Life Purpose
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
Introduction
Review Of Literature
Expanding Ways To View The Self
The Self As Mind, Body, Emotions
The Self In Community
Indigenous Views Of Life Purpose
Belonging To A Community
The Ecological Self
Life Purpose
Paganism
Buddhism
Yoga
Taoism
Exercises
Life Purpose Is The Same For All
Discussion
Conclusion
Written by Laurel Sherer & Tristan Anderson
Introduction
"Something important is happening in our world that you are not going to read about in the newspapers.
I consider it the most fascinating and hopeful development to of our time…It has to do with what is occurring to the notion of the self."
—Joanna Macy from Dharma Gaia (1990)
When you think of life purpose what comes to mind? Do you think about what you have learned in life or what you have done? Do you think of your career or your family? Allow yourself to pause from reading for a moment and explore your associations with life purpose.
Now let us now take a journey in the imagination. Take a deep breath inward and feel your connection to the earth. Allow the energy centers on the bottom of your feet to open to the energy of the earth. Visualize where you are on the living earth, reading this course on life purpose. Imagine the earth itself, with all of its bodies of water, mountains, deserts, and living beings. Breathe in and feel your connection to all of this life here on earth. Now imagine the earth floating in space at a distance from the sun that allows life as we know it to exist on this planet. Notice how this feels, how it feels to be aware of the many other forms of life on earth. Now, ask yourself, "What is the meaning of life purpose?" Allow any responses to come to mind and simply notice them.
The way that we view life purpose greatly changes depending on what we experience the self to be. A fundamental question to ask ourselves in exploring life purpose, then, is: what is the self? In this course, we will explore several ways in which the self can be viewed. Just as the ripples from a stone hitting water expand out into increasingly large circles, so too can our notion of self open. Jeremy Hayward tells us in Dharma Gaia (1990), "The growing into maturity of a human is experienced as an ever widening sense of self, from identification with the individual body-mind, to self as family, self as circle of friends, as nation, as race, as human race, as all living things, and perhaps finally to self as all that is."
From each sense of self, we find unique ways to get in touch with life purpose, including both how we view our existence and how we live our lives. So in taking a closer look at several ways to view the self, we will explore the meaning of life purpose from each of these perspectives. This will provide you with empowering information and tools to help yourself and others.
Whether you already feel strongly connected to your life purpose or are seeking to know your path in life, this course will hopefully broaden your understanding of what life purpose can mean and help you to better understand why people live in the ways that they do. Furthermore, this course will show you how we can deepen our sense of life purpose by living with awareness of the expanding versions of the self. May this course be a seed of expanded consciousness that grows in you and those whose lives you touch.
You may be asking, why am I here? Find purpose driven life and find life inspiration. Find a life purpose! Find greatness in a meaningful life! Fulfill your needs with life purpose!
Review Of Literature
I invite you to look further into any perspectives of the self and life purpose that you feel attracted to through readings or experiential exercises. This section will give you ideas for further reading either for yourself or others.
Dharma Gaia (1990), edited by Allan Badiner, explores the relationship between Buddhism and ecology and the insights they have to offer each other. Over thirty short essays reveal many insights into how the notion of interbeing applies to the study of ecology and our relationship with the earth and cosmos. This book is highly recommended for a study of the applications of Buddhism toward life purpose.
Messengers Of The Gods (1993), written by James Cowan, explores tribal people's perspectives on living in communion with nature. In western culture today we are seeing drastic consequences of millions of people acting for self interest only. Cowan shows us the incredible possibility for change and sustainability if western culture were to adopt the insight offered by tribal peoples, which is that we have a responsibility to consult with nature before we act out of self-interest. When we act in this way we engage our eco-self.
Steven Foster and Meredith Little wrote The Book Of The Vision Quest (1980). This book explores the components of vision questing as done by these authors. It also presents first-hand stories of people as they experienced vision questing. Steven Foster writes, "This book is about the re-creation, in modern times, of an ancient rite of dying, passing through, and being reborn." (1)
In Creative Visualization (1995), Shakti Gawain teaches readers how to use affirmations and mental imagery to create their goals in life. This book is written clearly and gives specific meditations and other exercises to put into use. Gawain states, "Creative visualization is not just a technique; ultimately it is a state of consciousness. It is a consciousness in which we deeply realize that we are the continuous creators of our universe and we take responsibility for that in every moment." (183)
Esther and Jerry Hicks have presented the teachings of the nonphysical entity called Abraham in the book Ask And It Is Given (2004). This is a book about manifesting that which we desire in our lives by using the law of attraction, viewing the world as being made up of vibrations of energy, and following the three steps of asking, being given an answer, and allowing the answer to be received.
