Purpose

3 Replies to “Purpose”

1. 1. What is your personal answer to Fuller’s own question, “What, if
   anything, could be done by a penniless, unknown man working on behalf
   of all humanity?”

   Everything. Anything. And we can’t know for sure until we try it and find out. We have to look around, see what is happening, what we can do, try things, pay attention and refine our efforts.

   Working for all of humanity is a big view, but we can build up to it, from working with the few people who are right around us. Then we are no longer unknown, but known only to a few. As we continue, our connections, contributions and potential to be other-than-penniless expands. We get better known. So what we know for sure is that any penniless, unknown person can start, where they are, in any moment. And almost anyone can pay attention to what happens. Then, when we see our results, we feel more motivated to keep practicing and contributing.

   This is what I’ve been thinking and practicing for the last 10-15 years. It seems to work. I once made a small website. Some noticed. Others translated what I wrote into 15 other languages. I traded emails with others around the world. Eventually, some of them asked me to come teach and I flew around the world working with new friends. I made a little money, got a bit less “unknown” and now I have more ways to contribute to whatever happens next. In this way, I just keep going.

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   2. Is the true purpose of life a precessional effect, not a direct goal of life?

   I’m not sure what you mean but by precessional effect. I think we each make up our own unique purpose as we go along, the search and the creation are simultaneous. And… I think we all have the same purpose, that we are really dressing up in unique clothing. The purpose we all have is to be happy. Even if we don’t think about this, even before we are old enough to speak about such things, we are already working to be happy. As we get older, we simply refine our methods. First we think mom will make us happy, then we think a good job, then we think some kind of service perhaps will help, and maybe we discover that it’s enough to be satisfied with whatever shows up, rain or shine can satisfy equally. No matter, we never stop practicing toward happiness. Only our skill and effectiveness change.

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   3. Does it take an entire lifetime to achieve the true purpose of one’s life?

   There is a buddhist vow that goes something like… as long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, so too shall i remain, to dispel the misery of the world. I think we do best for all beings by showing up and being happy in and as ourselves, deeply satisfied, in spite of everything. No matter what we do or achieve, as long as we are still alive as bodies, we are touched by suffering, so we have to keep practicing being happy and sharing that with people.

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   4. Is it true that no one will ever fully know his true life’s purpose?

   I think we can choose small purposes, we can know this universal purpose of being happy, we can practice it all of life, and we can never know our real effects.

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   5. Do you believe in fate and why?

   I don’t think I believe in fate, as in some pre-determined flow. I believe in consequences. I believe in ignorance, meaning that we have limited knowledge of causes and effects. And so when something unexpected happens, we call it luck, good and bad. Or we call it fate, usually to absolve ourselves of responsibility, I think.

   I sense that all things are connected and know that I can’t really sort out all the connections. So I am surprised over and over again! But mostly I believe that whatever shows up is of my own doing and making. Argh!

   6. What is your interpretation of “life is complex but simple at the same time?”

   I think life is lots of simple things stacked up, and wiring together until, yes, it can get quite complicated. But the roots are so simple.

   7. Are there any tips for attaining the true purpose of life?

   It’s hard not to defer to Bucky Fuller on this one. He said what matters is initiative, which you obviously have. Keep using it. Look for the things that you can do that nobody else seems to be able or willing or available to do. Don’t worry so much if they seem important or not. Do what feels satisfying to you. Use your gifts. Share them, so much that you think you will use them all up. You won’t. As we do this, life stretches our hearts, or at least that is my experience. And then we are able to hold more of it. I’m also reminded of a favorite George Bernard Shaw quote about purpose, which I’ll share in closing…

   “This is the true joy in life, to be used for a purpose deemed by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly used up before being thrown on the scrapheap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

   Thank you and good luck!

2. 1.a penniless person, unknown. fueled by an inspiration to work on behalf of all humanity. what, if anything could be done by such a person. the reality is the world is filled with unknown people and many of whom are penniless lacking power and influence. but the thing here is i suppose a question of intention and vision. however i do feel a bit uncomfortable with the slight egoism of the man working “on behalf of all humanity”. i think for any positive action to flower from such a person, there has to be a purity of intention. So the answer is i feel that, that ‘anything’ is dependant on the intention of the person.

   2.i had to look up ‘precessional’ an i am not even sure if i understood it correctly in the context of the question. but i suppose i would agree it is more a pressional effect. a direct goal of life, i wonder if a person can decide what the direct goal is at some finite moment of time and then steer life in that direction. i think life happens inspite of us, we inhabit life and experience it. i think we can have little goals and agendas through this experience but the true purpose perhaps unfolds guided by our little imagined goals’.

   3. again the true purpose question. what is the purpose of life. at its elemental state to survive to live to breathe to procreate. if there is a purpose beyond and including that which we are genetically geared to do, i would like to think it would take an entire lifetime, otherwise it would be a waste of time.

   4.i don’t know about that. i’d like to find out.

   5. in my romantic moments i believe in fate. i like to think there is a predetermined sketch of some direction. a little map of our journey through existence. but maps are not the road entirely.

   6.life is complex in its tones shades nuances variation but perhaps simple in the homogeniety of just being live.

   7.i don’t know, but i think perhaps being present or working towards being more present to life now, here, settling the mind should make it all a bit clearer.

3. David, Great questions. Regarding 1), here are my quests: A) Knowing everything and applying that usefully: http://www.openleader.com/index.php/GlossaryOfStructure/Overview B) Jumpstarting that application with a laboratory for serving and organizing indendent thinkers: http://www.ms.lt C) Extending from that so as to remake our entire world so that we might ever live from our hearts, very tangibly in touch with the truth: http://www.openleader.com/index.php/MinciuSodas/Vision David, if you like, I invite you to engage us at our gateway http://groups.yahoo.com/group/minciu_sodas_EN/ and then I would enjoy answering more questions. We also have a somewhat related questionnaire “What do I really care about?” by Natalie d’Arbeloff. Thank you for your important questions. Peace, Andrius

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