I do not believe that humanity has come upon this earth as a result of happenstance, doomed by chance to lose itself in self indulgence and orgies of one kind or another, until some asteroid comes hurtling through space, destroys the earth, and everything is over. Maybe I'm nuts, but I cannot accept that there is control without purpose, and there obviously is control.
Let's agree on a self evident truth that the universe is controlled by unvarying laws. Scientists tell us where they think everything comes from, but they ignore where all the controlling laws they study come from, because as a matter of principle, they cannot deal with anything that is not material. Every morning your automobile starts up because these laws have not changed overnight. In fact, they have never changed. Every successful undertaking has been with respect to, and in accordance with these laws.
All the creatures on earth, with the exception of humans, behave in predictable ways in which they have been programmed, which we call their instincts. Humans are the only species free to make their own choices in life. Even so we seem to be instinctively endowed with a curious mind. We seem to be charged with the drive to understand what it's all about. We are the figuring-outers of the animal world.
Looking at the progress we have made over the years, it has been slow but steady. The ancient Pharaohs of Egypt could have been flying airplanes over the Mediterranean Sea, instead of building pyramids, if they were not so intent on their own personal glorification, and plotting their glory in the afterlife, and not so inhibited by the superstitious, or overbearing myths of their time. The laws (reality) have always been available for our use.
We are usually too inhibited by our own fears, jealousies, biases and personal ambitions to understand many realities. Perhaps this is what was meant by ancient sages who advised us that we must give up our life to find it. As long as we put our preferences before the truth, we minimize our odds of ever finding the truth. We have made great strides in using some to our advantage in creating TV sets, Jet airplanes, washing machines, electric motors or whatever.
For some stupid reason, I suppose perhaps our egos, we seem to feel that the laws of life do not apply to us. We think we can do anything we want without suffering consequences. Especially if the consequences do not appear to click into effect immediately. That alas is our mistake. Will we never accept that ancient adage that says you reap what you sow?
You have a mind that is capable of understanding. Sometimes it may seem to our advantage to accept something that may at first glance seem ok, and we do, but if it is not true, it is like sand in the bearings of our intellect. If we have too much sand along with a lot of ambition we may be driven mad by the contradictions in our own being. Appeasing our intellect by drugging it into a false sense of euphoria and ease, only makes it more difficult for us to come back and face the realities of living in a world of unforgiving laws and conditions. In short there is no freedom from responsibility. A rational mind demands responsibility for survival.
We have been given rules that we must follow if we are to grow and develop into commanding individuals in charge of our own lives. Many of us do not seem to realize this. We romp through life from one experience to another, and never consider that we may be contributors to humanity's destiny. We may waste away in the caress of our own indulgent pleasures, but we must still be another rung in the ladder that leads to the complete fulfillment of humanity, contributing to the completion of the destiny of humankind in its role as a special creation of Divinity, given this Garden of Eden to develop life as its complete fulfillment will reveal.
May God bless you, and America.
Richard Westlund is a Collins resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com