Coming Back To Life (1998), written by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown, invites us to open our hearts to the state of the world and allow ourselves to dive deeply into the pain and frustration that we may feel. This book is designed to help us stop running from our feelings and instead use them to motivate us to make change. It is also a guide book with many practices for how to develop awareness of the eco-self. The authors hope that through awareness of the eco-self we can begin to restore the earth and make it sustainable for all beings.
In Rainbow Medicine (1994), Wolf Moondance presents Native American shamanism. Moondance describes experiences that she has had, along with many teachings of how to create shamanic experiences yourself. These teachings include ceremonies, meditations, and creative processes.
The book A Single Blade of Grass: Finding The Sacred In Everyday Life (2002) is a beautiful book of spiritual wisdom written by Ellen Grace O'Brian. Reverend Ellen Grace O'Brian is a spiritual teacher in the Kriya Yoga tradition. This book discusses the elements of a spiritual path and reasons why cultivating such a path can be desirable. It also contains short and meaningful pieces of wisdom that can be used daily by reading one page of wisdom and using it as a focus of contemplation for the day.
Creating Money (1988) is a guide book on how to open your self to abundance. Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer channeled their guides Orin and Daben to create this book. The authors claim that abundance is our natural state and that once we relax into this awareness with the help of some simple techniques we will then be in the flow of money and beneficial circumstances. Through the process of transforming acquired habits of unworthiness, feelings of lack and negativity, our natural state of openness, acceptance, and manifestation powers begins to dawn and guide our life.
Sanaya Roman channels the spirit teacher named Orin in Personal Power Through Awareness (1986). This book helps you to sense energy within the body and in the environment. By learning to sense energy, the author shows that we can live a more empowered life that is in alignment with our Higher Self. If we allow ourselves to be at the whim of energies from within and without we cannot live our highest purpose. Once we understand energy dynamics, we are then free to choose our path and manifest it.
Spiritual Growth (1989) is another book Sanaya Roman wrote by channeling the spirit teacher Orin. Orin shows you how to merge with your Higher Self and live in this awareness at all times. There are many meditations throughout the book designed to help you connect with your deepest knowledge and find your highest purpose in life. The basic premise of the book is that to be truly happy and satisfied in your life you need to merge with your Higher Self.
In Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow (1987) Marsha Sinetar guides readers in how to find the work that allows their passions, needs, and talents to be fulfilled. This book not only gives small steps to identifying and creating our life purposes, but also addresses the internal blocks that may arise when we try to do so. Marsha Sinetar gives many real-life examples of people who she has worked with, and these examples mirror to us how the process of finding our right livelihood can look.
The Healing Wisdom Of Africa (1998) is a book written by Malidoma Somé, a man who comes from a small village in West Africa. Malidoma Somé bridges the understanding between indigenous and Western peoples in his work. In addition to bridging these two worlds together, Somé states that the purpose of this book is "to show how the indigenous world and its wisdom might heal many of the spiritual and emotional problems from which Western civilization suffers" (15). The healing power of nature, community, and rituals are clearly shown by Somé, who offers specific rituals for healing. Anyone interested in healing through ritual could greatly benefit from Malidoma Somé's unique perspective.
Wisdom From The Earth (1997), written by Anna Voigt and Nevill Drury, is a study of the beliefs and practices of the aboriginal peoples of Australia. What the authors found in their study was the profound connection aboriginals had with the land they inhabited. Through ritual, art, ceremony, song, dance, and everyday activities, aboriginals live constantly in a sacred communion with the natural world. There is no separation between connecting with the earth and not connecting with the earth. Thir tradition is a beautiful example of what it can be like to live an eco-centric worldview.
Ken Wilber wrote the book No Boundary (1979), in which he has created a framework to look at the many types of psychologies that exist. Wilber shows how the various types of psychologies are actually addressing different views of the self. While psychoanalysis can be useful for the ego level, for example, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism can be helpful for the unity consciousness level. Our views of self can expand from the persona level to the unity consciousness level, where there are no boundaries.
