... and other sentient beings too.
It might be argued that our being here, in these bodies, is ultimately of no particular import. The universe, all reality, could seemingly have gotten along without us, or any creatures like us, and apparently did so for billions of years before we appeared on the scene. On the other hand, it might also be argued that, without our sentient hands and feet and the rest of us, the universe would be quite incapable of certain acts and experiences that only hands, feet and brains like ours can do or have. Quite simply, to fly a kite, one needs kites and wind. Without a kite, there can be no "kite flying." Likewise, without sentient beings similar to us, there can be no doing of what sentient beings like us do through our sentience.
In fact, it is a simple truism that the universe, without you, would be fully incapable of doing specifically what only you do, even if the universe could work up a close substitute not unlike you. Sentience is required for sentient experiences in general. Building upon that, you are the only sentient being in the universe who can have YOUR sentient experiences. Certainly, another self-aware, otherwise nearly identical human being standing one meter to your present left might have nearly identical experiences, but (as we currently consider what it is to be an individual) would not be "you" experiencing life just as you are currently experiencing it from your unique vantage point. How much less would somebody else more unlike you, in a very different place and situation, experience anything like you experience in you experience?
No, without you (this very "YOU" you who is reading these words now), the universe could not experience what YOU feel. That would be ever moreso the case if the particular place and time which you occupy were instead occupied by, for example, not simply a very different person, but a cat, fish, tree, stone or empty space.
So, that being said, if we assume for purposes of argument here that what we do is the universe doing (e.g., that when we do X, it is the universe doing X in the sense that we are the universe manifesting in a particular finite form, in particular time and place, therefore our doing whatever is the universe doing whatever ** ), or at least, that the universe could not contain such events and experiences without their being done and experienced, then what could the universe not do or contain without us sentient beings, and more poignantly for you, without YOU in particular?
1-The universe cannot wake up in the morning without sentience to wake up to, and cannot wake up in your bed as you without you. Granted, some other person might wake up in your bed instead of you, but that would not be YOUR waking up there (and begs the question of where you slept last night.)
2-The universe cannot experience stretching its muscles after waking without a sentient creature with muscles. It cannot experience your stretching your particular muscles without you (again, some other sentience might stretch your muscles but, in such case, they would not be YOUR muscles stretching ... or perhaps a case of assault to report to the police). Furthermore, were you a tree, a stone or formless blob (assuming we can even call those "you" if in form of tree, stone or blob), the universe would also be out of luck should it need to stretch.
3-The universe cannot experience brushing teeth without sentient-toothed creatures, nor brushing YOUR teeth without you. Someone, your mother perhaps, might wield the brush in your mouth, but the experience from inside, behind your teeth, of have your teeth brushed can only be yours. Likewise for taking a shower: Water molecules of certain agitation might exist, but the qualia of "hotness" would be unknown without creatures sensitive to and able to experience heat. Think about that while in the shower tomorrow.
4-The universe cannot experience putting on pants without sentient legged creatures, and not your pants without you. Of course, I could put on your pants, but then we are both just experiencing your pants at different times (unless we both get in).
Note that the universe could go through the raw motions of many of these acts blindly, without any sentient mind ... like an insentient robot which engages in the plain physical movements of rising, brushing, washing and dressing, all mechanically, without awareness. However there can be no EXPERIENCE of doing so, especially the experience of doing so in a finite body, if sentient finite bodies like ours were not around. Should said robots someday become sentient, then they merely join us as our sentient brothers, together with our fellow humans, intelligent space aliens and, certainly, the cat.
5- The universe cannot experience eating breakfast and other meals, nor the particular tastes of eggs, bacon and sweetened coffee, without sentient creatures like us, with our particular taste bud structures, gustatory regions of the brain and sentience in general ... not to mention chickens, pigs and coffee beans. The universe cannot have eaten your particular breakfast this morning without you. Someone else might have eaten that breakfast, it is true, but just not you. Furthermore, cats cannot taste sugar, would likely avoid the whole thing, and trees even more so. Don't even both to ask of breakfast for a stone or empty space!
