Looking At Things The Way They Are
Thursday, January 31, 2013
WHAT IS LIFE?
By
Francis William Bessler
Laramie, Wyoming
1/31/2013
Note:
This article deals somewhat with the human soul. I realize that it is an extremely difficult idea with which to deal because if it exists at all, the human soul is invisible - making it impossible to measure in any scientific way - as well as almost impossible to analyze in some philosophical or spiritual way. It is like the human soul is an enigma. Still, I have chosen to attempt to analyze the human soul in my life - even though I will not do so much in this article.
I think it worthwhile, however, to point out that in the late 1980s, I did write an analytical work on the soul that I call UNMASKING THE SOUL. You can find that work in volume 2 of my OUT IN THE OPEN writings - found elsewhere in my una-bella-vita website. In the meantime, consider this selection below as a bit of a peek into my general thinking about the subject. What a marvelous entity - the human soul! Welcome to a glimpse of it here. Thank You! FWB.
What is Life? I am prompted to ask that question by virtue of the opening lines of a marvelous stage play called A FEW GOOD YEARS by Penny & Ron Petersen and Linda Signer about a couple of middle age friends conspiring to bring their various mom and dad together for a “few good years” after each has lost his or her spouse to a passing from life. As it is, some fellow senior thespians of Laramie - as members of a seniors theatrical group called “The Unexpected Company” - will be performing that play in mid February. As narrator, I will open the performance with these lines: What is life? Why are we here? What part is love? What part is fear? What causes smiles? What brings a tear? Things are not always as they appear.
Indeed, “things are not always as they appear,” but on the other hand, I think that we humans have been so confused about life for the very practice of insisting on looking away from life as it is as if life itself is a prelim for tragedy. I think it is precisely because we humans refuse to look at life that most of us live our entire lives without knowing anything much about them - that is anything worthwhile. Then we choose to offer pure fiction and speculation about some life we can’t see - otherwise called the “spiritual life” - as the only real worthwhile knowledge; however, we separate the spiritual from the material and offer that one cannot lead to the other.
Many a claimed “teacher about life” would argue that we can’t know about the unknown by looking at what is known - especially if it is a so called “spiritual life” that is being taught - or being taught about. The argument there is that the so called “spiritual” is not the “material” - and thus, we cannot know about the spiritual except through unique spiritual channels. Accordingly, we cannot know about the spiritual except if it is revealed to us by a spiritual agent, in the end supervised by God - the leader of the Spiritual World.
In reality, however, that is probably not so because the difference between the spiritual and the material may only be a dimensional thing. In reality, the so called “spiritual life” is probably an invisible replica of what is non-spiritual - or material; and, in reality, the ONLY way we can know about the hidden spiritual life is to see it through the visible world. In reality, that is probably the way it really is. Souls are probably born into physical bodies simply because a physical body is a visible agent that can be maneuvered for a soul’s advantage. The body is probably a chosen vehicle for a soul to seek adventure - and not at all the “trap” that many so called spiritual leaders want us to believe it is.
None of us souls who have bodies probably know the truth for sure, however. I am stating opinion, not truth - though I do believe that what I offer is probably the truth; but none of us know just how we come to occupy our physical bodies - given that we are souls in the first place that can occupy physical bodies. It stands to reason, however, that none of us would choose to occupy a body if there were not some advantage in doing so. In my trust that my soul probably chose my body for some advantage a body could offer, I choose to equate what truth I find in a physical body as some “spiritual or soulful truth” for which I am seeking.
Accordingly, not only should I embrace my body as necessary for my personal health. I should embrace my body as necessary for my “spiritual health.” In that, the only way I can find “spiritual truth” is by finding it through observation of my physical body - or, in general, through observation of the physical or material world. Indeed, the material world and my physical body become a requirement for spiritual truth - not an impediment for finding such truth - as many who would have me deny the material world for the sake of my soul would have me believe.
Personally, I believe those who claim that they have knowledge of some spiritual life based only on hearsay and speculation about what can’t be seen are probably as dumb as their intended students. My question is - why listen to those who teach about what can’t be seen by declaring what can be seen is of no value? How likely is it that such a teacher is going to be right in what he or she teaches? Specifically, I focus on that question because, in fact, most who declare about some unseen spiritual life in the future, almost to a “teacher,” claim they treasure something that is unseen over that which is seen. They claim to love the Heaven of the Future that they cannot see over the Paradise on Earth that they can see - though admittedly, they do not see the Earth as a paradise.
In other words, almost everyone who asserts some belief in an existence more wonderful than a current life precedes such a belief with a former belief that this life is lacking. In hoping for a better life sometime in the future, they have to declare the current life is lacking. That is just the way it is; but is it right?
Is it right to deny the wondrous present? And let us never forget that the wondrous present is exactly that - a “present,” a gift. Is it right to deny a current gift and simply ignore what we have now under the guise that some future gift might be better? Where is the sense in that? Should not a grateful son - or daughter - be grateful for a current gift and not waste his or her time pining for some other gift?