Expanding Ways To View The Self
Numerous ways exist in how we can view the self. We may think of ourselves as the mind, emotions, physical body, earth, cosmos, or a spiritual essence that penetrates it all. In No Boundary (1979) Ken Wilber suggests that the self is a construct of the boundaries of our consciousness. A boundary is an imaginary line between what we are and what we are not. Wilber states, "Your self-identity, in other words, depends entirely upon where you draw that boundary line." (4) Joanna Macy adds to this in Dharma Gaia (1990), "The self is a metaphor. We decide to limit it to our skin, our person, our family, our organization, or species." (59) While there is a progression that often occurs during peoples' lifetimes of how we view ourselves, boundaries are also highly influenced by the culture in which we live. We do not have to stay in one framework of how to view the self. We can expand our sense of self and experience new ways to live our lives. Wilber states, "There are not just one but many levels of identity available to an individual. These levels of identity are not theoretical postulates but observable realities—you can verify them in and for yourself." (8)
While some systems of beliefs are hierarchical in nature, Wilber suggests looking at the ways we view the self as ever-deepening layers. There are many ways to intellectually categorize the vast array of self-identities that are experienced. For the purpose of this course, we will explore the following four layers of beliefs of self:
- The self as mind, body, and emotions
- The self in community
- The ecological self
- The oneness self
We will delve into the meaning of life purpose from each of these views of self. This will be done by drawing on various systems of beliefs from authors, teachers, life coaches, spiritual leaders, and indigenous peoples. These layers of the self do not need to be viewed as being stages that we pass through. We can be in one stage or all stages at the same time. Our ability to flow between ways of being is truly a wonderful gift that each of us can use.
"Deep in our hearts, we all want to find and fulfill a purpose bigger than ourselves.
Only such a larger purpose can inspire us to heights we know we could never reach on our own.
For each of us the real purpose is personal and passionate: to know what we are here to do, and why."
—Os Guinness (http://www.liveyourcalling.com/freeresources/ch01.pdf)
The Self As Mind, Body, Emotions
The experiences we have of life—our thoughts, bodily sensations, and emotions—make up a view of the self. This sense of self often ends at the boundary line of the body. However, more boundaries can be drawn within the mind and emotions. For example, we may repress certain aspects of our personalities and consider these not to be a part of the self. Ken Wilber states in No Boundary (1979), "The most common boundary line that individuals draw up or accept as valid is that of the skin-boundary surrounding the total organism. This seems to be a universally accepted self/not-self boundary line." (5) When describing the self from this framework, we hear people saying, "I'm a woman or man. I am from this area and do this line of work." People identify with the qualities of their bodies, minds, emotions and the actions that they carry out.
A life purpose in this framework of being revolves around the individual. We can see this in the North American culture with the focus on individual happiness as a common life purpose. "I want a job that makes me feel good. I want a beautiful house and family because I believe these will create a fulfilling life for me." In cultures such as that of the United States, there is certainly a focus on the doing aspect of life rather than the being. This is seen in how people work over forty hours a week, focus on material possessions, and are not happy with their lives. To address this issue, other people choose to focus on the qualities that they want to bring into their lives, rather than tangible objects or events.
The Self In Community
When we feel connected to others, whether it be our family, friends, the community of people in our town, or the entire community of human beings, we can feel a bigger sense of self. We can become aware of our interconnection with each being in our community and then focus on the well-being of the entire community, rather than only on the individual self. In looking at the self in community, it is important to note that individual diversity does not need to be lost. Instead, each individual is celebrated as a valuable part of the whole. In the West, the sense of community in peoples' lives is often missing. We may live in places very far from where we were born, in individual houses, and with individual agendas in life. The individual striving to be self-sufficient is the ideal in industrial growth societies. Yet, in these societies, the rates of depression, feelings of isolation and general unhappiness are very prevalent. Even further, the very structure of this individualistic ideal creates a sense of not being able to communicate these feelings of sorrow with others. We become isolated in our despair and put up masks of being self-sufficient to others. This is not the way people traditionally lived and is certainly not the way that indigenous peoples live today. When we learn of other ways of living, we can question our goals in life and see if they are in alignment with the qualities we truly desire.
Malidoma Somé comes from a small village called Dano in West Africa. The people who live there are called the Dagara. At a young age, Malidoma Somé was taken by European missionaries from his community. He then returned to the Dagara in his teenage years. Somé walks his life path of bridging Western and indigenous cultures in understanding and sharing of wisdom. He brings the wisdom of his village to the West through workshops, classes, and writings. In the book The Healing Wisdom Of Africa (1998), Somé shares, "Whether they are raised in indigenous or modern culture, there are two things that people crave: the full realization of their innate gifts, and to have these gifts approved, acknowledged, and confirmed… A crisis of identity and purpose is an inner burning that is rarely extinguished by a visit to a career-planning office, by graduation from a prestigious school, or even by years in a successful career. It is a hollowness, a void that threatens to erase meaning in everything people do." (27)
Indigenous Views Of Life Purpose
For the Dagara, the well-being of the community is of great importance and ritual plays a large role in healing both the individual and community as a whole. Malidoma Somé tells us that rituals, including the initiation ritual that takes place at the time of puberty, "help to reawaken the intensity that brought us here. Making ritual a part of daily life will help to rekindle the intensity that keeps us on the path of our purpose." (35)
Ritual helps people to remember why they are here. Somé states that healing happens when people remember their life purpose because in doing so, they reconnect with the world of Spirit. The Dagara hold that when we are born, we forget why we came here. While the individual may forget his or her purpose in life, the individual's community recognizes each person's unique gifts. Malidoma Somé states, "We look to the physical world, the community of people, for help in remembering our purpose… Purpose is something that the individual has framed and articulated prior to coming into a community." (33) When a woman becomes pregnant, the Dagara elders communicate with the Spirit world in a ritual of asking the fetus what his or her life purpose is and how the community can help him or her to fulfill this purpose.
