Excellence Reporter: Sam, what is the meaning of life?

Sam Masich: In my view the word ‘meaning’ is a bit vague and possibly misleading when it comes to discussions about the many things that are implied by the word ‘life.’ The belief that life has some sort of intrinsic meaning or purpose, seems to me, a shaky premise for the actual living of one.

My experiences of life and its events are formed from my singular vantage point. It would seem unlikely that one could make a definitive statement about life as experienced from other vantage points. If I’m able to settle my faculties, observe and enjoy from this place, life seems to fall into some sort of order—it seems meaningful. If, by contrast, I’m overtaken by my faculties it becomes difficult to experience anything that might be described as meaning and it is difficult to relate to the perspectives of others.

There is nothing inherent in the living of life that will cause one to settle their faculties in a consistent way and therefore activities and practices are untaken to assist people in this. Practices that do this effectively—I study taijiquan, for example—are of high value as they give the practitioner the ability to experience meaning in life, even if only seemingly.

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~Sam Masich is a taijiquan instructor, performing songwriter and filmmaker.
www.SamMasich.com

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