Life and Death

At some point in life, one realizes that one actually has a choice to live or to die. For most of us the choice to live is instinctive. But a few among us, choose to take their own life. Faith-based religions have the ideas like sin/judgment day and karma/rebirth that are used to proclaim its wrong to commit suicide. Similarly, what are the ideas to promote life instead of death in the context of Rational Empiricism?

To recap, Rational Empiricism argues the following about life. 

1. Life is a sum of all choices.
2. The choices should bring meaning to life. Pleasure should be experienced within the boundaries of meaning.
3. What is meaningful in life is rationalized from experiencing Universe as an 'interconnection of infinite, unique objects'.
4. For illustration, 'Principle of Interconnectedness' infuses meaning into 'being sustainable on the planet'. 'Principle of Infiniteness' infuses meaning into 'being loving with our family and friends'. 'Principle of Uniqueness' infuses meaning into 'being useful at place of work'.

The decision to live or die is personal, all that Rational Empiricism or any other religion can do is to clarify the question 'what is the promise of a religious life?'. Given the above points, we can see that there is plentiful opportunity within the context of Rational Empiricism to live a meaningful and pleasurable life, to leave a net positive impact at home, society and planet by following the path and by inspiring other nonbelievers to join the path. If a person chooses not to live, he/she loses the opportunity to have a positive impact on the world.

In Rational Empiricism, living doesn't merely refer to the state of not-dying, but a bodily state of being healthy, fit and living a life of vitality with strong-will, optimism and hope for a future that's yet to be invented. So, physical and mental exercises, sleep, proper posture and ergonomics, self-defense techniques, nutrition, hygiene etc are paramount for a Rational Empiricist. You have to take care of your body first before you can take care of your home, work or planet.

A Great Life

I believe there are two aspects to a great life; meaning and pleasure. Meaning has to do with reason/thought part of being a human. Pleasure has to do with emotion/action part of being human.

Meaning:

What gives meaning to your life boils down to the choices you make in life. Religion/Philosophy/Worldview/Culture gives the foundation to make those choices. So, its critical to build that foundation. Whatever Religion you choose, it has to make sense to you and it should be something that you hopefully won't regret later in life. (I humbly propose a religion for your consideration.)

Pleasure:

What gives pleasure to you boils down to how much fun and peace you are having in life. Pleasure within boundaries of Meaning is obviously more meaningful than pleasure without meaning. Mindful engagement in indulged activity, Flow experiences and Deep Sleep are avenues to experience pleasure.

Prescription for a Great Life:

1. Do some serious thinking/exploring and settle down on a religion/worldview that will serve you well throughout your life. It should primarily serve as a guide when you are at crossroads.

2. Make very intentional, conscious choices in life guided by your Religion.

3. Execute those choices mindfully and if possible by having flow experiences.