Somé states that if these rituals and divination systems are not available, we can find our life purpose by seeing what we are naturally drawn to. "Therefore it is not necessary for people in the modern world to go to some kind of wise man or authority to have their purpose assigned to them. The leadership that they need lies within their own relationship to the world of Spirit and the ancestors." (33) One's dreams, instincts, and inspirations are pointers for one's life purpose.
Belonging To A Community
There are many benefits to living in community in addition to helping each person to find his or her life purpose. Living in community can create the acceptance and support that many people in the West long for. It can also help people to step outside of their own worries because they are held in love by many others. Malidoma Somé states, "In community, the needs of the one are the needs of the many. In community, one does not worry excessively about one's intimate relationships because you are not left to confront your problems alone." (91)
Connecting To The Human Community: The Dalai Llama often reminds people that each being desires happiness and does not wish to suffer. Once we begin to recognize this similarity that all beings share, we can feel greater empathy towards other people. We then view our lives and work not just from the individual perspective, but from the global perspective of humanity. We feel responsible for the well-being of all humans. In the Dalai Llama's words, "Universal responsibility is the best foundation both for our personal happiness and for world peace, the equitable use of our natural resources, and, through a concern for future generations, the proper care for the environment." (http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/2077?print=1)
Malidoma Somé says, "Nature is the foundation of indigenous life. Without nature, concepts of community, purpose, and healing would be meaningless. The idea of a person born with a purpose, a purpose that needs to be supported by an active community presence, and the idea of working with subtle energies for balance and healing would be only grandiose notions in the absence of nature as the playground, as the school where the children can play and study." (37)
The Ecological Self
"Those roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are ... There is no time to them.
There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Eco-centrism
The view that is dominant in industrial growth societies is called anthropocentrism. This view holds that humans are the most important beings: they are the center of the universe or at the top of a pyramid of all the beings on earth. All beings other than humans are then categorized depending on their usefulness to humans. The result of this way of viewing human's place on the earth is that the environment is now in great jeopardy of being able to sustain life. As Deena Metzger states in Dharma Gaia (1990), "A fundamental question of our time is whether we can individually and collectively give up our personal egos—enough so that we can give up gender, cultural, religious and species egos as well. For the first time in human history it is absolutely clear that our survival, alongside the survival of all living species, depends upon our recognition of equality and interdependency." (209)
While anthropocentrism is dominant in many cultures today, this was certainly not the case for the majority of the time humans have been alive. It is also not the world view of indigenous peoples that are living in life-sustaining ways today. Another view of our place on the planet is called eco-centrism. Eco-centrism holds that humans are one part of the vast presence of life on earth. Humans, from this view, are equal to all other forms of life. The ecological self comes from this point of view and is based on the interconnectedness between humans, other animals, plants, trees, rivers, rocks and all forms of life of earth. From this view, all beings have intrinsic value, meaning that they have the right to live just as much as humans.
Interconnectedness
The belief that all beings are interconnected is seen in many forms of spirituality and indigenous world views. People who feel this interconnectedness often live in harmony with the cycles of nature and revere all as being sacred. Others practice meditation in order to awaken their consciousness to their oneness with all that is. The Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh demonstrates the interconnectedness of things by looking at a piece of paper. He states, "As thin as this sheet of paper is, it contains everything in the Universe in it." Thich Nhat Hanh shows that in order for a piece of paper to be made, clouds, rain, sun, paper mills, and many other parts of the universe are necessary.
In order to contemplate our interconnectedness, we need to pause from the flow of actions that fill many peoples' lives. This sacred pause then gives us the opportunity to look at what is present during each moment. We can examine our actions as they unfold. Becoming more mindful of our actions and their effects on the earth helps us to feel interconnected with all life. Every time we throw away a piece of garbage, for example, we may reflect on where it is going. How long does it take to break down? We might also ask: where does our food and electricity come from?
