Scientologists and Individual Purpose

The composition of a society is rooted in the purposes of its individuals. Intertwined, those purposes fuel the dynamic evolution of a culture. They comprise its life-force, establishing, and then reflecting, its mores, values and goals.

Ballet dancer

Take away the creative potential of individual purpose, and a culture devolves into a listless collective, driven forward by the purposes of, and the fear instilled by, its rulers. Take away individual purpose, and the possibility of individual happiness is lost.

As a Scientologist, I believe that individual purpose, and the achievement of the goals which front that purpose determine the happiness of an individual. A person without purpose, drifts aimlessly, lacking the pride of accomplishment, be it large or small.

We’ve seen the result of forced-collective, social experiments. They fall before the productive drive of the culture which rewards individual success and allows the energy of individual purposes to combine into a commonality of drive toward a common goal. A drive powered by choice, not by coercion.

“Why Are We Here?”

A friend of mine once said to me
that he wasn’t really clear
on the reason behind existence,
on the answer to: “Why are we here?”

Are we here to forge a cleaner soul,
to take our turn at bat?
To wrap ourselves around a pole,
and learn great things from that?

Are we here to learn great truths
and tip the scales to balance true?
Are we here to keep the game in play,
to give Karma something to do?

Are we here to find the perfect match
of fortune and true love?
And to find out after searching
that they rarely go hand in glove?

Are we here to cook the perfect batch
of some outrageous dish?
Or grant a dying child the right
to have his perfect wish?

Are we here to solve deep mysteries
that make the world go ‘round?
(If a tree falls in the forest, alone,
does it really make a sound?)

Are we here to differentiate 
minutiae from profound?
Or thinking, transubstantiate
our way out of the ground?

And having done so, will it mean much,
as one’s life unwinds;
to solve the deepest mysteries,
to find the greatest finds?

Now I suppose, to some degree
these things have some import;
and some of these will give one peace,
if only of a sort.

But really, when the course is run,
how much of it will matter?
See, one might save the universe, or
be trapped by senseless chatter.

To make a choice between these paths;
which one will carry true;
is truthfully the only thing
of value to me and you.

It’s not a stupid question, though.
I’ve given it some thought.
The answer my friend,
to “Why are we here?”
may simply be: “Why not?”

AUTHOR
Mike Graves
Internationally acclaimed poet Michael Graves has published three books of poetry and has been a Scientologist for more than 40 years. If he's not writing or consulting for business owners (his day job for more than 30 years) you can probably find him out back, working on his deck.