Reality is infinitely better than nothing.

Reality is infinitely better than nothing.

An infinite amount of nothing is constantly creating reality.

Reality being divided by infinity creates nothing.

Putting nothing above or below reality creates infinity. 

Is there only this reality? Do we know of other realities? Am I me, who is him, who is you, who is I? 

Am I you, yet not you, and in what reality?

To speak about that infinity is to speak of the basis of all substance and change; energy and matter. I will speak now on the level of humans as individuals, and the separate, yet so wholly joined realities that we all experience. As Homo Sapiens, we have no idea what it is to be a rock. Or a dog, or a cat. Through science we can come to conclusions about how different organisms experience the world around them, but to be inside that consciousness, to experience with all the emotion (or lack there of) that that organism is witnessing, we cannot do. 

And even just in the realm of humans. Many people end up growing in the same place for most of their lives, constantly forging new bonds with others, and strengthening existing bonds further. However, for the person that has only moved around one country, they know not what it is like to experience the life of someone on another continent. And this should not be looked at in the sense of one life is ignorant or unaware of the other life. We can read in many different places, or ask many different people, what it is like to live and experience reality there. Bottom line is that I can read as much as I want about the Iraqi people and how they are living right now. Some media says they are in horrible conditions and they hate all Americans. Some say quite the opposite. We will never know which one is true without experiencing it with our own eyes, our own realities. 

Chances are both are probably true, but in the end without seeing it yourself, we will never know. In a world of exaggerated stories, controversial views, a million different opinions and facts (sometimes used synonymously) and many different truths, how can we decipher which is which? How can we wholly decide that we are correct based on our views?

We can't. In the end, to each his own. You should believe what you really want to believe, whatever you believe is true. Many people might put you down, and disagree. But let them be to their own reality. We are all experiencing the same thing; that which is life; but it is our opinions that truly make us human. Our differential views are what fuel the change, what produce the energy of this world. So please, believe in pink dragons, believe in global warming, believe in yourself. Whatever you choose, just make it the best you can for your life and for the life of your offspring. As we grow older and closer to death, we must pass the baton so that our children can run strong.

Let's not tie their shoelaces together before the race.

Life

What is life? More specifically, what is the meaning of life? What is its purpose? Life is merely a particular form that consciousness takes, a particular interaction of matter and energy. Life ranges from the simple one-celled organisms to humanity, thus far the most complex form of life we are aware of. The complexity comes from evolution, which is the incremental refinement and advancement of something over time. Life has evolved from the simple to the complex, the nature of all things is to progress from the simple to the complex, and life is just one of many systems of energy-matter interactions. Given this understanding of life, what is its meaning, what is its purpose?

Consider that energy and matter interactions underlie all that is, and that everything, all consciousness, is a result of these interactions. These consciousnesses evolve over time from the simple to the complex. Evolution, then, is not merely a description of what takes place, but also the purpose of it. From the beginning, when all interactions of matter and energy resulted in one consciousness, to this point in time, that which happens, the evolution of reality has spawned more and more consciousnesses, at an exponential rate. After a period of roughly 10 billion years, life on Earth originated, in its simplest form. Over the next 3.7 billion years, it has evolved into humanity. Whether or not we are alone in our sentient, living consciousness in the universe, we are the most complex interaction of energy and matter we have yet observed. When you consider the preconditions necessary for the development of any life on Earth, and the evolution that has occurred from the one-celled organisms to humanity, we are very complex creatures. We have the ability to manipulate energy and matter interactions to our benefit, as seen through our technology. But what is our purpose?

Our purpose, the purpose of life, is life. The purpose of all things is to contribute to the cosmic interaction of energy and matter to create more and better consciousness. As humans, our purpose is to create more and better humans, which means our purpose is to evolve the species. Evolution does not occur through artificial selection, that is, arbitrary selection, but through natural selection. Those organisms which are most adaptable survive and proliferate. Those which are not, die. It is not a calculated effort on the part of the self-proclaimed superior to eradicate the inferior, but to evolve them. Life does not win by competition, it ultimately loses. This is true of humanity. Competition among people only hinders our advancement. We should seek not to force the world to conform to our image, but allow the world to evolve our image.

That which is above, the macrocosm, is that which is below, the microcosm. This means that every level of reality is the same, on a different scale. All reality is the interaction of energy and matter. As a species, the purpose of life is life; humans exist to proliferate and evolve the species. As individuals, the purpose of life is life. Each person must find their own purpose in life, but whatever that purpose is, it will benefit life. Everyone should be content to lead a good life, be kind and generous to others, embrace the world with love and hope, not hatred and fear.

Be the change you seek, and your world will change accordingly.

Substance and Change

Our lives are a continual process of substance and change; being and becoming. We move constantly from a state of being; that which is, to a state of becoming; that which causes to be.

We are conceived, we are born, we grow up, we get careers, we have a family, we die. Each is a continuous process of substance and change. Our substance is that which we are; our change is that which we will be.

This process can no more be avoided than aging; indeed, aging is but one example of this process at work. What can be avoided is the pain that often accompanies this process. Too often, we grow attached to that which is, and fight the change. Those too attached to their youth and beauty will find them disappearing, until they are old and haggard. Those who grow too attached to their wealth will find everyone is out to get it from them. Those who grow to attached to their life, whatever that life is, will find it slipping away.

Watching Jacob's Ladder, I encountered this quote which is an excellent representation of my meaning:

"If you're frightened of dying, and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth."

This applies not only to death, but to all things. When you fear the change, the becoming, that which causes to be, then the change will be painful. If that change is part of your life, and not its death, then you will live Hell on earth.

"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you. They're freeing your soul."

What is death, anyway, but a radical change? Are our lives really mortal? Can we live in this world forever? Why not? Is it possible? I submit that yes, it is possible. Is it something anyone can do? I submit that yes, it is. Is it something everyone should do? Consider this, from The Fountain:

"He said that if they dug his father's body up, it would be gone. They planted a seed over his grave. The seed became a tree. Moses said his father became a part of that tree. He grew into the wood, into the bloom. And when a sparrow ate the tree's fruit, his father flew with the birds. He said... death was his father's road to awe. That's what he called it. The road to awe."

Why do we die? Not because we must, but because we should. Death is the road to awe. To reject death is to reject radical change. Death is nothing more than radical change, departure from the world we know into one we do not. People fear change within our world, they fear change of jobs, change of friends, change of love interests, change of routine. These are all familiar things, even when we make major changes within our life, they are changes from things we know well to things we know less well. Death is a change from what we know something about to that which we know nothing about. Change is the road to awe. And at the end of the road? Well, watch The Fountain and decide for yourself. I submit that it is eternal life.