“What’s it all about” is a question that relates to what’s the purpose and meaning of our lives? People tend to push questions of purpose and meaning under the rug because they are just too unanswerable to deal with. Or maybe because philosophical questions get in the way of living through what each day brings with it.
So why are we here? What purpose do we humans serve? Do our lives mean anything? Over millions of years, we’ve moved on from being low-brow hominids who grabbed fish in tidal pools, hunted and ate anything that walked, crawled or flew, and probably scavenged lion and leopard kills. We’ve created this thing called civilization; we’ve tamed fire. We’ve generated another kind of fire from the basic bits of the universe. atoms.
Our habitations and agricultural fields use half the land surface of the Earth. We’ve wiped out the animals that not so long ago killed and ate us. We’ve added thousands of human-made satellites to the only natural satellite, the Moon.
In 1977 we launched Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, which have now left the solar system and will probably keep on voyage into deep space for tens of thousands of years. They may be the only relics of Earth and of humankind to survive a planetary catastrophe. Or some other form of life might intercept them and be puzzled over what they are and where they came from, obviously objects created by some form of intelligence, somewhere. That form of life will likely be like us, forms based on carbon, but their skies might be colored violet and orange, their skins, blue and their language might be like that of dolphins, rapid clicks that also serve as echolocation and can see into other creatures’ bodies. They might have one gender, or ten.
But let’s return to Earth. Why life on this small planet, of the estimated septillion in the universe? (a septillion is 1 followed by 24 zeros). A rare combination of temperature, atmosphere, magnetic fields, clouds, oceans and other factorsmake life possible here. The atmosphere and magnetosphere protect life from deadly ultraviolet from our star—the sun (we forget the sun is a star). Out of that vast number of planets, there must be a few like us, where some kind of beings look up at the stars and wonder if they are alone in the universe. They probably have questions of meaning and purpose, too.
But why are we here? Why have we humans evolved from the same roots as other forms of life on earth? Why do we think and why are we aware of the beginning and end of our individual lives and the life of the universe, too?
Sand sharks don’t need philosophers, they just need preyand are unaware of sand shark history. Many kinds of whales use sound to communicate, and in their century or so of natural life, they probably accumulate knowledge of where food is and when, and what the dangers are. But there is no bowhead whale prophet and whales don’t need theology, they need krill and fish. White-winged doves need safe nesting spots and they need seeds, fruit and berries to eat. White-winged doves have no need for recording the history of doves; all of that they need is written in their DNA.
But we humans do need answers. Archaeologists tell us that burials from thousands of years ago show evidence of a belief in the afterlife, and we have plenty of texts and inscriptions going back several thousand years that discuss various kinds of afterlife. Ancient Egyptians were concerned that the quality of their life in this world would be judged in the next. Chinese philosophers were concerned with right behavior and proper performance of rituals honoring the ancestors. Virtually all known human groups have tales about how the world was created, and how we humans came to be. And we have lots of purported answers: there are about 10,000 religions in the world.
So back to square one. What’s life all about? What are we for?
I’ve been on the planet a good number of years, now. I’ve read the Book of Mormon, the Bible, a bit of Zen stuff and read some philosophy. I have not found any approach that explains things to my satisfaction. I have not found the Christian story any more logical or convincing than the Great Spirit of the American plains or the Zeus of classical Greece.
Yet, I think, there is something larger than ourselves that we are part of. It’s just a hunch; I have not had any conversations with gods or cosmic folks or spirits.
But here’s what I think. I think we have eyes and ears and a sense of touch and taste and smell the better to see the world in various ways. I believe that we have the duty of witnessing. Witnessing a starry sky at night. Witnessing hawks soar on July afternoon thermals. Witnessing waves coming ashore from the sea. A few have witnessed the earth as a tiny blue dot hanging in the vastness of space. We see it. And damn, it’s glorious, isn’t it.
The world and the universe we are in is neither kind nor gentle. It’s harsh, and unforgiving. We see people we love age and die. And we witness lies and anger, maltreatment, misfortune, bad luck, busted romances, disappointments, sadness and know that evil exists in the world, even if we may have little experience of it. And for some of us, it’s just too much.
Yet we also witness and participate in what is probably the most remarkable thing in the universe: life. Where else in that septillion planets are there Trumpeter swans, grasshoppers, clouds the shape of horses or children jumping rope? Where else in those septillion planets can I see the universe reflected in my sweetie’s eyes?
Most of us have known some degree of kindness, affection, sympathy, empathy and love. And while there’s so much pain in the world, there’s music—we feel both. While there’s disease and the aches of age, there’s also some wisdom—we think about both. While there are moans of pain, there is also children’s laughter—we hear both. While there’s selfishness and hatred, there’s also generosity and affection—we experience both.
The only answer I have is my own. There may be a heavenor a hell, or there may not be. This universe we live in is immense beyond comprehension, and perhaps there are parallel universes with other versions of ourselves who made different choices. The only life we know for sure is the one we live, and the only life we are sure of is all that we share our planet with.That’s why I believe that we have a duty to take it all in and see how remarkable it all is. To appreciate it all as best we can, That’s what I mean by “witness.”
It seems to me that the only logical choice is to understand that we are part of a web of life that extends from the deep past,through us in the present into an unknowable future. It seems to me that we should from time to time, take time away from our busywork to look at the sky and listen to what’s around us, and appreciate as best we can. It seems to me that we owe the world gratitude, and that the best forms of prayer are smiling and laughter. It’s my own habit to say “Thank you,” and compliment someone when I see good work.
And our own lives are a kind of witness, as well. There’s more to life than we can ever know. What we can know and understand is only some of it. But we can witness during our lives and treat life and our blue planet kindly and give ourselves permission to love—love the earth, love ourselves, love someone else. I have no proof that this is the right way to live. I know it works for me.
Deep knowledge,everyday.
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