About: The philosophy of “I”

By viewing ones existence as an intricate part of a large fabric of existence and reality, one accepts that ones own actions have far reaching effects.  Understanding that one is connected intimately with all aspects of existence engenders a selfless focus and a state of compassion.  No longer is ones focus out of balance because self is not viewed independent from all else.  Ones self is viewed as an intricate and meaningful part of an existence shared by all.  Here one becomes intimately involved in helping others, in so doing, helping themselves.  Would there be war, famine, slavery, and a host of other equally negative and painful experiences if, as individuals, we worked to better each other, and in so doing, improved ourselves?  I submit here that the concept of ownership born from an assertion of “I” over “Us” leads to selfish and destructive behavior and beliefs; ones that only produce pain and suffering.

One can not deny that one exists.  The very knowledge that one exists could be the defining character of sentience or consciousness.  The ability to acknowledge the concept of “I am” brings into the concept of individuality, the concept of self.  Here begins the process of separating “I” from the rest of existence/reality.  It could be argued that in placing undo importance on the singularity of self, one becomes selfish, giving rise to negative and detrimental emotions and desires.  The further into self pursuits one delves, the further selfish we become.  Concepts of possession and ownership begin to become the singular purpose of ones existence.  Believing in ones ability to own or possess something else invites pain and loss into ones existence.  If one owns or possesses nothing, there is nothing to lose.  This is not to say that the house one lives in does not belong to the one who resides there.

Some say that beauty is all in the eyes of the beholder, to which I would like to ask, “what is beauty to the blind?’  Perhaps beauty is really in the perspective of the one perceiving the wonder to behold.  To the blind, beauty could be in the way the rest of the senses come together.  Perhaps they have a unique understanding of the world those with eyes will only be able to ponder.  How would one who is deaf perceive a silent world?  It is just as difficult for me to imaging having never been able to hear as it is a world where I’d never been able to ’see.’  If the absence of any one of our sense can form such a different world through perception, and this is just one variable that helps determine our  reality, is it really all that hard to understand how people can ‘veiw’ things so differently, even when we have all our senses?  We, as a species, have developed language and communication, but the question is why.  Why did we learn to become visual and vocal with a complex communication system?  Why is humanity the one species that is vastly diverse and at war with itself? Why do we seek ways to convey ‘Who we are’ to other people?  Why do we seek ways to perpetuate ourselves onward through time, beyond our death?  Why do some want to leave their ‘mark’ upon the world?  Why do some enclose themselves away from the rest on a quest for enlightenment?  Even better, what is enlightenment and is it the same for everyone?  The very fact that the way in which you perceive the events of your life helps shape the reality in which you live would seem to argue that enlightenment, what ever it is, is not the same for everyone.

The only thing one can control is ones thoughts, and from ones thoughts stem ones actions.  If the basis of all actions is thought then no action should be undertaken without purposeful thought.  Keeping ones thoughts focused on selflessness and harmony with all existance will engender in one a compassion and love for ones fellows.  If one adopts an attitude of selflessness with the realization that we are all connected, one steps closer to harmony with all of existance.

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An Arguement of Logic