The moon is a reminder that in life, one shall go through phases. So is the sun a reminder that no matter how many times one will go down, they shall rise again. Although the general tendency of mankind is to attain pleasure, comfort and amusement, they are no right conditions for growth. It is in hardship and struggles where fortitude, courage and resilience are moulded.
As much as mankind may make avoidance of pain – one of its prime goals, either purposefully or subconsciously – pain is inevitable. The higher the level and effort of its avoidance, the deeper it hurts. Just as one of mankind’s fear is the fear of death, yet, it is the only thing that is most certain; that regardless of the level of fear, it shall happen any day and any time.
Therefore, in meditation – whether it be intentional or by accident – one must ask why mankind puts every effort in avoiding and trying to defy nature’s order. Why must one be born only to live in fear of something that will certainly happen, or avoid something that helps them grow?
Of course, there may be no universal answer. However, the questioning and introspection may be the juncture from which the journey begins. The journey to find the meaning of life, not outwardly but within. That, maybe, the whole purpose of life is something else that is simple yet complicated; that the purpose of life may not be the erection of skyscrapers and finding life on Mars.
Taking on this daunting task in its simplistic form may even reveal that life has no purpose; that everything that is called purpose is nothing than ideas that mankind has constructed for itself – ideas it uses to keep itself busy from birth while waiting for its death; an idea that may have been born out of its boredom with the simplicity of life and obsession with sophistication.
Mankind finds itself in the confusion of its own constructs. It occupies itself with leaving a legacy and the wish to be remembered. Yet, these are the things for which there is no guarantee, but may distract and lead one astray from wonder, joy and understanding the essence of life. It puts one in a constant state of anxiety for seeking approval and feelings of incompleteness, leaving one with many regrets as they make their way to the tomb.
This observation has a higher chance of holding some water, because mankind has invested so much in finding purpose. Yet, it seems to be going in a complete opposite direction of its wishes. Its purpose has become more individualistic than collective; it has become the success of one over the other, and one’s gain must be a loss for the other.
Therefore, for its greatest wishes to manifest, mankind must collectively establish a common purpose and ground – that it must sincerely and genuinely investigate itself and its true intentions. For this is the only way it can emerge victorious over its back-and-forth struggle with life; that it may find that maybe life has no purpose after all; that if there may be any, it may be found in simplicity, and not sophistication.
Uncommon Sense is published every Friday in the New Era newspaper with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka
E-mail: karlsimbumusic@gmail.com