Why do we exist?

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper

Shades of Reason
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Is there any particular reason for our (Human) existence? My guess is that most of us don't have a clue. Even so, I'm curious to know from those who do believe that we have a reason - What they think that reason to be?

I know I've contemplated this many times in my past, but my conclusions never satisfied me long enough to keep them. I suppose if I were to answer this today, then I would say that we exist so that we might realize and then meet our potential as human beings.

I believe that we have great potential. I believe that we have a very real opportunity to not only co-exist (Respectfully) with all living things, but also connect with all life on a spiritual level.

We can be selfish, and effectively rape creation at the expense of the many life forms (Including humans) we share this world with, or we can learn how to live in a manner beneficial to all. Here we have two extreme ways of life .... One way will certainly lead to death, while the other to life.

I believe that the human race was given dominion for a reason. We are capable of great love and compassion, but we are also capable of great indifference, easily forgetting about and destroying other forms of life so we might meet our own personal and selfish desires.

I think most of humanity is in the grey area. Most of us place ourselves (To some extent) above and before the many other forms of life we share this world with. I wonder though .... Is it possible to live in a manner beneficial to all, or am I having a steady and on ongoing (Idealistic) day dream? :rolleyes:

I suppose my real question should be: "If we cannot (As humans) reach a higher level where we not only co-exist (Respectfully), but also become spiritually connected to all life, and able to live in a manner beneficial to all things, then what's the point, and why on earth are we here?"

GK
 
Have you ever given it any thought, or have you always been content living in complete ignorance of the matter? Not that we will ever know the reason for our human existence ... It's just difficult for me to not question such things. Thanks for your addition, though. I'm sure you are not alone.
 
Gatekeeper said:
Have you ever given it any thought...
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I've given it plenty of thought. I think you mistake complete ignorance for a conscious decision to let go of struggling to know the unknowable.

I exist. That is enough.
 
citizenzen said:
I've given it plenty of thought. I think you mistake complete ignorance for a conscious decision to let go of struggling to know the unknowable.

I exist. That is enough.
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I meant no offense, Citizen. I was simply asking if you were always content to not contemplate the question, which would certainly keep you in complete ignorance of the matter. Not much different from the rest of us actually. I mean, we are all ignorant when it comes to "knowing" why we exist, no? The only difference is that you made a decision to let the question go, and I haven't, but we are both still ignorant when it comes to the question.
 
maybe it makes a difference whether we have 'created' other little beings into the world, but l suspect not; its a belief structure we have contemplated questioned and settled into accepting that we have really haven't got a true clue but must be content at least by the middle years with our own take on 'it'. some still love to speculate in an ad hoc way, others in a set established way, and as relatively diverse as we are others pique our interest again... because it is presented or represented in a fresh way..a perennial topic.
 
In this time and space we exist as part of a great genetic experiment.
The earth was colonized long ago by those we have always referred to as Gods.
But they are not God.
Just very advanced.
We are their product.
Workers in the garden.
But this too shall pass.
And we shall be slaves no more.

The island of Dr Moreau is far more than just a strange story...it is a very profound metaphor.
All of humanity are the beasts which have law imposed through religions which are the sayers of the law.
 
shawn said:
In this time and space we exist as part of a great genetic experiment.
The earth was colonized long ago by those we have always referred to as Gods.
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Pics or it didn't happen! :p
 
I tend to think it's not so much that we have a collective reason for existing, as much as a collective potential to exist in a more holistic, sustainable, and peaceful way.

We exist because that is part of existence. I tend to think there is no reason for existence- either in whole or in part. Who can know the mind of God Herself- the totality that is timeless and yet creates time, formless and yet creates form? I figure we can't possibly fathom why God is what It is. It just is. And we all exist as part of It. I figure existence must just be part of what God is, since obviously existence exists.

