Why we are here — a viewpoint
The concept of consciousness, unique minds that are self-aware, is a thorn in the flesh of philosophers and scientists around the globe. It’s almost impossible to say for sure why we have consciousness, do animals have it or how did it come to be. Where can we draw the line for self-aware minds in the nature? Or for minds, in general, for that matter? Does an ignorant man lack awareness? Does a dog? Does a bee? Does a flower or a rock? Why? How can you know? These are questions usually brought up by small children, and later forgotten as such. Still, the questions are valid.
One elegant solution is to bring down the walls between aware and non-aware life and note that everything has a consciousness of some kind. Not the same kind of conscious intelligence that we humans have, but a rudimentary grasp on their material being - a feel for life. You might say this is the very foundation of your own consciousness, the reason you know you are. If we acknowledge that all matter has this essence of consciousness, it is logical to presume that it is a much needed building block of the reality. There may not be such thing as material, the whole universe may be based on a simple consonance of wills.
If there is no such thing as material, what happens to us when we, or our bodies die? We join the consciousness that spawned us in the first place, and begin the circle of life anew. The idea of reincarnation is an old one, and still valid. But what is the reason for it? Why are we here?
According to some texts, life on “the other side” is even and colorless. There, we are not bound by our limitations in time, form and mental capabilities; but rather by the lack of stimulus. There is nothing to drive us forward, nothing to overcome or succumb to; thereby learning from the experience. This is why we would conceive of ourselves in a form such as we have now. We are born to this world to grow, suffer and struggle. To experience life and to learn from it.
To say we make ourselves is to take responsibility of our lives. It is no easy thing to say that the children dying of hunger or sickness chose to do so. It might sound cruel, but if a life is nothing but a fleeing moment of our existence, why wouldn’t we choose to learn from that experience, as well? What better way to learn the proper respect for life in general. This in-the-world-but-not-of-it way of thinking can save you a world of suffering, and it leaves space for personal reasons to live.
There it is; the viewpoint I promised. Maybe not as elegant as 42, or as widespread as the notion of God; but at least it makes us carry the moral burden of our own actions. We ourselves are responsible for the evil in the world, and for abolishing it; not some distant devil. May we live up to the challenge.