Two of our biggest struggles are trying to understand where we were before we were born, and where we go after we die.   These questions have dominated much of my thought over the past few years as I have tried to come to grips with my mortality.

The major faiths have tried to help us somewhat with these questions.  Hinduism and other religions that accept the notion of re-incarnation attempt to deal with the “Where were we before we were born?” question; though even multiple past lives don’t stretch back to infinity.  Most religions posit some form of an afterlife – be it heaven, hell, purgatory or nirvana.

I personally lean towards the atheistic view that, for us as individuals, there was nothing before we were born and nothing comes after we die.  Given that I spent an infinite amount of time before I was born not being concerned with non-existence, I don’t see why it should be an issue when I’m dead.

However, I’m not sure.  We don’t know enough about that part of us… that thing we call life, and consciousness and self-awareness.  Does something happen to that spark that animates us?  Does the law of conservation of energy apply to our souls?

We just don’t know… and won’t know until we’re dead… and of course if there’s nothing after, we won’t even know then because there’s no one left to know.  I’m willing to be open to the possibility of an afterlife in some yet-to-be-understood form… but please, lets not start wars and kill each other over it (unless you can’t wait to know the answer).

A few weeks ago I decided that its high time I learned more about Islam.  Virtually everything I know I have been spoon-fed from the popular media, be it the news or Hollywood’s distorted and sensational visions of the mysteries associated with the Middle East.

I started with the Koran.  Read it from cover to cover.  It reads very much like the Old Testament.  I was surprised by what I found in there.  I could see the germ of our stereotypes… how by misinterpreting the words and taking them out of context, we could come to believe that Islam is a violent and misogynist faith; and how the same error could be made by extremist elements in Islam.  But I could also see progressive and reformist ideas.  Ideas that were radical in their day.  Ideas that could benefit everyone if applied.

I then read a book by a US Middle East scholar titled What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam.  This was a useful book written by an outsider like myself.  Its in a question and answer format, addressing many of the misguided but common questions that come from non-muslims.  I thought it was balanced, basically warning us not to judge 1.2 billion people by the actions and interpretations of a few extremist wackos.

I’m now reading a book about Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, written by an Muslim Islamic scholar.  Not surprisingly, it is very consistent with other mystical traditions found in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and others.  It is said that there are many paths up the mountain, but the view from the top is always the same.  

In every faith there are people who seek the truth, and people who seek to impose what they believe to be truth on others.  The latter, whatever their religious persuasion, are blights upon the earth.   It’s ironic that in their quest for universal acceptance of their truths, they kill and destroy.  The wisest among us are those who recognize that truth is something to be found, not imposed.  

First photo of the new year

(Channeling the thoughts of a creative universe)

How great are you?  Are you as great as the average man or woman?  Then your number is one.

Are you twice as great?  Then your number is two.

Are you ten times, or one hundred times greater than the average man or woman?  Then that is your number.

Now measure your true greatness.  Place your number into the universal formula n/∞.

Whatever your number, it is virtually nothing in comparison to the magnificence of the Universe.  Look around you and know your place.

Don’t be arrogant.  Those whose number is one is as great as those whose number is ten, or a hundred, or a thousand or a million.

Whoever you are, in the Universe your value is the same.