The practice of mindfulness can bring a great richness to our lives in that we can expand our sense of self. We can see how we are dependent on so many other forces of life and so many other people. We can feel that we are never alone, that we are always connected to the earth and all the beings on it. Joanna Macy states, "We already and indissolubly belong to each other, for this is the nature of life. So, even in our haste and hurry and occasional discouragement, we belong to each other. We can rest in that knowing, and stop and breathe, and let that breath connect us with the still center of the turning wheel." (http://www.joannamacy.net)
Systems Theory
Systems theory is a way of viewing the interconnectedness of life. It was first formulated by biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the 1940's as an attempt to keep a view of unity and wholeness in science. Instead of holding that all things are separate, the systems theory states that life is in continual flow. We think there are separate and individual things, yet each time scientists break something down, they find another layer to analyze. Joanna Macy states, "All living systems—be they organic like a cell or human body, or supra-organic like a society or ecosystem—are holons. That means they have a dual nature: They are both wholes in themselves and, simultaneously, integral parts of larger wholes." (http://www.joannamacy.net)
An important aspect of systems theory is that feedback loops of information exist so that systems can adjust themselves to fit the needs of the larger systems. Joanna Macy states, "Feedback from its component parts, and from the larger systems in which it operates, is essential to its long-term survival. When feedback is blocked or discounted, the system cannot meet its own changing needs or respond to a changing environment." The feedback loop for the current situation on the planet is happening, in that each of us has feelings of sadness, anger, and grief. Since we are all interconnected, each one of us will be affected when any are suffering. Yet we often mask these feelings because they are painful to experience. Joanna Macy encourages us to feel the suffering of what is happening so that we can act in ways to create a sustainable future for the planet. It is in suppressing our feelings of suffering that we are blocking the feedback of the interconnectedness of every being on the planet. Mindfulness can be a wonderful practice to help us connect and be present with our deep feelings.
Experiencing The Ecological Self
The ecological self is the greater system of all living beings on earth and the earth itself. While there are many ways to connect to the ecological self, let us explore two specific practices of meditation and vision questing. Deena Metzger offers us a meditation in Dharma Gaia (1990) that helps us to tune into the ecological self. For this meditation, close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be a tree. Imagine your feet turning into roots that extend down into the darkness and soil. Imagine your arms turning into branches that reach toward the sun, clouds, and rain. Metzger states, "Now this is the difficult part: Let it be sufficient to be a tree. Allow yourself to be aware that it's not more enlightened to be human." (211) After we are able to feel this sense of being a tree, we can practice this meditation as a star, bird, stone, or any other form of life. Matsuo Basho states in Dharma Gaia (1990), "Unless we see or hear phenomena or things from within the things themselves, we shall never succeed in recording them in our hearts." (191)
Vision questing is a traditional way of moving beyond the ego, connecting with the forces of nature, and receiving a vision of guidance for one's life. In Vision Quest (1980) Steven Foster and Meredith Little state, "There is benefit to be gained from seeking a vision, by learning the sacred, solitary postures of countless pilgrims who, from the beginning of human time, have sought to see. Questing for a vision, we seek to extend ourselves, to know." (40) Vision questing is traditionally practiced by Native Americans. According to Suzanne Head in Dharma Gaia (1990), it is found in spiritual retreat traditions of the East as well. Jesus and the Buddha, for example, both did retreats in the wilderness.
In looking at vision quests from the Native American tradition, the way that the vision quest is carried out varies between Native American tribes. There is often a component of preparation for a vision quest, however, that includes fasting and then participating in a sweat lodge ceremony for purification. Suzanne Head says that in the Lakota tradition after preparing for a vision quest, people then "enter the alone time, taking nothing but a blanket—no clothes, food, or water. For up to four days they sit within a sacred space marked by a circle of stones… The quester's task is to maintain awareness of everything that takes place." (113)
Life Purpose
From the ecological self perspective, it is important to create well-being for all life forms, with humans living in sustainable ways that allow for the flourishing of life on earth. Deep ecology is a movement that holds the survival of the planet as being crucial. One of the points that deep ecology holds to be true is that the needs of all forms of life are equally important. Every action that we partake in then comes into question of whether it is to satisfy our needs or our wants. If an action is taken to fulfill a human desire, instead of a need, this action makes it so another form of life cannot have its own needs met. In other words, we can simplify our lives to have what we truly need so that all other forms of life can do the same. We look beyond the ego's desires to the needs of all of life. James Cowan states in Messengers Of The Gods (1993), "This is an interesting supposition: that we have a responsibility to consult with nature before we act in out own self-interest." (3)
Deep ecologists stay away from naming what the needs of humans are because these needs will vary depending on the area in which they live. There are many ways that we can live so as to not take away from the health of other beings and the planet as a whole. Here are some ideas to think about:
- Meat and dairy consumption support the deforestation of rainforests, which affects rainfall, wind, and the lives of countless species.