6- The universe cannot experience "here vs. there," nor travel between, without finite sentient beings in one place who need to move to another. Further, the universe could not have experienced going where you went today if you had not gone there. The universe also cannot recall your personal yesterday, or imagine your personal tomorrow, where you went or may go, without your most personal memories and imaginings.
7- The universe cannot write and read emails and silly essays (like this one) without sentient beings capable of language. Fish don't type, let alone read and write. A world of stones, trees and flounder, without humans, is free of the thoughts that only humans can think, expressed in writing as humans express them. Equally, the universe would be without communication in French without French speakers. The universe would be incapable of uttering a word you said today without you, even if the same words could be uttered by another. The fish or pine tree would stand silent.
8- The universe cannot attend dull work meetings with other co-workers if there are no separate sentient beings to work together and attend. The meeting is not "dull" without sentient beings to feel bored and judge it so. Yes, some other worker could be hired by your company to do just what you do, and the universe could find someone else to do what you do, but they would not do things just like you do, would they? It is unlikely. They might do better, worse, or nearly the same, but it is most unlikely that they would do all things precisely like you.
9- The universe cannot check Facebook®, and make silly posts, without sentient readers and posters. Admittedly, Russian bots can post, but without sentient readers, nothing is read. Only you can be you posting on your wall. Should another someone else post on your wall claiming to be you, or should a second wall appear with your name and an apparent photo of you, they are not you (warn your friends, complain to Facebook!)
10- The universe can only watch movies if there are sentient watchers. Only you can watch the movies you watch. If someone else uses your Netflix® account to watch those movies, that watcher is not you, their experience of watching is not yours ... plus Netflix® may close the account (please read your terms of service). Of course, it may be confusing to Netflix® if you and the other person possess identical names, driver's license descriptions, with identical ID photos, and they have the very same address and phone number as you ... but more likely, if you both try to sign on at once, Netflix will not allow it (unless you sign separate contracts or pay for the family plan).
11- The universe cannot exercise without sentient beings who head for the gym. Only you can experience your exercising. If I or someone else exercise, that will not help you lose weight. Of course, another consciousness could occupy your body, exercise, and your body would lose weight. But would they return your body to you later?
12- I do not know if only you can experience dreaming your dreams at night. Maybe so, but it strikes me that there is something special about dreams.
13- The universe cannot experience getting caught in the rain without sentient beings to be rained on. It cannot experience your getting wet without you.
14- The universe cannot experience walking your dog without your dog and you. Nor could the universe experience your dog's experience of being walked by you were there not you and your dog. Yes, there could be a different dog. Yes, there could be a different dog owner. But the universe cannot experience you and your dog walking together without your dog and you.
15- The universe cannot experience washing your laundry without you. Granted, the universe might experience your spouse or your mother washing your laundry (but you really should wash your own shorts).
16- The universe cannot experience being almost broke and struggling to pay your bills without you. Sorry, nobody else is going to pay your bills, although they might loan you a little cash. When the lights are turned off, the universe will experience you sitting in the dark.
17- The universe can only experience your poor health, your cancer, bum heart or kidney stones, when you experience them. The stones are not anywhere but in YOUR kidneys. Ouch! When experiencing your kidney stones, you very much may wish that the universe was having some other, more pleasant experience instead.
18- The universe cannot experience shoveling snow without you, at least in your back yard. Were the universe only populated by creatures on hot, desert planets without snow, the universe would never experience snow, never experience making a snowman, never experience throwing a snowball.
19- Without our experience of holding doors open for others, the universe would never experience the universe holding the door (also the universe) open for the universe, and likewise in the case of any experience of kindness and generosity. When we feed the hungry, the universe feeds the universe, yet that other bit of the universe benefits from the kindness of our part to donate food (which is also the universe). Were the universe just the universe without you and me, it might never know hunger, but it might also never know kindness.
