Is the Universe intelligent?

I heard someone claim: "...the universe is intelligent." Hmm...That's as meaningless as saying, "The universe is big." Bigger than what? Or as meaningless as God exclaiming, after the Creation: “Wow, look what I did…isn’t that Awesome?” [Soon after asking that question, He slaps His forehead and corrects Himself by asking another question: “Compared to What?”]

As near as I can figure, the only fitting descriptor would be Isness, which is what It has. That is, the universe simply Is. It is neither good nor bad, intelligent nor stupid, large nor small, loving nor hateful.

There are spiritual seekers out there who sense an underlying intelligence to the Thing-As-A-Whole. And some who feel there must be Intelligent Design at work, which (lo and behold) means there must be an Intelligent Designer.

And yet others inform us that the universe is evolving - whatever that means. [By the way, no it's not.]

My two cents, for whatever that's worth

First things, first. There is no Intelligent Designer - no Mr. Big, no God who created heaven and earth.

I suppose it's easy to look at complex natural structures and exclaim, "Ah ha, Someone must have thought that one out and created it." But why, I ask, "must" this be the case? I much prefer Shakymuni Buddha's explanation of phenomenal occurrence [and I paraphrase]:

"Something comes into existence when causes and conditions make it so. And it is worth neither your time nor trouble to try to apprehend these reasons. What is worthy of pursuit is Enlightenment itself, obtainable only by means of religious practice."

Any particular set of causes and conditions, which give rise to any particular entity (no matter how much it might impress the lowly), is only one manifestation taking place within the Whole. But the Whole itself, I maintain, doesn't do or think squat. For if it did, this would only be evident if it resulted in something outside of the universe coming into existence. But then we couldn't speak of a universe, now could we, since that word is supposed to encompass everything and can't (by definition) include anything outside itself?

The Universe is merely a boundless crucible in which things happen and in which things unhappen. Creation and decay...the endless cycle from which only Buddhas can escape (but choose not to).

Also, we are not evolving into a super race of Post Humans. The best we can each hope to become is exactly the same "best" as always was: We each can hope (no, not "hope" - I meant to say "work") to become a Buddha. That prospect has existed forever and will exist forever more. But what is a Buddha? And why is that goal so worthy of pursuit?

Buddhas and the rest of the Universe

Once upon a time, untold trillions of millennia before he attained Buddhahood, Shakyamuni Buddha had a mortal body. Just as you and I do now. And when he gave the appearance of being born over 2,000 years ago in India, he also "caused" everyone he encountered to sense him as if he had a body one could see and touch, like any other body.

But he did not really have a body. He was (again, long ago) a common mortal who had a flesh-and-blood body who made a decision to behave himself. Sounds strange to put it that way, but yes - that's exactly it: He decided to behave himself. To act in a way that would lessen desires which are, after all is said and done, the reason why each of us continues to be reincarnated in a (drat) flesh-and-blood form. Which is absolutely unnecessary.

A Buddha is an entity which has the ability to appear in particular locations, at particular times, while simultaneously merged with and indistinct from the universe as a whole. It is written (in The Lotus Sutra) that a Buddha has the ability/power to project an infinite number of "copies" of himself (these are called emanation Buddhas) so he can appear anywhere people have a spirit that seeks his guidance on how to avoid having to return to karmically-dictated locations and sets of circumstances. Deep down inside, we all have a desire to become Universal rather than remain provincial - to not be tied down or restricted in terms of freedom of movement.

Our current lives, as lived in fleshy-and-bloody vessels, is all about limits. And oddly enough, it is our desirous nature - always wanting more and more - that keeps us from becoming More and More.

Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

"What particular things could you possibly want, when you can be it all? - Steve.