Excellence Reporter: Deep, what is the meaning of life?
Deep: I guess the only appropriate way to start out writing an article discussing such an existential question is to also pose a question: Do you feel there is evidence of an inherent meaning or purpose in life objectively; one that isn’t just biological?
What I have learned thus far is that life is bonded with the concept of death. Both life and death are vague, mysterious and utterly fascinating. Life is a beautiful phenomenon that has no real linearity or set of rules except for the ones we as humans create and follow with the space and time we have. It is truly incredible to witness how the heart and brain create the experience of intuition and consciousness in a physical body that is nothing but matter. For every living organism, the senses are what provide the experience of life and its many nuisances, yet the senses are so limited and variable in what they provide.
I feel the question ‘what is the meaning of life’ is pointless because it is based in logic and the mind instead of mysticism and non-logical living. Non-logical living means a way of living that doesn’t involve adding reason and purpose to every aspect of life or having none to begin with. If there is a meaning to life perhaps it is just to have the experience of existing in time and space. To pose questions like ‘what is the meaning of life’ or ‘is there an inherent purpose to the experience of life’ is mind blowing and somehow empowering, yet these questions also blur the lines of what is real and an illusion. How endless this conversation or contemplation can become is quite trippy when you really dive into it.
Early on in my life I learned how little we can understand or control life through various natural and sense altering experiences. My grandmother passed away seventeen years ago because her biological heart didn’t work the way it was naturally supposed to. This showed me how easily the experience or gift of life can be snatched away from a human. Equally so I started smoking ganja at the age of fourteen and I began to experience reality in an altered state and thus understand how subjective life is at a very young age. Life appears so concrete and one way when your senses have not been scattered and separated from your own norms or that of societies but once this experience occurs you realize the transient the senses and life are. One moment you are experiencing life with the senses you have and then in the next it is over or altered. The interesting thing is that life is inherently biological yet as humans we have developed this profound ability to see ourselves in third person.
Each human has a different set of experiences which influences their perspectives and thoughts on life. Your heart, emotions and intuition show how wild, chaotic and uncontrollable life is, yet most humans run away from this feeling and overpower it with the consciousness of the brain. Life can be controlled for some time but the inherent imprisonment and freedom that is present in life will eventually surface. For most humans they live and die by the rules, perspectives and traditions that they have been indoctrinated with and thus never looking outward to what it means to be human, a living organism or any other perspective of what it means to be alive. There is an unlimited amount of freedom present in every human’s life, but the question is once you recognize and embrace this what then?
Some say the meaning of life is living according to the various universal laws and rules that have been created by the innumerable religions and spiritual traditions in the world while others say it is all about self-realization. For me the meaning of life is to continue to seek and explore life and remain open to how little control I have in this experience. It is not easy to accept the fact that life as we know it will end one day but it is the truth and truth is liberation. So perhaps the meaning of life is to get lost and found over and over again.
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Whether it be as a mystic, yogi, yoga therapist or through his new book of poetry and short stories, innocence, the author known solely as Deep would like to provide a space and time for others to look within and merge their light with darkness. Deep is a first generation American from Punjabi Ancestry and throughout his life, he has been influenced profoundly through his heritage and the traditions of Yoga, Sikhism and Islam, all rooted in the balance between the practical and mystical. He even felt called to travel to India to study the Ancient Yogic traditions and has since taught numerous types of yoga including Ashtanga Vinyasa and Yoga Nidra internationally and domestically in a variety of environments including prisons, public schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, rehabilitation centers, and even war zones. In addition to the above, Deep has many passions including skateboarding, fashion, abstract & contemporary art, meditation and various physical and mental exercises. He is also the owner and founder of DeepElevation LLC, a company that helps others transform physically, mentally, creatively, emotionally, and spiritually. The culmination of all his life experiences led Deep to his recently released poetry book, innocence. Innocence expresses the vulnerability and depth of exploring the parts of ourselves that are natural and native to us and not influenced by the external world and society. Deep will be donating 50% of his book profits to Khalsa Aid & Islamic Relief.
Photo: Whitney Ingram, Odja LLC
©Excellence Reporter 2021
Excellence Reporter 