20- Without our experience of apologizing and forgiving, the universe might not know the experience of forgiveness. More specifically, the universe would not know your particular experience of forgiving the particular wrong that was done to you. The universe forgives the universe for the wrongs done the universe.
21- Without your experience of vacuuming your house, the universe could never experience vacuuming your house. The Roomba® robot might get it done better, but it is not so interesting to experience being a Roomba®.
22- How many sentient beings does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: The universe changing the universe. How many you's does it take to change a lightbulb? ANSWER: Only this one you, which is the universe too.
23- Without sentient beings experiencing being born, the universe cannot experience being born. Without your experience of being born, the universe could not experience YOUR being born. Your mother would have raised some other kid, but here you are instead.
24- Without sentient beings to experience dying, the universe cannot experience dying. Without your experience of dying, the universe cannot experience your dying. That said, I hope that is not sometime soon.
25- Without violin players (granted, that could be AI these days) and sentient music lovers, the universe cannot experience the beauty of the Mozart Violin Concerto in D major. Without your sentient next-door neighbor's experience of your terrible violin playing, the universe could not experience what a terrible musician your really are.
26- Without your research and writing on some wondrous principle of science, law or history, or whatever otherwise you are interested in, and without your creating and doing art, music, rodeo riding or whatever it is you like to do, the universe might never know or do that particular thing ... at least, not in the most particular way that you express or do them. The "Higgs Boson" certainly existed without its postulation by Dr. Higgs, but would it yet be unknown as it was for centuries? Could Coltrane's "Love Supreme" have been recorded by somebody else? Might Picasso have painted the Mona Lisa? Perhaps. Still, we needed Higgs and Coltrane and Leonardo to discover or perform or paint each respective wonder as we have them. "Love Supreme" would not be quite the same if trumpeted by Miles, even if excellent for sure. Likewise, I am sure, your contribute much to the world, great and small, that only you can do.
27- The universe could never experience your particular "just this moment in time" seen from "this particular place in space" where you sit or stand, without you to experience it here and now. Yes, the cat might experience it, but out of cat eyes, with a cat's mind, its only sense of time being the waiting needed until the next meal. The tree follows the seasons, but likely never checks the clock.
28- The universe cannot experience Zazen, in this moment, on your Zafu, without your butt and back and breath and brain and experience of the same.
29- The universe cannot experience chanting the Heart Sutra, with its lessons of "emptiness" of sentient beings, unless there are sentient chanting beings (even if they are ultimately empty.) The universe cannot experience your Satori and realization of your own personal emptiness without you to realize it.
30- The universe cannot experience greed, hatred, pride, resentment, conceit, arrogance, selfishness, depression, panic, restlessness, confusion, resistance, sloth, prejudice, loneliness and all the other negative emotions and bonno of sentient beings without greedy, hating, pride-filled, conceited, etc. sentient beings to be so. The universe cannot experience a human killing a human without human killers and killed. It cannot experience your particular hate of who you hate, your particular panic or conceit, without hating, panicky, conceited you.
31- Likewise, the universe cannot experience generosity, love, humility, kindness, joy, calm, peace, acceptance, clarity, energy, open-mindedness, friendship and all the other positive emotions of sentient beings without generous, loving, kind, peaceful, etc. sentient beings to be so. The universe cannot experience a human loving another human without human lovers and beloveds. It cannot experience your particular love of who you love, your particular calm or clarity, without loving, calm and clear-seeing you. I advise you to help the universe feel more of these good things, less of the bad.
32- The universe would be a silent, cold and lifeless place without sentient life able to consider how silent, cold and lifeless it would be without sentient life. The universe would be a little more lifeless without your particular life.
33- Like an old love song declares, the universe "cannot live without you" ... or at least, reality would have to live without you, which would result in a very different universe: a universe lacking you.
