Life is not fair. I used to think otherwise, but then my sister got sick. And then my mom got terminally ill. Life is full of problems. Problems are painful. Problems can cause suffering. But life’s problems provide us with the opportunity to make things better.
The point of life is to leave things better than how they were first presented to us. What family/country/time we were born into is seemingly random, and out of our control. Depending on our karma & temperament, we might feel responsible for the whole world, or our country, or our family, or just ourselves.
But we can find purpose in connecting with, and working in service of, other living beings on this planet. Other souls.
Our brains/minds are designed with some features that, especially now, can throw us off-track from this goal. Hunger for pleasure, power, prestige, and money is never-ending on a biological level.
If we go so off-track, act so basely, as to worsen someone’s lived experience in service of these false idols, then that’s evil. But it’s important to understand that hurting ourselves diminishes our capacity to do that connective, generative good.
Rising above the exploits of our mind puts us in touch with God, a formless force that connects and governs all beings. Transcendence, via meditation, introspection, service, or compassion (many routes work) can help us quell our never-ending hungers.
The ups & downs of life are all part of a rollercoaster ride. We can close our eyes and grit our teeth, or we can smile for the picture. Life could feel better if we trust that things will be more or less okay—and that when they’re not okay, we’ll handle it the best we can.
In the midst of it all, it might be worth it to ask: How do I want to show up in the world when this happens?