- Buying local food and goods cuts down on transportation, which in turn lowers the amount of environmental pollution from gasoline.
- Busing, bicycling, walking, reducing gasoline use, and using bio-diesel fuel all reduce pollutants from emissions.
- Organic food does not support the use of chemicals on food, which affects water supplies, birds, animals, fish, and other forms of life.
- Re-using items cuts down on the amount of mining and chemicals used to produce new televisions, clothes, lamps...
- Recycling and consuming fewer products that have lots of packaging reduce the amount of waste in landfills.
- Using less energy or alternatively powered energy cuts down on the harmful emissions released from burning fossil fuels.
- Questioning what we are really wanting in life can help us to see the qualities that we are looking for. These qualities, such as happiness, are said to be linked with material gain. Are people with lots of money truly happy? If not from material gain, where do we find these values?
- Connecting to other forms of life through getting to know the local trees, plants, animals, and sources of water.
- Connecting to the seasons and cycles of the moon.
- Hold an intention that humans meet global needs.
- Remember that it takes the whole to repair itself. Each of us can play an important part by healing ourselves and following our own callings in how to help. Learn to work together.
- Recognize your strength and skills and generously share them with the world. Also, recognize the skills and strengths of others.
In Dharma Gaia (1990), Joanna Macy states that many people have been turned off from the environmental movement because they feel they are being asked to be more moral and less self-interested. However, when we feel our interconnectedness to the entire planet, we realize that in acting for the environment, we are indeed acting for our own self interests. Joanna Macy states, "It would not occur to me to plead with you, ‘Oh, don't saw off your leg. That would be an act of violence.' It wouldn't occur to me because your leg is part of your body. Well, so are the trees in the Amazon rain basin. They are our external lungs. And we are beginning to realize that the world is our body." (62) Let us look at one example of someone who writes from the ecological self perspective. This comes from a student named Michael, who wrote this passage after hearing Joanna Macy talk about people who risk their lives for the protection of other species. "I think of the tree-huggers hugging my trunk, blocking the chainsaws with their bodies. I feel their fingers digging into my bark to stop the steel and let me breathe. I hear the bodhisattvas in their rubber boats as they put themselves between the harpoons and me, so I can escape to the depths of the sea. I give thanks for your life and mine, and for life itself." (54)
Paganism
Paganism generally refers to an earth-based or nature-revering religion. To pagans the earth is a beautiful, alive, and sensual place to commune with and enjoy fully through the senses. According to pagans the human body is a perfectly designed instrument to enjoy the richness of life. In this path the body and the world are affirmed in the highest sense, rather than being something to transcend as seems to be the case in many other religious paths.
Life purpose in the pagan tradition is intimately linked with the earth. Tremendous emphasis is placed on the self as one with nature. Indeed the new term eco-self fits perfectly into the pagan understanding. Because a human is seen as interconnected with nature, pagans live a life that is full of ritual and celebration of the earth's cycles. One of the major life purposes for a pagan is to align with the earth's seasonal shifts and honor them. Major religious ceremonies for pagans often lie on the solstices and equinoxes, the times of seasonal shift.
Marawolf, a pagan practitioner, describes life purpose to a pagan as follows, "The purpose of life as seen through a Pagan's eyes might be best described as: to live in harmony with nature, to develop our personal and spiritual potential, to be aware of and to manifest the inherent divinity within us all, and to help all people to do the same." (http://elevated.freeyellow.com/page25.html) Divinity in the pagan tradition does not mean a transcendent soul separate from nature, but rather the self as one with all of creation. This type of realization has led many pagan practitioners to become environmental activists, because they see the destruction of nature as destruction of the great being that supports us all and that we are one with.
Buddhism
Gautama Buddha shared with the world a very unique vision of the nature of reality. One of the understandings he received during his enlightenment was that everything is interconnected. Nothing can be separated and called independent. Therefore, there is no separate self. What we are according to the Buddha is a flow of mind and energy that is constantly in relation to the entire cosmos. Since change is inevitable and the nature of reality is impermanent, the Buddha advised his disciples to cultivate non-attachment and openness. If we try to cling to an idea of a stable, independent self, we are bound to suffer because in reality this "self" is not stable, but constantly flowing.
With this framework in mind, Buddhists have developed a way of life that does not try to cultivate a strong sense of ego, but rather tries to cultivate a sense of oneness and inter-being with all things. Ego-less living leads to a life purpose that takes all aspects of life into consideration.