Gassho, J
stlah
It might be argued that our being here, in these bodies, is ultimately of no particular import. The universe, all reality, could seemingly have gotten along without us, or any creatures like us, and apparently did so for billions of years before we appeared on the scene. On the other hand, it might also be argued that, without our sentient hands and feet and the rest of us, the universe would be quite incapable of certain acts and experiences that only hands, feet and brains like ours can do or have. Quite simply, to fly a kite, one needs kites and wind. Without a kite, there can be no "kite flying." Likewise, without sentient beings similar to us, there can be no doing of what sentient beings like us do through our sentience.
In fact, it is a simple truism that the universe, without you, would be fully incapable of doing specifically what only you do, even if the universe could work up a close substitute not unlike you. Sentience is required for sentient experiences in general. Building upon that, you are the only sentient being in the universe who can have YOUR sentient experiences. Certainly, another self-aware, otherwise nearly identical human being standing one meter to your present left might have nearly identical experiences, but (as we currently consider what it is to be an individual) would not be "you" experiencing life just as you are currently experiencing it from your unique vantage point. How much less would somebody else more unlike you, in a very different place and situation, experience anything like you experience in you experience?
No, without you (this very "YOU" you who is reading these words now), the universe could not experience what YOU feel. That would be ever moreso the case if the particular place and time which you occupy were instead occupied by, for example, not simply a very different person, but a cat, fish, tree, stone or empty space.
So, that being said, if we assume for purposes of argument here that what we do is the universe doing (e.g., that when we do X, it is the universe doing X in the sense that we are the universe manifesting in a particular finite form, in particular time and place, therefore our doing whatever is the universe doing whatever ** ), or at least, that the universe could not contain such events and experiences without their being done and experienced, then what could the universe not do or contain without us sentient beings, and more poignantly for you, without YOU in particular?
~ ~ ~
1-The universe cannot wake up in the morning without sentience to wake up to, and cannot wake up in your bed as you without you. Granted, some other person might wake up in your bed instead of you, but that would not be YOUR waking up there (and begs the question of where you slept last night.)
2-The universe cannot experience stretching its muscles after waking without a sentient creature with muscles. It cannot experience your stretching your particular muscles without you (again, some other sentience might stretch your muscles but, in such case, they would not be YOUR muscles stretching ... or perhaps a case of assault to report to the police). Furthermore, were you a tree, a stone or formless blob (assuming we can even call those "you" if in form of tree, stone or blob), the universe would also be out of luck should it need to stretch.
3-The universe cannot experience brushing teeth without sentient-toothed creatures, nor brushing YOUR teeth without you. Someone, your mother perhaps, might wield the brush in your mouth, but the experience from inside, behind your teeth, of have your teeth brushed can only be yours. Likewise for taking a shower: Water molecules of certain agitation might exist, but the qualia of "hotness" would be unknown without creatures sensitive to and able to experience heat. Think about that while in the shower tomorrow.
4-The universe cannot experience putting on pants without sentient legged creatures, and not your pants without you. Of course, I could put on your pants, but then we are both just experiencing your pants at different times (unless we both get in).
Note that the universe could go through the raw motions of many of these acts blindly, without any sentient mind ... like an insentient robot which engages in the plain physical movements of rising, brushing, washing and dressing, all mechanically, without awareness. However there can be no EXPERIENCE of doing so, especially the experience of doing so in a finite body, if sentient finite bodies like ours were not around. Should said robots someday become sentient, then they merely join us as our sentient brothers, together with our fellow humans, intelligent space aliens and, certainly, the cat.
5- The universe cannot experience eating breakfast and other meals, nor the particular tastes of eggs, bacon and sweetened coffee, without sentient creatures like us, with our particular taste bud structures, gustatory regions of the brain and sentience in general ... not to mention chickens, pigs and coffee beans. The universe cannot have eaten your particular breakfast this morning without you. Someone else might have eaten that breakfast, it is true, but just not you. Furthermore, cats cannot taste sugar, would likely avoid the whole thing, and trees even more so. Don't even both to ask of breakfast for a stone or empty space!
