That image dissolves by itself once it is uncovered by awareness. It is as if someone is fighting with ghosts believing them to be real, and suddenly realizes that they are nothing but a creation of his mind, which causes them to dissolve by themselves naturally.
And having said that, let me ask: can something that has never been there, dissolve? What do you think?
Not at all… unless, of course, you consider an image of nothingness to be nothingness itself.
What meaning can the son of a barren woman give to life?
Hello, Fraggle! I know this one, I don’t exactly remember the context, it is certainly complicated to say that a human being is ‘the son of a barren woman’ and all that would imply being the woman barren! But it’s a poetic and philosophical image. Well, there are different approaches to this condition of being human, and it is better to keep it simple when there are so many questions. Human beings are intelligent and sensitive (mind and heart), truth is the horizon to reach, and this thriving for truth gives meaning to life, something like that.
Hi Jess!
Do you feel that ‘what is’ is “a poetic and philosophical image”?
This is indeed a poetic and philosophical image… of course, until one realizes that there is no horizon to reach and no meaning to give to life, isn’t it? … And no, I am not talking about nihilism.
OK, Fraggle, please tell us what you’re talking about. On my part, I was talking about beauty, first, and then, truth.
By creating, accumulating an image of itself as an ‘individual’, probably out of fear and insecurity, the brain fixed itself in a pattern or patterns through which it sees itself and the world. We can see this in ourselves, this continuity of ‘who I am’. Someone comes along and says, this is division. The ‘individuality is a pattern, an illusion…you are actually nothing, not-a-thing. But this illusion of being an individual creates suffering and conflict.
So we have to see in ourselves if this makes sense. And if so find an approach to understand it, not to condemn or change or get rid of it, which are all part of the pattern, but just for the brain to see it. The fears that this way of living creates.
Hi Dan!
Is this (click on trailer button) → what you had in mind when you asked the question? … What would happen to the world if all these charlatans suddenly stopped talking and never talked again?
p.s.: this advertising video was suggested to me a few minutes ago by YouTube
We get up in the morning and go to sleep at night… is it what happens in between that gives meaning to the lives of each and every one of the 8 billion human beings that currently populate the world, each one carrying his own fears and hopes which is tantamount to conflict with oneself and with others?
Why do human being always have the need to search for meaning in life? How is it that he is not capable of living with this finiteness that is his own instead of always looking for an eternity that does not belong to him?
If human beings, as you insinuate, exist to give meaning to life, where is life then, and who lives it?
No, if I used the example of the child of a barren woman, it was not because it was poetic or philosophical, but to state a fact. After all, we all share the same nature as the child of a barren woman.
So why is it not possible for the human being to live without constantly searching for meaning in a life that, like him, is finite, @Jess ?
If Tyson claims you can find “objective truths”, he doesn’t know the difference between science and voodoo.
If it’s not humans giving meaning to stuff, who is?
Gods? Crocodiles? Crocodile gods?
Why should anyone give meaning to “stuff”?
Are you asking here if the son of the son of a barren woman will give meaning to “stuff”? 
But, Fraggle, I know many people - many indeed- who don’t care whatsoever about life having a meaning! They could be right, they could be wrong, it may be that the meaning of life doesn’t depend on whether you want to give it a meaning or not.
So you are suggesting that there is an inherent meaning to life that does not depend on the meaning I may or may not give to it, right? … May I ask then what is that inherent meaning of life that does not depend on anything?
The self gives ‘meaning to life’ because of fear. It considers itself superior to all life forms. And even though it only ‘exists’ as an illusion of the thought process, it demands to know why it went through all this…for what? There must be a meaning to its ‘extraordinary’ existence.
The ancient Egyptians lived to die. Seven lives and they moved on.
If you could dream up a new ‘meaning’, there was a buck to be made!
I would say that long before fear there is a great sense of uncertainty, hence a strong desire to want to quickly change that uncertainty for certainty, and therefore the need to give meaning to life… just to escape from “what is”.
Life is constant insecurity and we all know it, that’s why we write extraordinary scripts to play our “extraordinary” role in the movie of our life… in which others are mere supporting actors (or so we think) to make us shine as the protagonist we think we are… just to try to leave that insecurity behind.
Vain illusions!
You may ask, of course, but I couldn’t know the answer, I’m sorry. Krishnamurti and D Bohm have many discussions pointing to some meaning in life, Krishnamurti says that human beings can be free, I listen to them and I see it can be true, that is all.
So, does seeing the possibility that human beings can be free (whatever that means) give meaning to life for those who see that this possibility can be true after hearing someone else talk about it? Or… is it the journey from hearing someone else talk about it, to the possible attainment of that possibility in myself that gives meaning to my life? … Wouldn’t all that be mere projection and therefore an illusion?
Why do I need to give meaning to my life in order to live life?
Have you ever seriously asked yourself this question?
If so, what was your answer?
Hello, Fraggle!
Some posts above Dan spoke of nothingness in the context of Shakespeare’s wellknown play and which I very much appreciate. I remarked then that life and self are not synonymous. Whereas a particular life may be meaningless life in general is valuable. Krishnamurti and D Bohm spent hours and hours trying to show how valuable life is and this site here is dedicated to Krishnamurti, that is basically why people come here. I’m very serious about all this, don’t you be mistaken!
Yes, valuable… now valuable for what if I may ask?
These (
) are the concluding words of Public Talk 4 Saanen, Switzerland - 22 July 1973 entitled "Can thought reveal the meaning of life? → " (suplemented by Public Talk 5 Saanen, Switzerland - 24 July 1973 → ) by Jiddu Krishnamurti…
So if you can do all this, and you have to do it if you are serious, if you want to live a different kind of life, a different kind of existence, a real revolution in one’s own actions, then one has to empty the mind… the mind must empty itself of all its content. Then what is the purpose of existence? Then what is the meaning of living? Is it suffering? Is it this constant battle within oneself and with another, this competition, this success, this desire to fulfil, this desire to identify oneself with something, or with oneself? Then if you can be *empty* of all this, then you will find out. That is real… that demands real attention, great perception, subtlety, real denial, not verbal denial. Then you will find out - which is not a verbal statement of a fact but the actuality without the description. Right sir.
Should i take this…
…as a mere reaction? - Because as far as I remember, at no point did I say that you don’t take all this seriously. I only asked if you had seriously asked yourself a specific question, followed by ‘If so, what was your answer?’, in case you wanted to share your answer with all of us.
Yes In general we meaning general mankind have alleged in numerous ways throughout history, that the self is more important than life itself as a movement in nature? Who in their inquiries can assert that without skepticism, or a doubt? We might associate nothingness with meaningless, or negativity and depression instead of with a real learning open state of being that is persistently for the most part inquiring? Are human beings really superior beings or wards of nature or real enemies of nature with false priorities in life towards the material life of a wealthy family, tribe, corporation or nation ?
I realize some of mankind are caretakers but how can we be caretakers when society itself;alleges that caretakers block progress, and are an enemy of national and corporate prosperity itself? Meanwhile those who the wealthy bribe pass laws against individuals becoming caretakers of our burning warring earth outside of our accepted mass movements. Meanwhile many, most nations and divisive religions none of which, are real caretakers at all. Meanwhile they are passing laws that only indoctrinated people in mass movements, in ideological based hierarchical licensed government departments are accepted as caretakers, when they are also not caretakers at all. Except to the smallest degrees of not being inquiring caretakers at all and mere bureaucrats? Ponder on these things seriously. Are our schools generally producing inquirers, and critical thinkers, or materialists, and seekers of good jobs in a rotting empire, or colonial society, or corporate hierarchy?
