Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life can be regarded a classic of British humour, dating as far back as 1983. Seven chapters cover
- I The Miracle of Birth
- II Growth and Learning
- III Fighting Each Other
- IV Middle Age
- V Liver Organ Transplants
- VI a) The Autumn Years
- VI b) The Meaning of Life
- VII Death
I found a lot of slapstick and bizarre episodes in the movie. However, does it also contain anything meaningful?
I was flabbergasted when the following scene appeared on the screen.
To me, it is fully compatible with the spiritual positions I value!
[…] Matter is energy; in the Universe there are many energy fields which we cannot normally perceive. Some energies have a spiritual source which acts upon a person’s soul. However, this soul does not exist *ab initio*, as orthodox Christianity teaches; it has to be brought into existence by a process of guided self-observation.
We aren’t godly as we are, as we can easily realize by observing the conditions we have created on this planet. However, we do carry a divine spark within us which can awaken if we provide the required conditions.
Gain Self-Knowledge
Self-observation may remind us of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, which carried the inscription: “Know thyself“. In a spiritual context, this extends well beyond psychological approaches.
However, this is rarely achieved owing to man’s unique ability to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia.
The classic line “What was that about hats again?” gets me every time.
So, happy surfing! 🙂