6- The universe cannot experience "here vs. there," nor travel between, without finite sentient beings in one place who need to move to another. Further, the universe could not have experienced going where you went today if you had not gone there. The universe also cannot recall your personal yesterday, or imagine your personal tomorrow, where you went or may go, without your most personal memories and imaginings.
7- The universe cannot write and read emails and silly essays (like this one) without sentient beings capable of language. Fish don't type, let alone read and write. A world of stones, trees and flounder, without humans, is free of the thoughts that only humans can think, expressed in writing as humans express them. Equally, the universe would be without communication in French without French speakers. The universe would be incapable of uttering a word you said today without you, even if the same words could be uttered by another. The fish or pine tree would stand silent.
8- The universe cannot attend dull work meetings with other co-workers if there are no separate sentient beings to work together and attend. The meeting is not "dull" without sentient beings to feel bored and judge it so. Yes, some other worker could be hired by your company to do just what you do, and the universe could find someone else to do what you do, but they would not do things just like you do, would they? It is unlikely. They might do better, worse, or nearly the same, but it is most unlikely that they would do all things precisely like you.
9- The universe cannot check Facebook®, and make silly posts, without sentient readers and posters. Admittedly, Russian bots can post, but without sentient readers, nothing is read. Only you can be you posting on your wall. Should another someone else post on your wall claiming to be you, or should a second wall appear with your name and an apparent photo of you, they are not you (warn your friends, complain to Facebook!)
10- The universe can only watch movies if there are sentient watchers. Only you can watch the movies you watch. If someone else uses your Netflix® account to watch those movies, that watcher is not you, their experience of watching is not yours ... plus Netflix® may close the account (please read your terms of service). Of course, it may be confusing to Netflix® if you and the other person possess identical names, driver's license descriptions, with identical ID photos, and they have the very same address and phone number as you ... but more likely, if you both try to sign on at once, Netflix will not allow it (unless you sign separate contracts or pay for the family plan).
11- The universe cannot exercise without sentient beings who head for the gym. Only you can experience your exercising. If I or someone else exercise, that will not help you lose weight. Of course, another consciousness could occupy your body, exercise, and your body would lose weight. But would they return your body to you later?
12- I do not know if only you can experience dreaming your dreams at night. Maybe so, but it strikes me that there is something special about dreams.
13- The universe cannot experience getting caught in the rain without sentient beings to be rained on. It cannot experience your getting wet without you.
14- The universe cannot experience walking your dog without your dog and you. Nor could the universe experience your dog's experience of being walked by you were there not you and your dog. Yes, there could be a different dog. Yes, there could be a different dog owner. But the universe cannot experience you and your dog walking together without your dog and you.
15- The universe cannot experience washing your laundry without you. Granted, the universe might experience your spouse or your mother washing your laundry (but you really should wash your own shorts).
16- The universe cannot experience being almost broke and struggling to pay your bills without you. Sorry, nobody else is going to pay your bills, although they might loan you a little cash. When the lights are turned off, the universe will experience you sitting in the dark.
17- The universe can only experience your poor health, your cancer, bum heart or kidney stones, when you experience them. The stones are not anywhere but in YOUR kidneys. Ouch! When experiencing your kidney stones, you very much may wish that the universe was having some other, more pleasant experience instead.
18- The universe cannot experience shoveling snow without you, at least in your back yard. Were the universe only populated by creatures on hot, desert planets without snow, the universe would never experience snow, never experience making a snowman, never experience throwing a snowball.
19- Without our experience of holding doors open for others, the universe would never experience the universe holding the door (also the universe) open for the universe, and likewise in the case of any experience of kindness and generosity. When we feed the hungry, the universe feeds the universe, yet that other bit of the universe benefits from the kindness of our part to donate food (which is also the universe). Were the universe just the universe without you and me, it might never know hunger, but it might also never know kindness.
