Five Questions 2007

In early 2007 I decided to go out and ask people in Union Square Park a few questions I thought if they answered could ignite inspiration. Answers to the “Big Questions” are often simple ones. Below are opinions of people who helped me, they allowed me to post something on the web that may be of interest to others, for inspiration. Thanks to Danny, who is the first person below, for lending his wisdom for the design of the logo for this page.

39 Male

1. What do you think happens when we die?
I believe we’ve been here more than once already… the physical body stays behind, but the soul goes onto the next lesson in life. If you do something very wrong you don’t come back God judges all.

2. What is life all about?
I talked to my girlfriend about this just the other day… to live, enjoy. Justice and Peace is fundamentally what life is all about. To love someone unconditionally and have inner peace. Be justified in everything that you do.

4. How do you feel about war?
The war in Iraq… I feel that we shouldn’t be there PERIOD! Its not our war to fight, he used one extreme to finish the war his father fought a long time ago.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
If they were truly evil with no remourse then YES. I also think it is justifiable to take a life if it was in self-defense.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
To open their minds to see whats in their hearts and minds, then the world would be a better place. OTHER NOTES: BIBLE: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, this means it is a schematic, it can be interpreted many different ways by many people, it is a guide, not the absolute.

38 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
What happens when we die? Depends. Some people know already that they are going to die. Some people know that they are too alive to ever experience death. Some people can tell you about the process of "waking up". These people know they will not die. Your SOUL will bear the witness of where it stands in the span of eternity. A true guru knows when he meets you if you are "alive" or already dead. THe sleeper must awaken~

2. What is life all about?
What is life all about? It starts with an understanding of how you fit into this big picture around us all. Look in the mirror and then at the person looking back at yourself. If you can get to be EXACTLY who you are in that mirror without pretense and accept yourself for who you are - then you can begin the real work of having the kind of harmonious dominion over creation that makes life profound...

4. How do you feel about war?
The Bhagavad Gita tells of Krishna's struggle of conscience about war. If your soul is alive, injury will not harm it. And if you slay many ignorant men attacking you - should you regret the time they have wasted in not becoming wise? And if you slay a wise man - will you not make peace with him when war is done? It is better not to fight, but if there is a war you may fight to the death to win a victory.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
Is capital punishment ever justifiable? All things are permissable but not all things are beneficial. I wish this task to no man.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
ANd to make the world a better place all we need to do is be grateful... exceedingly grateful for anything and everything we can possibly think of - even if the thought hurts and resists- because if we do so, we will become aware of our decisions in the process of where we are...who we are... and honor the power in our choices. It is better if we are grateful TO someone - Creator, Source, Universe...and experience subjectivity rather than objectivity. For in gratitude, there is no need for any compulsion to fight, war, die, or experience ignorance.

? Male

1. What do you think happens when we die?
You come back to earth. Things run in cycles. If someone gets killed, someone is born. As soon as you die, you are born. The soul comes out of another womb, this is not reincarnation, we only stay human. For every fish that’s killed, many more are being spawned.

2. What is life all about?
The meaning of life is living it, honoring it, embracing it. Don’t commit suicide, there are always ways out somehow. Embracing is simply realizing all opportunities and making the most of it. Don’t damage your body. Nothing in life is more important than the other, everything feeds into what the game is for.

4. How do you feel about war?
Its wrong, that’s it! Frustration, helplessness, overwhelming one person can do nothing, it’s the government who has to act.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
If its going to right the wrongs an individual did. Saddam Hussein: Saddam is gone, but did anything change? Self preservation.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
Not to be concerned with the frivolous, things that have no meaning like supporting something detrimental to health; loved ones; or the planet. Pro-Health, environment. Environmental because these things contribute to (on every level) the bettering of everything… environment community.

27 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
you either burn or rest in he ground.