In actuality, as souls, when we pass from one body, we probably look for another body to continue, as it were, our “education.” So of what value would it be to deny one body just to have to pass in death from that body and, in some soulful time, reenter the world we left behind? That would be to say that if we leave the world in a mess, in all likelihood, we will have to deal again with the same mess we thought we left behind.
Talk about true fate; but that may be exactly what happens. When we die, we may find ourselves wandering about the same location of our death in search for another vessel to incarnate simply because that is the process - or may be. A soul without a body may be like a person without a home. Thus, when a soul leaves one body behind, becoming homeless, that soul may have to search for another body to find another home - and repeat the same ole process all over again. How about that?
Of course, I could be wrong. Many believe that I am wrong; but I doubt I am wrong because I cannot look at life - any life - and see anything but wonder and mystery and perfection. The key idea there is “perfection.” If I did not see life itself as perfect, then as a soul within life, I guess I might feel somewhat of a stranger in a foreign land, but wherever I look, I see perfection - natural wise. Accordingly, I think my soul will always be at home in this land of perfection. I guess you could say, then, that for me - Life on Earth is really Heaven on Earth!
Look at a flower! Is it anything but perfect? Look at a graceful antelope! Is it anything but perfect? Look at a flowing brook as it finds its way over rocks and things in its path! Is it anything but perfect? Look at a mountain side scattered with grass and cactus flowers! Is it anything but perfect? Look at that glorious sunrise or sunset! Are they not perfect - or at least, a reflection of perfection? Look at me! Look at you! Are we anything but perfect - as natural entities, that is?
Others do not see it that way, of course. Many believe their souls belong somewhere else - and this life on this land of the Earth is only some mistake that has to be overcome. To each, his or her own; but If there was some evidence that what I can see is somehow less than what it should be, then maybe I would have reason to doubt that all life really is perfect; but as long as I see no evidence that there is imperfection in life in general, then it makes no sense to believe that my life in particular is less than what it should be; and it makes no sense that a future life is likely to be any different or better than a current life. If life really is perfect now, how can it be any more perfect later?
What do I mean there is no evidence of imperfection in life? Some would ask that. Some would counter and claim that there is nothing but imperfection in life - and that would be testimony that I am all wrong. What about the poor baby who is born with some kind of body defect? Surely, that baby is not perfect. How can I claim that all in Nature is perfect when confronted with constant disease?
My answer: Perceived Perfection is a matter of Perspective. Yes, if I were born with a body defect, I might consider myself as an imperfect creation, related to other creatures of like origin; however Nature - which is the true parent - might not consider one of us being born different than others of us as an expression of imperfection. Why? Because of the aspect of variety. There are many varieties in Nature. That is one of the Obvious Truths that one can find when looking at Nature.
Sadly, however, many humans look at “being different” as perhaps “being defective.” From a purely Natural Standpoint, being different is not being defective. It is simply being “other.” That’ s all. Granted, within society, there is “normal” and “abnormal,” but abnormal should not be treated like it is other than normal - from a viewpoint of true compassion. When Jesus touched the lepers, he was not so much “touching defective ones” as he was “treating diseased ones like they are normal”; and that, in my opinion, is the ideal. Treat everyone the same. There can be no better an expression of true compassion than that.
It is difficult to treat a leper like he or she is normal, however, if we insist on seeing Life In General as somehow less than what it should be. In following a path of expecting deficiency in life, we are apt to find deficiency in many ways - simply because we are “programmed” to look for expressions of deficiency. I think that is true. Thus, in a way, I think, we demand that there are ill ones among us to confirm our sense of the necessary defectiveness of the material world. The lepers are not only ill unto themselves; they are satisfaction for those of us who are healthy that life itself is defective by nature. We humans take great pride in seeing ourselves as defective. Otherwise, we could not hope for a better world elsewhere that lacks illness.
Could we?
So, what is life? Why are we here? Each of us needs to answer those questions for ourselves, but personally, I have tried to answer those questions by looking at Life Itself and trying to find the answers in Life Itself - not in the dictates of some who think they know the answers but who have committed themselves to dissecting the material from the spiritual - strictly on hearsay because they refuse to see all life as Good. I can trust Life Itself because Life Itself is my real parent. I cannot trust some who would declare Life Itself as unacceptable because personally I do not find it unacceptable. On the contrary, not only do I find it acceptable; I find it very, very pleasing as well. To each, his or her own, but I trust Life Itself for all the answers I need; and in such Trust, I will find the fulfillment of soul - for which I seek - in this incarnation and in all incarnations to come.
P.S.
An update on "Bessie's" replacement. If you read my previous blog, I commented on the January 8th passing of Bessie - a good friend's long held Border Collie. That friend, Nancy, decided it is only right that some other needy dog take Bessie's place. Accordingly,