According to Bill Devall in Dharma Gaia (1990), three of the main purposes of life in Buddhism are right livelihood, nirvana (awakening), and ahimsa (non-harming). All three of these life purposes are intertwined because each one includes the other; however, let us look more deeply into each one. Right livelihood is the art of choosing a vocation that supports the basic needs of the body/mind while at the same time supporting all other forms of life to flourish as well. Thich Nhat Hanh, a prominent Buddhist teacher and peace activist, speaks on vocation in Dharma Gaia (1990) in these terms, "Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation which helps realize your ideal of compassion." (163) As we can see, this type of life purpose in terms of vocation takes into consideration the entire planet.
As a being unfolds into the awareness of interbeing, a gradual enlightenment takes place that eventually leads to nirvana or awakening. It is said by Buddhists that this state is fully realized when one no longer identifies with the ego, or the idea of a separate self. This leads to a state of peace that transcends suffering. It is often the main goal of life in Buddhism. Out of this state flowers all virtuous qualities, which are then directed towards all beings to help them overcome suffering. Once again, the life purpose of most forms of Buddhism is not for personal gain only. Rather, one strives for nirvana for the benefit of all life. This ideal is exemplified most beautifully in the bodhisattva vow, which emphasizes becoming awake in order to assist beings for eternity.
Awakening into interbeing also opens the awareness that all life is equal and that everything has Buddha-nature. If everything is equal, then nothing should be given precedence over something else. Therefore, a major life purpose for Buddhists is to cultivate ahimsa, or non-harming, in all actions and thoughts. By practicing non-harming, a Buddhist is affirming their realization that all life is sacred and worthy of respect. Inclusive in this practice is a vegetarian diet. The Buddha is quoted numerous times forbidding the eating and killing of animals. This practice goes directly against the awareness of interbeing and compassion. However, non-harming is also extended to the earth as a whole. According to Buddhist understanding a main purpose of human life is to cause the least amount of suffering, while at the same time radiating compassion and acceptance to all things.
Yoga
Ancient yogis of India went deep within themselves to search for the purpose of human life. They went through incredible austerities in hopes of finding the ultimate realization of how to be in this world. It is said that the teachings of Yoga came from beings that had merged their awareness in the mind of God.
One of the major realizations about life that the yogis received was that the true nature of a being is oneness with the One. From this understanding, yogis counseled students that the purpose of life is to realize that you are not the ego, but one with the flow of the Divine. As a being realizes this, they are said to become enlightened. Life is then lived completely guided by the Divine. The ego has surrendered its dominance and no longer feels itself as the doer.
Yogis say that once you are enlightened true service can be given to this world. They advised against living a life purpose that is purely for the ego. Such a life, they say, does not serve the self or the world. Acting as if you are a separate self that is the sole doer fragments awareness and leads to suffering. In this way, Yoga and Buddhism have similar views. They both seek to advise beings that the purpose of life is to live as if everything were included in your being, and they also both believe that a vegetarian diet fits in with this realization.
Taoism
The highest state to be achieved in Taoism is that of merging awareness with the Tao, which represents the life flow of the universe. Once a being is merged in this awareness, Taoists say that thoughts and actions become spontaneous and not directed from the ego. Instead, a being is led by the flow of the Tao, which leads to actions that have the qualities, as the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu describes, of, "detachment, forgetfulness of results, and abandonment of all hope of profit." (http://www.jadedragon.com/archives/june98/tao.html)
Obviously, this idea is in stark contrast to the western-materialistic-consumer driven idea of a life purpose that involves accumulating goods, focusing on results, and intense attachment to the things one has.
The Way or Tao has its own flow that does not need to be changed or added to. Taoists often say that the purpose of life is not to act with the intention of doing something for yourself, but rather to let the Tao flow through you in its own way. This flow allows a being to act without acting, which is known as Wu Wei in Taoism.
As we can see Buddhism, Yoga, and Taoism share similar views about life purpose. While each is unique in its practices, a core belief in each one is that a human being is a precious vehicle for a greater unified force to flow through.
Exercises
Visualizing Your Life Purpose
This exercise comes as a compilation of ideas from Shakti Gawain's book Creative Visualization (1995). Visualization is a tool that can help us connect to our life purpose. If we know what this purpose is, we can visualize being in alignment with it. Otherwise, we can visualize what it would be like to know what our life purpose is.
To use visualization as a tool for accessing information about your life purpose, Gawain suggests that you start by relaxing your body. You can then focus on what your goal is (i.e. finding out what your life purpose is or aligning with your life purpose). You can then create an idea or feeling of the goal. After focusing on this idea or feeling, you can come back to it often. When you do this, you send positive energy to your goal, helping to further create it.
