Existential Synthesis: Life as a Course in the University of Earth
Yo, so I’ve been deep in thought lately, and I’ve come up with this wild idea that we’re all living in a university called Earth, and life itself is the course we’re trying to ace. It’s like, in a normal uni, you’ve got seniors who help you out—Gurus, in this case—and when they can’t figure it out, you hit up the alumni network, which is basically God or higher powers. But here’s the kicker: this alumni network is split into different sects, like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and more. Depending on where you’re born or what you vibe with, you get membership in one of these groups. Simple as that.
Take me, for example. I got the Hinduism membership. Now, when I’m struggling in this course of life, I reach out to my sect’s alumni network for help. But here’s the thing—most of the alumni are at my level or even below in terms of knowledge about the course. Only a few are above, and like, very, very few are at the top, and those are the ones we call Gods. So, in Hinduism, when I’ve got an issue, I send it up the chain, and it eventually gets to one of these top alumni—Gods—who can actually help me resolve it. The communication channel for this? Mantras, dude. Like, for Ganesha, it’s “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha”—that’s his contact info. He picks up, and since he’s the best at everything, he’s at the top of the leadership in the sect.
But here’s what’s crazy: everyone, even me, even a newborn, has completed some level of this course. Maybe not the whole thing, but some part of it. That’s wild to think about, right? I’m not trying to critique or anything—I’m just throwing this out there, keeping it liberal and open.
Now, compare that to Buddhism. In Buddhism, the alumni network principle is different. It’s less about reaching out for help and more about making the course-taker, which is us, self-reliant. They don’t want you always asking the alumni for handouts. Instead, the goal is to level up so you’re above human, which is tough and takes longer than, say, Hinduism, where the alumni are like, “Yo, contact us, we’ll sort it out.” Hinduism is great for saving you from immediate suffering, no doubt. But for long-term resolution, you might need to get to the level of the alumni yourself, and I feel like Buddhism is the only path that really pushes that. All other religions seem to follow individuals who still have human limitations, but Buddhism is more of a process—more you practice, better you get at it.
But here’s a loop hole I’m seeing in Hinduism: no matter how much effort you put in, you might stay at the human level because you’re always asking the Gods to fix things. It’s good for quick relief, sure, but for real, lasting growth, you might need to step up like in Buddhism. Still, both approaches have their vibe, you know?
Then I started wondering: if everyone’s an alum, why do we only hit up spiritual alumni like Gods and not, say, industrial alumni—like some dead industrialist or scientist? That made me think maybe industrialization is still evolving, so those guys aren’t as memorable. Or maybe spirituality is the whole point of why we’re here, the real reason we’re taking this course. I mean, have you ever heard of someone praying to a dead industrialist? Even I’ve never asked for help from some random rich dude who passed away. It’s always the spiritual heavyweights we turn to.
So, yeah, this is my “existential synthesis”—blending life, religion, and our place in this big university together. It’s not about picking sides or bashing anyone; it’s just me thinking out loud. Hinduism gives you a support system, Buddhism makes you your own hero, and maybe the reason we don’t pray to other kinds of alumni is that spirituality hits deeper than anything else. What do you think? Let’s keep the convo going, bro—this stuff is too good to stop here!