2. What is life all about?
what you make of it

4. How do you feel about war?
I have no tolerance for the brutality of war

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
no

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
acceptance, forgivness and apologize sincerely

54 Male

1. What do you think happens when we die?
Life is endless..we never die. You are referring to the body/mind. Initially we linger..still somewhat "attached " to our most recent physical form. We have no pain, but rather a calmness. Light appears and forms arrive to take us, debrief us in the transitional plane. Then you wait to go into a state of renewal. It's a dimension like other dimensions. Then comes a learning stage, and a stage of decision. We decide when we want to return, where, and for what reasons. We may choose not to return, or to return later.

2. What is life all about?
This is the plane (a lower plane) where one can experience all aspects of our psyche. Imagine a story that went like this. "The girl grew up normally, was happy, got married and lived happily ever after." Doesn't make for a learning , experiencing situation. Life in the Spiritual world is Peace and Purity. If you need to learn the difference between happiness and sadness, Love and hate, kindness and cruelty...you have to do that here. Thus we come...continous learning, repairing and correcting.

4. How do you feel about war?
Ignorance, hatred and manipulation.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
Ignorance and stupidity...we recycle hatred and anger that way.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
Simple! Forgive everyone and everything of your hatred and anger. Avoid the material and expand your awareness of the Spiritual. Kindness to all living things. How do filters work? Dirty particules (anger, hatred, etc) pass through a filter which removes them and recycles clean water. We can recycle peace and joy to this plane if we filter out (forgive). The world would become increasingly (and in proportion to the level of forgivness) better.

Hope this is helpfull...Love and Peace.

24 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
i believe that there is a heaven and a hell and that God judges us and determines where we go.

2. What is life all about?
life is about ... there are many aspects to life. i would say that life is about living...but what exactly does that entail?? it's difficult to say. if you're asking what i think the meaning of life is, then i think it has a different meaning for each individual. everyone has some sort of purpose, be it something big or small. but it varies from one person to another.

3. What makes you happy?
helping others who truly appreciate it; happy children make me happy; and other simple things in life such as watching the sun rise and set.

4. How do you feel about the war in IRAQ?
i believe that the U.S. was too quick to engage in war against Iraq. the reasons and motivations behind the war were not enough to justify going in. however, since we are already there and have totally disrupted the country, i think we need to stay there until some sort of order is established.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
definitely!

21 Male

1. What do you think happens when we die?
hmm when you die, its different for you, its whatever your spirit knows you need. Example, if I were to die know, I would be directly reborn..human, because I have completed tasks and lessons as animals, other human incarnations to be tortured, killed, greedy basically to learn. death is just a transformation of one state to the next, you can be anything, instant thought is met with instant action, so as soon as you think I will become a bird...you will.

2. What is life all about?
Life is about whatever you want to make it. However in a more general since its about experience and learning, once something is done or experienced in one life, you never have to do that again. You gain intuition that you know not to do that or you have a fear to a certain degree.....afraid of heights? maybe you were thrown, or you fell to your death.

4. How do you feel about war?
war is sadly necessary, it is because its the final battling of greed and business, war allows spirits to experience the thou shalt not kill, it makes you strong, to feel you don’t need to kill, or your not afraid to do it means, you were in a war once, or you have killed before.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
capital punishment is never justified, if one man kills, and then a court rules him to be killed, the court is no better than the man who killed, the court becomes the crime itself. And it becomes its own contradiction.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
people should try to view everyone has not an enemy but brother and sister, you are what you attract. If you express love, you attract love. Once the whole world can love, then things are in place for something new to arrive.

well those are my opinions based on what I know. thanks for the fun, I love these things

24 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
1. I think another universe opens, perhaps the other side.

2. What is life all about?
2. Life is about surviving, and leading yourself into the right path by allowing fate to lead you instead of following something that has been passed down from generation to generation which I like to call "religion", I think people takes religion way too far to the point where they depend on every word that has ever been written in the bible. Really why can't you burn the bible and just forget it existed there wouldn't be as many wars as there is today. I think the bible causes most of this world's grief and pain. If we all learned to teach ourselves about this life, and lead ourselves into provety and life itself I think we would live better lifes than the ones we live today!!! Just my opinion!!!

