Chapter Two - Where Are You Going?

Chapter Two - Where Are You Going?



The destiny of mankind is not decided by material computation.
When great causes are on the move in the world…
we learn that we are spirits,
not animals, and that something is going on in space and time,
and beyond space and time,
which, whether we like it or not, spells duty.
                       -Winston Churchill



           Okay. So where do you want to go?
           Heaven? Many people want to go there. What do you know of heaven, that you want to go there so much? Do you have any hard data, or even any kind of information on heaven? Not much detail in the scriptures…and they all seem so implausible.
           So, I would wager you basically don't have any idea where you're going to and what you would be doing after death, much less even considering that there may be options on what to do there once you get there.
          You just don't want to die or suffer. And it would be nice if you could spend eternity in a cushy environment where all your friends and loved ones are around and everything is a pleasure.  Okey-dokey. Sounds great.
           Or does it?
          Doesn't it sound like someone who has had it tough and just wants to take it easy, at least for a while?
          I think we are wise enough to know that with plenty of satisfactory rest and recuperation, we will get energized and will want to be more active. Possibly save the world.
          It is evident that with the proper management of our resources, wise use of technology, social and spiritual maintenance and development, we can all lead a life free from major want and suffering. Excepting the natural vicissitudes of life, which actually add character and depth to lives that would be otherwise unexceptional, we can have a life that is in the main, enjoyable and fulfilling.
In the past, life has been short, brutish, and a crucible of pain and suffering. But we can now see glimmers of a future when life is no longer synonymous with suffering. We are evolving away from that past.
          Instead of just focusing on easing suffering, we can also turn to creating new ways of fulfilling the aspirations of the soul. To ease suffering is admirable, it alleviates a problem. It puts something back that was lacking: health. However, it is not a creation of something that was not there before, such as in art or technology.
          A destination should be a wonderful fruition. Not a mere revitalization or an easing of suffering. It is a new creation. A flowering.
           In operating any vehicle, we should know where we would like to go. Where is our destination? And conversely, where are we starting out from? (Or where did we come from?) Our destination is tied in closely with the purpose of life. If we can find the purpose of life, we shall find our destination. Let's meander down this avenue.


Destination


          What is the purpose of life? Why are we here? To where are we going?
          These questions have been asked for centuries and there are just as many answers as there are more questions. The fact is, no answer is provable. There are myriads of books on the subject and none of them can be verified. So let's focus on what we can validate as a result of our own lives; the things that we have personally experienced in the time we have had in this life. As most people, including myself, do not have any conscious memories of past lives, or have evidence that there were any past lives, let us make the starting point the here and now.
          As for finding out what our purpose and destination is, we would have to draw upon the experiences of our own lives and the records and opinions of the many people that have lived in recorded history.
          Most scientists will simply say they do not know. Science, as we know it, will never be able to discover the spiritual origin and purpose of life. That is in the realm of religion and philosophy. Of course, there are some scientist/philosophers who say that life is an effect of random chance and has no purpose at all. Since there is no scientific evidence for that, scientists who have that opinion are going way beyond the realm of their chosen academic field. That doesn't mean that they are wrong, but that line of reasoning is a dead end and so we will not go there.
          Many religionists  and philosophers tend to agree that we are in some kind of cosmic school; life is a process of learning. However, the question then becomes, learning for what purpose?



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