Looking At Your Choices For This Life
Joanna Macy offers this exercise in Coming Back To Life (1998). Macy states, "This process focuses on our individual lives and helps us see how their basic features and conditions can serve the healing of the world—almost as if we had chosen them for that purpose." (130) For this exercise, we begin by imagining the state of the world during the time that we were born. Perhaps we imagine the states of the environment and the human population. We then ask ourselves further questions about the circumstances around our birth. Where were we born? What was our family like? What gender did we decide to be? Asking these questions and any others that come to mind can give insights into one's life purpose.
Tonglen Practice
This is a Buddhist practice that can help us to connect with a greater sense of self by being present with our emotional suffering and the suffering of the other forms of life on earth. Instead of running from suffering, this practice helps us to embrace it. This awakens our hearts and helps us to be with our underlying feelings of suffering. Joanna Macy states, "With Shantideva, the Buddhist saint, we can say, ‘Let all sorrows ripen in me.' We help them ripen by passing them through our hearts...making good rich compost out of all that grief...so we can learn from it, enhancing our larger, collective knowing..." (http://www.joannamacy.net)
To create this rich soil, we can begin by breathing in feelings of pain, grief, and sadness. We then exhale feelings of peace and lightness. We continue to breathe in suffering and breathe out peace. It is as if we are a purifier for the suffering in the world, transforming it into peace. Whenever we get deep into the feelings of sadness and grief through the in-breath, it is then time to breathe out peace. In this way, we learn how to flow between peace and sadness. This is a profound practice in that it helps us to awaken our hearts and our Buddha nature, which is one of compassion for all beings.
Life Purpose Is The Same For All
An additional note from Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D:
You will notice that this course is a little different than what you might have expected. There are multitudes of books and workshops on setting life goals and determining your life purpose in more practical terms. I highly recommend that you pursue some of those informational sources for additional teachings. However, let it be said that there truly is only one life purpose for us all. It is to become conscious of who we really are, that we are eternal beings immersed in the exploration of the idea of being a human, or whatever form consciousness takes (animals, plants, rocks, water, air, light…) and that we are not the form itself. We are to realize ourselves as raw awareness and eternal consciousness that never dies and does not change. We are attempting to "wake up" while we are still dreaming a dream of being a human. To live lucidly is the life purpose for us all. Yes, there are the minor purposes, like planning on being a leader who betters the world, a healer, a musician, or an artist, but the most important life purpose of them all is to become awake and aware of who you really are (which is not your form, your name or your collection of experiences that created the human identity you temporarily wear). This is the ultimate life purpose, and if this is accomplished, you have accomplished what it is you have come to do in this lifetime. It does not matter if you leave your mark on the world, it does not matter if you have had material success, and it does not even matter if you are a successful parent or family member. What really matters is that you become lucid while living your human life. So whatever you are doing, become fully present and pay attention to everything that is happening in that moment. This is the beginning of "waking up" and achieving your most important life purpose.
Discussion
"I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit."
—Dawna Markova
What is your vision for the world? I invite you to explore your ideal vision of the world and allow it to become as clear as possible. Once we hold visions, we can continually ask ourselves whether our actions are in alignment with the blossoming of our visions. We can see whether we are being the energy that we want to infuse into the world.
I would like to share with you a piece of my story so far in life. For many years, my primary way of seeking happiness was through material gain. I wanted more clothing, more food and drinks with friends, and more money for traveling. I also unconsciously tried to avoid suffering through continually trying to plan events in order to make sure I wouldn't feel lonely. Many people in the industrial growth societies have similar stories to mine.
What is striking to me now is how unhappy I really was. In the continual longing for more, I never felt satisfied. After being introduced to healthier ways of living and spirituality, my life began to change, though. I helped myself to become clearer in body, mind, and connection to the earth and spirit. Through this clarity, I have been able to continually move toward a more simple way of life aligned with my highest vision of the earth. I can say with complete certainty that I would never go back to my old way of living. I wouldn't do this because I know that I feel a deeper connection with life now, as if a fog has lifted from my being. I also can see how my old way of living affected the earth in many harmful ways. Even though I always wanted an abundance of trees, clean air, and peace to exist, I had never stopped long enough to examine my contribution to the future. I encourage you to do the same. Each of us plays such an important role in the health of ourselves, each other, and the planet.
Conclusion
A great expansion of consciousness takes place as our identities move from the individual to the human community, the earth, and the oneness that permeates it all. We can integrate these perspectives into our lives. Our hearts can desire happiness for ourselves and ways of expressing our unique gifts, while we live in ways that promote the sustainability and spiritual awakening of life on earth. We can bring the ecological and oneness perspectives more and more into our lives, and in doing so, we can create new ways of being in the world. Let us end with some words from Mohandas Gandhi, who said, "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world—that is the myth of the atomic age—as in being able to remake ourselves."