20- Without our experience of apologizing and forgiving, the universe might not know the experience of forgiveness. More specifically, the universe would not know your particular experience of forgiving the particular wrong that was done to you. The universe forgives the universe for the wrongs done the universe.
21- Without your experience of vacuuming your house, the universe could never experience vacuuming your house. The Roomba® robot might get it done better, but it is not so interesting to experience being a Roomba®.
22- How many sentient beings does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: The universe changing the universe. How many you's does it take to change a lightbulb? ANSWER: Only this one you, which is the universe too.
23- Without sentient beings experiencing being born, the universe cannot experience being born. Without your experience of being born, the universe could not experience YOUR being born. Your mother would have raised some other kid, but here you are instead.
24- Without sentient beings to experience dying, the universe cannot experience dying. Without your experience of dying, the universe cannot experience your dying. That said, I hope that is not sometime soon.
25- Without violin players (granted, that could be AI these days) and sentient music lovers, the universe cannot experience the beauty of the Mozart Violin Concerto in D major. Without your sentient next-door neighbor's experience of your terrible violin playing, the universe could not experience what a terrible musician your really are.
26- Without your research and writing on some wondrous principle of science, law or history, or whatever otherwise you are interested in, and without your creating and doing art, music, rodeo riding or whatever it is you like to do, the universe might never know or do that particular thing ... at least, not in the most particular way that you express or do them. The "Higgs Boson" certainly existed without its postulation by Dr. Higgs, but would it yet be unknown as it was for centuries? Could Coltrane's "Love Supreme" have been recorded by somebody else? Might Picasso have painted the Mona Lisa? Perhaps. Still, we needed Higgs and Coltrane and Leonardo to discover or perform or paint each respective wonder as we have them. "Love Supreme" would not be quite the same if trumpeted by Miles, even if excellent for sure. Likewise, I am sure, your contribute much to the world, great and small, that only you can do.
27- The universe could never experience your particular "just this moment in time" seen from "this particular place in space" where you sit or stand, without you to experience it here and now. Yes, the cat might experience it, but out of cat eyes, with a cat's mind, its only sense of time being the waiting needed until the next meal. The tree follows the seasons, but likely never checks the clock.
28- The universe cannot experience Zazen, in this moment, on your Zafu, without your butt and back and breath and brain and experience of the same.
29- The universe cannot experience chanting the Heart Sutra, with its lessons of "emptiness" of sentient beings, unless there are sentient chanting beings (even if they are ultimately empty.) The universe cannot experience your Satori and realization of your own personal emptiness without you to realize it.
30- The universe cannot experience greed, hatred, pride, resentment, conceit, arrogance, selfishness, depression, panic, restlessness, confusion, resistance, sloth, prejudice, loneliness and all the other negative emotions and bonno of sentient beings without greedy, hating, pride-filled, conceited, etc. sentient beings to be so. The universe cannot experience a human killing a human without human killers and killed. It cannot experience your particular hate of who you hate, your particular panic or conceit, without hating, panicky, conceited you.
31- Likewise, the universe cannot experience generosity, love, humility, kindness, joy, calm, peace, acceptance, clarity, energy, open-mindedness, friendship and all the other positive emotions of sentient beings without generous, loving, kind, peaceful, etc. sentient beings to be so. The universe cannot experience a human loving another human without human lovers and beloveds. It cannot experience your particular love of who you love, your particular calm or clarity, without loving, calm and clear-seeing you. I advise you to help the universe feel more of these good things, less of the bad.
32- The universe would be a silent, cold and lifeless place without sentient life able to consider how silent, cold and lifeless it would be without sentient life. The universe would be a little more lifeless without your particular life.
33- Like an old love song declares, the universe "cannot live without you" ... or at least, reality would have to live without you, which would result in a very different universe: a universe lacking you.
And so, please try to make yours a life that the universe, and the rest of us, might be poorer for if not having been lived.
Please consider all this the next time you feel rather small and not so special in this vast universe.
Please consider all this the next time you feel rather small and not so special in this vast universe.
Gassho, J
stlah
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