4. How do you feel about war?
4. lol read 2.^^^^^^^

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
5. I don't think capital punishment is EVER justifiable, I think everyone has the right to have a second chance to show people who they are and their worth. I don't think I can be a judge and throw a sentence at someone without giving them a second chance to prove theirselves even if they did the worst crime... We all learn from our mistakes and alot does change, I think there is alot to go on when your facing someone with a bad background I think the main thing is to justify WHY they committed the action at hand, because alot of people can be helped and medicated. Not all needs the death sentence!!!! What would you feel like if you were in their shoes? That's the main question, would you want a second chance to redeem yourself? What about the people that are innocent and been sentenced the death penalty? I think we the people currupt the whole not guilty plead. And make these innocent people face death from our actions of not caring.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
3. I think we should conserve on waste!!!! And recycle as much as possible!!!!

24 Male

1. What do you think happens when we die?
Redistribution of matter and energy.

2. What is life all about?
Gramma once said "The meaning of life is to give your life meaning".

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
Gramma once said "To make the world a better place, first you have to make better people".

4. How do you feel about war?
Personally, I detest war.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
It would have to be a rather extreme circumstance, like the criminal having no chance of reform, for me to personally approve of it.

43 Male

1. What do you think happens when we die?
I think that we are met by the God or Gods we chose to serve in life. In a way we manifested them with our beleif. And that we look over the experences of all the lifes we have had up to that point. And deside what the next life will be and what we have to experence in the next life to evolove as a spiritual being. I think that we are meant to experence all that there is to experence before we can become totally enlightened to be experenced enough to become completely one with God. Kinda like we are extentions of God and God wants to experence the life forms it has created. And the Creator experences the created through us. So in one life we maybe a tree, or a rock, a sait or a cerial killer. I know, its a bretty nutty beleaf. But many cultures around the world beleive along these same lines. It makes the most sense to me out of all the posibilities I have learned about.

2. What is life all about?
I think life is all about how I answered question one. And that as spiritual beings created in the spiritual image of the Creator, that we are responsible to be the care takers of the creation, the earth and all that is on her. Mainly we are here to learn and live in a way that teaches us to love, honor, and respect all life, including ourselves.

4. How do you feel about war?
Thats a hard one. Maybe it is population controle, or maybe it is one thing we need to experence to know empathy and feel our enemies pain. Who knows. Its ugly, and painful. But hay healing is not always comfortable, some times you have to puck to feel better. Maybe war is one way we humans puck. I know I'm sounding kinda nutty in all this. And I could write some long really nice therory. But I'm in a symple mood and its coming out this way.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
capital punishment, thats another really hard one. In the Bible it says we should not kill. But if you take that back to its first text it says more like, we should not commit murder. There is a difference in murder and killing. So that would emply that there is a time to kill. If you look at the laws of nature you see that if someone or something is trying to kill you then we will do what ever we have to, to survive, and that may mean killing to save our own ass. I think that is okay. And we all kill to eat, it maybe an animal we kill to eat or a plant we kill to eat, but we all kill. But capital punishment means we are not defending our life in that moment, or feeding our selves, but are passing judgement on someone else for their wrongs. If they commited a wrong that merits death than maybe we are okay in doing that. The probablem I have with it is, that no one can really know for sure if that person is guilty. And if we take the life of one inocent person along the way because we misjudged them, than we have commited the greatest wrong. So I guess I'm against capital punishment.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
Love, honor, and respect all life and all things. look around us each and every day and see where we can make a difference, see where we can fill a need and help others and the earth.

26 Female

1.
I'm not really sure...something wonderful though. I am open to reincarnation; possibly into another human life, I'm not sure about the animal life though, but gee wouldnt it be fun to be a butterfly....eat, sleep, sip, and make butterfly love...then die. (either being eaten, smooshed, or natural causes) How beautifully simple! Maybe we're reunited with a cosmic thinking energy entity, or maybe there is one human-like God, Maybe we just get to sleep (my FAVORITE past-time!) or maybe I'm just in a big computer game (ooooh the Matrix? :P) I'm not concerned about it, I know i do my best, and death may come easy or hard, but afterwards...it will be good. Whatever it is, I feel ready. I do not believe in a "hell" unless here is hell if you make it that way for yourself. I don't believe a creator would doom us to eternal hell based on mistakes we were to naiive to understand. A short term punishment...maybe. maybe that's why some people just seem "doomed" to have a "bad" life....but then again...I think that's more of us punishing ourselves.

