Re: Life & Death
Wanderer wrote: ... for the latter is an unwanted constraint upon free-will and a delusion caused by the minds nature of comprehending only what can be regimented and stored as memory... As products of patterns, it is natural to assume, that we are also slaves to them. No matter how hard we try to liberate our individuality from conventionality we must inevitably confess that we behave, act and think in manners similar to others sharing our social, cultural, religious, and genetic pasts...
It is therefore natural for man to attempt to encompass life and being [becoming] by finding patters in its processes and procedures.
In my own attempts to discover commonalities and life patterns I have stumbled upon an unfortunate realization that at first caused me some discomfort: All life is preoccupied with just staying alive and all acts of being are a struggle to avoid non-being. The act of living seems to consist of the mere practice of dealing with death and mortality.
Lower order life forms act out of instinct to survive. If mankind was truly interested in survival of our species we would try harder to overcome the global obstacles that seem intent on hindering our perpetual existence. As a whole we feel unable to make the types of changes necessary on this planet to provide for the long term evolution of our species from thousands of years into hundreds of thousands of years and longer. But I don't think that was quite the point you were trying to make.
People do however choose to smoke and drink and take other substances daily knowing the odds are that their choices will detract from their lifespan. So a large number of people do not fear death nor base their life by it but instead exist for the moment. Forever seeking the instant gratifications of life. Others hanglide and skydive not for fear of death but for love of life.
Yes there are patterns all around us and life and death are a spiral pattern but for those who believe in evolving over and over again and the infinite possibilities (which may include reincarnation) then although death is inevitable so might life and rebirth be. Our heaven is what we make it here and now for our next life on this planet you may not be so lucky to read, write, use a computer, or have easy access to food and water. The better we make the planet for all the better we make it for ourselves someday.