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life
March 2009 
What, in your view, makes life meaningful?
Posted on Mar 30th, 2007
by 
Mushin
Mushin
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for March 28, 2007:
Since we are not separated from life and meaning is an utterly human affair then we are what makes life meaningful.
It makes no sense to separate meaning from what we give meaning to - like: there is a tree outside my window and its meaning is... the tree already is the meaning of the tree.
Certainly, a tree can be, for instance, a beautiful symbol of life: its roots deep in the dark, mysterious soil; its trunk standing strong between heaven and earth, and its branches and twigs and - soon to be - leaves stroking the air and being tickled by the wind...
So we can spin beautiful and meaningful tales and wisdoms around the tree, and spinning such and other tales can be beautiful and full of meaning - but that's not what makes life meaningful.
Life is meaningful when being human...
It makes no sense to separate meaning from what we give meaning to - like: there is a tree outside my window and its meaning is... the tree already is the meaning of the tree.
Certainly, a tree can be, for instance, a beautiful symbol of life: its roots deep in the dark, mysterious soil; its trunk standing strong between heaven and earth, and its branches and twigs and - soon to be - leaves stroking the air and being tickled by the wind...
So we can spin beautiful and meaningful tales and wisdoms around the tree, and spinning such and other tales can be beautiful and full of meaning - but that's not what makes life meaningful.
Life is meaningful when being human...
Access: Public
Thanks for this. I saw the question, and something felt 'awry'. I could not quite articulate what, but you have done it beautifully dear Mushin.
I felt the question held an inherent – what – lie? Not exactly. Asking it seems to be a contradiction and also leads me away from a deep truth I feel in my belly. Life just is. The question implies that life actually has a meaning, or that we need to feel that it is meaningful. And to say that it is not 'meaningful' isn't it either.
For me art is the best analogy - art or writing, or harmonic chant. The 'meaning' is in the process, not the end result. It is the same with life - its meaning rests in and of itself.
Much love,
Sandra
Josephine Baker was supposedly once asked by a journalist, “What does your dance mean?”
She answered, “If I could say it I wouldn't dance it.”
:-) love it.