2.
Life for me is about the experiance, the passion, ( the love, the wirlwind of emotions, ) definately learning....learning what I don't know....I think every person has their own truth, their own path of their choosing somehow.

4.
Unfortunately, a nessesary evil. People's calling come's to light often under times of war. They can become stronger, they can become heroes, whether to a country, or to a comrade, or jsut an innocent bystander. They can be bad....so bad....but without the bad, there is no good. Without the good, there is no bad. There is no learning, no strengthening. The earth has methods of weeding out the overgrowth...if not by elemental causes then it ultimately leads to overcrowding, starvation, and famine. (although sometimes these things are products of war, and then again sometimes so is prosperity) I wish we could all live in hapiness and unity...but then that would just be "heaven" wouldnt it? Communism - a beautiful idea, but theoritcally IMPOSSIBLE. because someone will always want more than what they have, someone will want that power. Someone will want that control. Because its part of our nature to succeed, to survive, to horde. Someone will want their independence, because we are fr.ee thinkers (though we often lock ourselves in boxes). And that is what makes a warless planet jsut as evil as a planet with war. At least this way, I know wat i stand to gain, and what i stand to lose.

5.
Capital punishment....I approach with caution. I do believe it has it's place, though i feel unsure as to who would be trusted to carry out the measure of "justice". I can assure you however, If my evil act will prevent an evil commited upon an innocent, then i will take whatever punishment comes my way, even if it is my life. Some people will change, some people will not. I cant make that judgement. But i will protect and avenge the life of anyone i love, and anyone i recognize as non deserving of the acts being commited upon them. Right or Wrong, this is my way, and for me no other way can be justifiable for myself.

3.
If people would just do the best they could and not worry what everyone else is doing all the time...I think that would be a good start. People should read more. People should listen more. They dont have to agree with what they hear and see, but take it in, give it a tumble in the noggin. People should stop knowingly doing things to gratify themselves -that in the proccess hurt other people directly. People should be nicer to animals and old people. People can re-access the snap judgements that we tend to make. People should sleep more and have lots more sex- but use more condoms and make less babies until they are ready. people should stop fighting who they are and try to accept everything from themselves- then come to terms with how to deal with those issues that bother us, how to use them to push us ahead, and be better in general. Intent is everything, Trying is something.

39 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
We don't ever die. We are eternal. I think death or "shedding of the physical" body is just a new beginning or transition back to our original state of existence. Personally, I want to come back and do it again...but not because I have to learn anything new....just to be able to BE in a physical state of existence....IT ROCKS!

2. What is life all about?
Existence....physical existence? I think to learn how to love all unconditionally, learn who we are and how we got here...eat, hug, love, touch, smell, see, drink, be merry!

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
Just let the love shine out. We all have it....we are made of it.....care, love without condition...accept the diversity and appreciate the uniqueness and not try to change it.

4. How do you feel about war?
I think it creates balance until there comes a time when we all look at it and see that it is unnecessary. All parties have to play nice in the sandbox. The only way that is going to happen is when we all, individually feel peace and love in our INNER world for ourselves and others. Only then will it be a reflection in our OUTER world. I like to ask myself in every situation: "What would LOVE do now?"

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
It is to protect the 'many' from those who don't ask themselves all the time "What would love do now?"....problem is....truth does not always come out so some who do harm go free and others who don't do harm get punished. I think one day truth will no longer be hidden and we will all be able to see it.

43 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
The soul leaves the body/mind. The soul is eternal. The manifestation of life is for the purpose of experiencing. After physical death we can incarnate again or choose to wait/observe. Since we are all part of the source all choices have already been made.

