So David,

When you say you've personally looked into the clues for God existing, what you mean is that you've done nothing at all? I'm asking because if you actually have looked and came up short maybe I can give you some direction. If you haven't even tried through, perhaps you should try first and see how that goes. If you want direction I can try to help. Prayer is not a habit for mental patients, maybe you should try it. For that matter though nor is meditation for mental patients, but that's a different topic. I've never heard of someone saying those who meditate have schizophrenia, yet several people here seem to think any church goer is one. Go figure. *eyeroll*

I'm doing well and staying safe, no medicine is needed, thanks for the concern. You stay safe as well. Keep your hands washed, and stay sane in this world wide cabin fever time.

I love you, Peter Bowden. I wish I could write like that!
Would you take up the challenge to do some more research on Evolution and give us your thoughts?
Do you agree that maybe we can never know what moves Life? Remember: we were offered life in Paradise, but then we were declared unfit and banished! So, here we are.. not knowing.
I have lived in both camps, holding the Christian and Atheist beliefs, and come to the conclusion that Life is nothing like that. In my view, we are a Scientific Experiment. Call it Nature.
Are we, like the Corona virus, existing in a petri-dish? Left to our own devices to either survive all sorts of circumstances and become super-organisms capable of running the universe, or to succumb and die out like the dinosaurs as if we never existed?
Of course, Life is precious to us - we are IN it. That is why we are who we are and do what we do. We have been mud-crawlers, tree huggers and moon-walkers. We wage wars on each other and manipulate commercial and political dealings for our own benefit.
But … Nature gave us also insight into what ‘could’ be. DO better things, and you will FEEL better. And BELIEVE that you can make things better may spur us up to DO better things.
I wish I could write like you, Peter. But I hope you get the gist of it?
Christina

God bless you all.

Dear Peter,

If you are looking for some God out there, separate from yourself, then indeed no such thing exists.

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Dear JP,

You brought beautiful observations, thank you.

One point though:

«My point is that in a godless universe there is no ultimate meaning for our existence.»

It is nonsensical to speak of a "godless universe", akin to speaking of a "square triangle" or "dark light". The error is in assuming that our, as well as the world's, seeming existences are separate and real, whereas both are only reflections of God. In other words, "godless universe" is like "sourceless reflection".

Think of the sun reflected in the ocean and then in a bucket: one reflection is huge, the other small, but ultimately both reflect the one and same sun. The reflections depend on the sun, but the sun does not depend on its reflections. The reflections are temporary but the sun is unaffected when they are gone.

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Dear Aries and Not_Now.Soon,

It seems that both of you fail to understand the Dalai-Lama's statement: If one is only happy "because of...", then their happiness is shaky and temporary. Once whatever-it-is they depend on for happiness is extinguished, there goes their happiness too. If one is able to stop depending on changeable things for their happiness, only then their happiness can be everlasting.

Everything in the world changes, but if one can realise that beyond this world of changes is a pure, absolute, unborn, unchanging and undying Reality, then they may call it 'God'. Being truly happy is therefore synonymous with finding God!

The Dalai-Lama then explains at length why one can only find God by letting go of everything else such as fear, expectations, judgement, envy etc.

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Dear Daffy,

«The West of course does not have a non-dual philosophical or Spiritual Tradition»

"I and the Father are one.” [John 10:30]

To Yuyutsu

You said:

<<The Dalai-Lama then explains at length why one can only find God by letting go of everything else such as fear, expectations, judgement, envy etc.>>

Can you reference where he goes into an explaination on this. I've recently googled Dalai Lama and happiness being the purpose of life. What Igot back from Google is an article about compassion and loving one another. Not about letting go of fear, expectations, ect.

Here's the link for what I've found.
http://upliftconnect.com/dalai-lama-what-is-the-purpose-of-life/

The thing about this article is that though it starts out talking about the purpose of life is to be happy, it goes into the subject with love and compassion being the best route for this and why. It could be simplified to say the purpose of life if to love one another (to love your neighbor) and that as a side effect of this purpose is to be happier and sustain healthier reactions to the world around us.

If you can post where you've found the Dalai Lama talking about the purpose of happiness with the explaination of giving up expectations and everything else I'd appreaciate the reference. Without a better explaination, that approach (to let go of expectations, fears judgments...) just sounds like trying to buffer a person away from the world and not get hurt by it. A coping mechanism instead of a purpose of life. Happiness is fleeting and fickle, but love for others I agree with the Dalai Lama that that is a sustainable purpose that can help with happiness as well.

Dear Not_Now.Soon,

Thank you for the beautiful article. It is worth reading a few times because the Dalai-Lama chooses his words carefully and every time you read it carefully you will discover new layers. I think that even this very article hints at letting go of fears, judgements and expectations, because universal love and compassion are practically impossible otherwise.

Happiness is fleeting and fickle only if it depends on fleeting things. There is however the inner joy that does not depend on anything. Nothing can separate you from this joy because this joy is you - not you as a human, but your true essence. As long as you identify yourself with a limited human-being, many things can cloud your happiness, such as fear and expectations: whoever is limited cannot be truly happy, because something is always missing. Love and compassion help loosening this identification with the limited.

As a Buddhist, the Dalai-Lama does not use the concept of God, but is no less related to the actuality of God than anyone else, just using an alternate terminology. Attempting to translate his words into Christian terms:

Ubi caritas et amor - Deus ibi est!
(wherever charity and love are - there God is)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fIBOC3SxM

On two types of happiness - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlUI1_J8D68
On negative emotions - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUfBiDSUjDM
On expectations - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgdkHcLNCSc

To Yuyutsu.

The song you posted sung a section in the bible that talks about love. And in it it both describes what love is and what it isn't. But before that it also lists several achievements that a person might attain, and says with that that without love, those things are worthless.

Love is the purpose, Yuyutsu. Not happiness. Being a good person and having a good mindset is a goal to reach for and to work towards, that is a purpose people can have also, which was what the Dalai Lama talked about in the link about the two types of happiness. That's something to strive for, and the result often is that they will be happier if they can accomplish it. But the goal of being a better person is what's being worked on. That is the purpose.

However the two greatest purposes in life are to find God, and to love your neighbor. Both of these things have great amount of benifits that come with them. From happiness, to stability in one's life, to stronger character in a person. Finding God and loving one another result those things. Better still, when combined, being compassionate helps with finding God and being able to obey His teachings in the bible. And in the same way when a person finds God, and seeks Him. They are strengthened to be a better person then they were without God. Finding God helps a person be more compassionate and to resist sins and be a better person as a whole.

(Continued)