which would clearly be evolutionarily disadvantageous.)

Many of us do, of course, ask "Why am I here?' though my guess is that this is often in the "What is my purpose for being here?" context.

So perhaps a better question is "How am I here?"

When we open our eyes in the morning, most of us instantly identify with egos which, in their clamoring for mere survival, long ago lost their sense of wonder at existence. The ego's unspoken assumption is something along the lines of "Yes, of course- I'm me. And I live here. And things are like this. Just like yesterday and last week and last year and the year before that" etc. It is as if our brains are always whispering "Nothing to see here. Now move along. We have a survival plan that needs orchestrating, remember?"

So I ask you to consider setting aside the incurious manner in which our brain routinely meets existence. Find moments when you can sincerely ask the question "How am I here?" though once you do, similarly set aside the brain's immediate search for answer (which is sure to follow.) Be satisfied to simply ponder how strange it is to be here at all and dwell in the spaciousness of the wonder which arises. Then just linger there awhile.

Yes, whether we are doing the dishes, making love or surfing the web in trance, the vast expanse of the Universe, with it's unknowable origins and unfathomable happenings, spins on and on and on. Just as it did long before we were here to witness it (or ignore it, as the case may be) and as it will continue to do long after we are gone.

And still, the question "How is all of this?" persists, like an ineffable elephant sitting smack dab in the middle of this unknowable room.

Gassho