2. What is life all about?
Which life? The spiritual soul life seeks to enter a material level to learn to experience the material world. The physical life is a manifestation of the soul for the purpose of experiencing a material existence. The soul is directly connected to source i.e. God. The manifestation of life is a unique expression of each part of the total essence of God. Each person creates life and than creates a veil over the memory of the creation so they can experience the process of living materially. The beauty is in the fact that each person chooses before existence if they are to be a murderer, victim, teacher, retard etc. This is how we get to experience all aspects of all things.

4. How do you feel about war?
War is a manifestation of a material experience. Some people feel the need to fight in this existence, some need to experience loss, some winning etc... Since it is part of the experience of life it is necessary.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
If a person chooses to experience execution or being executed in this life experience than the means is justified through the experience.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
Learn to love each life expression for what it it... Everyone has something to offer.

27 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
I believe that if you believe in death and what happens afterward, then it will happen.

2. What is life all about?
Life is about a peaceful balance we establish and maintain amongst ourselves and others.

3. What do you think people can (not should) do to make the world a "better place"?
Don't start arguments, solves nothing, allow time to yourself to be free and uninfluenced by anger and frustration if need be. Recycle it'll help everyone.

4. How do you feel about war?
War could be needless in this day and age, but it is still amongst us. War is a last resort effort at peace, or a first resort effort in emergency situations, justification comes from neither side, when hatred and prejudice is involved.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
Capital punishment is a last resort effort when rehabilitation fails and no understanding is met, no change is present , and a life of suffering is endured in inprisonment, a life giving freedom fails and there is no other alternative suitable.

19 Female

1. What do you think happens when we die?
I'm not sure. I don't feel capable of believing in any of the possibilities right now. I'd say the movie "what dreams may come" has an idea close to what I would believe, save maybe for the reincarnation business. I'm not so sure of that. Maybe nothing happens.

2. What is life all about?
It depends. Make the most of it. The most what? Whatever makes life worthwhile for you. Make it worthwhile for others, if only by inspiring without intention. To me, life is all about... finding what life is about for me. I'm not trying to be vague, I'm serious. That's where I am right now. I've been putting it off for too long. Everything else I do is just towards that end, and to keep myself busy.

3. What makes you happy?
People who surprise me. For the better, that is. It's hard to surprise me for the worse. For instance when two friends offered me to stay a few days at their respective houses to get away from my own house. When people offer things I wouldn't have thought to ask for.

4. How do you feel about the war in IRAQ?
I feel like I don't know enough to suggest a better solution, but more than enough to say without doubt that "we" (americans by way of our reps and officials) aren't going about the conflict the right way at all. And the decisions being made are for all the wrong reasons--personal goals, promotions, oil--instead of pure interest in the betterment (which is, okay, a pretty vague term) of life for those involved. For instance the (or one of the) supposed reason(s) for hanging around is to make sure the new Iraqi govt can stand on its own; but our heads of state just want them to be subordinate or at least work the way we do. Our unimaginative president needs to suspend his disbelief and hope that the Iraqi people and their leaders know what is good for *them*, and I personally might make claims about the need for the liberation of women there but that's my soap box and it sure isn't the reason why the US troops are there anyway.

5. Do you think capital punishment is ever justifiable?
My first reaction is "yes," because my gut reaction is "no." Bare with me, here's why: because life is life, and it's not for us to choose who has a right to live or die; which leads to the part of me that says there are some individuals who are too... messed up, shall we say, to have anything to offer this world but harm--which is to be prevented whenever possible. So yes on very rare occasions, with undeniable proof that the person is not capable of being... treated and... "cured." (to be perfectly clear, i'm not refering to heads of state. those are just idiots with political power. without their positions they wouldn't be able to harm anyone. or at least not on such a deep level or large scale as is worth worrying about. I'm talking about people who can and do do plenty of harm without any noteworthy degree of power.)

So there you have it, unedited answers from real people, albeit a very small percent of the population, but the insight may prove useful to you.

Email: ButterflyPeople@NYCmail.com