Here, the question is: what is life? Would we ask such a question if, in fact, we were just enjoying what life is? Would we ask the question “what is it” if we were just enjoying what it represents, what it means? Would we have this curiosity or speculation, in a merely intellectual way, to formulate a question like this? Obviously not!
This type of question shows that there is an incompleteness within us, a sense of non-totality, of unhappiness, which makes us ask something like this. When we ask what life is, it means that we are not aware of the beauty of what it represents, because we are living life in a format – and here we have explained to you what this format is – that puts us in a condition, which is the condition of dissatisfaction, of incompleteness, of non-freedom.
So, in life, within this format that constitutes this life as we know it, there is no Presence of Love, of Happiness, of Peace. That is why we ask the question: what is life? Here, in the next few minutes, we are going to look at this with you. When we ask this question, it means that life as we are living it is someone’s private life, it is this private life that “I” have. This private life is a life centered on ideas.
So, there is life and we have the idea about life; in this idea about life there is a level of incompleteness, of dissatisfaction, of lack, of insufficiency, because there is this absence of Love, Peace and Freedom. This is the life that we know and, naturally, this is the life of the person. Here in these meetings, we are investigating life, but we are not asking questions “what is life,” because these questions are intellectual, they are merely verbal.
An approach to the Reality of life does not require this intellectual movement of ideas, of statements, concepts, speculations, deductions. So, a question like this sounds, in fact, very philosophical, or theological, or psychological. A direct view of life does not require any level of approach of this kind. All we need for the awareness of life is living.
We do not know what life is, because we are basing our existence on a movement of thought. Notice how important it is to investigate this here. The movement of thought situates us in existence as a present person, someone present in life. So, there is life and there is someone in life; someone is the person that is stuck to the concept of the idea of what life is, of what life represents, of the meaning of life.
So, this someone, this person – here on the channel we call it “I,” “me,” ego – is a model of present thought that looks at life through concepts, evaluations, opinions, judgments and conclusions. This is the “I,” this is the ego, this is the person. So, when we ask what life is, it is because there is a level of dissatisfaction, of incompleteness and, therefore, of suffering in the person.
We spend forty, fifty, eighty years in life as someone, as a person. These forty, fifty, eighty years are the life of the person. Therefore, the way to approach the experience called life is from the perspective of someone who experiences it. So, life is guided, present, by thought. So, it is not real life as it happens, it is life as thought idealizes, plans, desires, believes, conceptualizes, likes, dislikes. Notice, this is the life of the “I,” it is the life of the person, it is the life of the ego. Are we together?
So, there is life and we have thoughts about life; there is life and someone, the person who thinks about life, who idealizes life, who believes in life or does not believe in life, who likes life or does not like life. Note that this life centered on thought is the life of the “I” itself, of the ego, of this “me.”
So, what is life? Life is what happens. But for this “I,” it has to have a meaning, and the meaning that the “I” needs life to have in order to feel good, complete, fulfilled, accomplished. But this never happens, because life is what it is, and the sense of “I” is living in an isolationist, separatist, individualistic way, separating itself from life as it is and seeking life as it wants it to be. All right?
When you come across an encounter like this, you have the opportunity to investigate this, to become aware of it, to look closely at this condition, which is the condition of the “I.” This “I,” this person, no matter how much they are enjoying something in life, they will always be enjoying something that is within the projection of their particular world.
So, we do have moments of pleasure, fulfillment, satisfaction, and accomplishments. Good things happen, wonderful things happen, but also dissatisfaction, pain, problems, difficulties, and suffering. This is within this circle, which is the circle of the consciousness of the “I,” where there is the person’s life.
And now the person asks the question: what is the meaning of life? We can have a philosophical explanation, a theological explanation, a psychological explanation, we can have ideas and beliefs about life, but all of this will still be within this circle, which is the circle of thought. All knowledge present in us is present because of thought. There is no knowledge that is free from thought. And thought is nothing other than experiences.
So, experiences are thoughts. These thoughts are knowledge. This knowledge, like this experience, always, all experience is within this limitation, just as all knowledge will always be within the limitation of the known. All of this is within thought. Therefore, all thought is limited, experience is limited and knowledge is limited.
So, the person’s life is limited life; it always revolves around purposes, objectives, dreams, ideals in the known life of the “I,” in the person’s consciousness: this is life, it is the particular life that the person has, that it knows. No matter how significant, no matter how profound, it will always be a limited life within thought.
Thought is a movement within us that comes from the past, that is born from an experience that was lived yesterday, or several years ago, or just a few minutes ago, but it is always something that comes from the past. Thought is limited, it is within experience, it is only the knowledge that the brain knows, based on memory, dealing with what is present here at this moment. Note, it is life happening at this moment, life as it is, and yet, thought brings its interpretation of all this.
So, here, we already find the reason for dissatisfaction, for incompleteness, that makes us ask a question like this: “What is the meaning of life?” Only those who are in confusion, in disorder, in suffering, within the limitation of what dissatisfaction and incompleteness represent shall ask a question like this.
Note that at certain moments, when one is happy… Look: when are we happy? We have moments when we are happy, but notice, a happiness that soon disappears when thoughts enter. But when we are happy, in that instant, in that exact moment, there is no thought. See this with me here.
The moment you feel full, complete, whole, in a state of totality of Being, where there is this joy and happiness present, no questions arise; you do not ask what life is, what this joy is, what this peace is, what this love is, what this happiness is. At that moment, the sense of “I” is not there. But this is what we know as happiness, these are moments that arise and appear exactly when thought is not involved in that moment, because as soon as it arrives, it begins to give explanations, it begins to look for reasons. When thought is there, there is no joy, it disappears. Observe this in yourself.
All the moments in which you felt happy, at that moment you were not aware of being happy. Notice: here is life. Life is Being, it is not about being aware of being. The moment you enjoy full, complete, total joy, the sense of being aware of it is not there. When thought arises, this consciousness of the “I” arises and this state disappears.
Note that it is always the presence of the “I,” of the ego, of this person, in life, that makes this life become the particular life of a center, which is living an experience of separation, of isolationism and, therefore, alienated from life, from the beauty of life, from the love that is life, from the mystery that is life, from the singularity that is life.
So, we are telling you here that life is Happiness, is Peace, is Love, is Freedom, when this consciousness of the “I” is not there. So, this is the real answer to what life is. You have the answer to what life is when the question does not exist, because this questioner, which is the ego, the “I,” is not there.
Note that there are moments in life when your particular life is not present. Then, there is an encounter with this instant, there is an encounter with this moment, where the sense of the “I” is not there, where this you is not there, then there is life. So, this is the real meaning of life: it is life as it happens, life as it is, without the sense of “I.”
So, contact with the Reality of life is life in Happiness, in Love, in Freedom. The awareness of this Natural State of Being is what some call the Awakening of Consciousness or Spiritual Enlightenment.
So, this is our meeting here with you on this channel and also on our other channel, called “Mestre Gualberto.” You can find our link to visit the other channel in the video description. In addition, we have online meetings that take place on weekends. So, on Saturdays and Sundays we are together, through questions and answers, delving deeper into this subject here with you. You can find our WhatsApp link to participate in these meetings in the video description. Okay?
In addition, we have in-person meetings and also retreats. If this is something that makes sense to you, here is the invitation. Leave your “like” here, subscribe to the channel and leave here in the comments: “Yes, that makes sense.” And we'll see each other. Thanks for the meeting and see you soon!
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