We can each become more aware of each other, more kind, more loving, more peaceful, more sustainable. All those things seem like good goals and purposes... whatever the reason for existence is doesn't seem to really matter. I suppose I'm for generating a better mindfulness (leading to action) that is harmonious with the whole of Nature. I don't particularly care why I came to exist or why humans in general came to exist. I'm more interested in why I am here right now... and what I can do to create harmony and balance as an extension of Nature itself.
 
shawn said:
In this time and space we exist as part of a great genetic experiment.
The earth was colonized long ago by those we have always referred to as Gods.
But they are not God.
Just very advanced.
We are their product.
Workers in the garden.
But this too shall pass.
And we shall be slaves no more.

The island of Dr Moreau is far more than just a strange story...it is a very profound metaphor.
All of humanity are the beasts which have law imposed through religions which are the sayers of the law.
Click to expand...

Well, this is just weird ..... I had a dream last night about how the earth was once semi-populated by other (More powerful) beings. In my dream, they introduced a foreign way of thinking. With this introduction, our spiritual connection to life itself slowly began to deteriorate. We were somehow disconnected from one another and from most other living creatures.

Prior to the introduction of this foreign thought, we co-existed with all living things respectfully. We ate nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grains. In the end, the human race was influenced to stray from our roots, whereby we became savage, self serving, and fearful of our newly introduced deity/s. We became scavengers, then hunters, and eventually, we began to kill each other.

I realize this was only a dream, but [If] all this was an experiment conducted by these so called gods, then it was an experiment gone terribly wrong. We have lost our humanity, our compassion, and our respect for the world .... All in favor of fear and selfishness, power and greed.

Then I woke up, and spent the better part of the day attempting to recall the dream. It felt extremely substantial last night, and particularly this morning when I woke up in a cold sweat.

I'm not above believing in alien beings, but it wasn't the aliens that worried me. I was more worried about allowing myself to drift so far from my roots that I can't get back.
 
Yet we are all still asleep, dreaming that we are awake.
17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
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Hi GK,

You asked,

"Is there any particular reason for our (Human) existence?"

--> It has been said that, "Only God knows why He created us, and He ain’t talking." There is some truth to this. I, too, have asked myself this same question. But we cannot put motivations on the Infinite. All we can understand where we are and what we need to do – to move up to the next level.

"… I would say that we exist so that we might realize and then meet our potential as human beings."

--> I would say that our task is to become so busy doing nice for others that we completely forget about ourselves in the meantime.
　
"… connect with all life on a spiritual level."

--> That is definitely our goal as I see it. And, I feel fully confident that we will eventually achieve this goal.

"…the human race was given dominion for a reason… Most of us place ourselves (To some extent) above and before the many other forms of life we share this world with."

--> I do not feel humanity was given dominion over anything. We are a part of this world. This world does not exist solely for our benefit, we are merely one part of it

"Is it possible to live in a manner beneficial to all, or am I having a steady and on ongoing (Idealistic) day dream?"

--> I think it is possible. For example, doing a simple thing like not slaughtering animals for our food would be a big step foreword.

"If we cannot (As humans) reach a higher level where we not only co-exist (Respectfully)…"

--> We can.

"…but also become spiritually connected to all life, and able to live in a manner beneficial to all things…"

--> We will.

"…then what's the point, and why on earth are we here?"

--> To raise our level of spirituality, and help all other forms of life (humans, animals, plants, and even minerals) raise their levels of spirituality.
 
NiceCupOfTea said:
we exist because God Loves us :)
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Perhaps it is as simple as this: "We exist because God exists." If God is love, then it could be that all things are manifestations of His/Her essence. I don't believe that God possesses love in an emotional sense, but rather as an all giving, and all sustaining force.

"In Him (Her) we live and move and have our being." [If] we are manifestations of His/Her essence, then we are each a form of Gods reality. Only we, being a small part of Gods entirety, are only able to access an imperfect, limited and lesser degree of His/Her limitless, perfect, and pure reality.

The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps we feel disconnected because of our sense of individuality? Even so, I truly believe that [If] we desire God (Love in its purest form) then we can reconnect, tapping into His/Her perfect flow of energy.
 
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