Meaning

Meaning is not something we can get to with our minds; it is not an answer found in the mind. It is not an ideal or an image we're fulfilling. It is not a result of anything. It is just falling into one's nature. To be able to simply fall into one's nature, is, however, not easy. It is the most difficult thing there is. It takes perseverance, patience, sincerity, and compassion for oneself. And it may take a long time. (Diamond Heart Book 3, pg 48)

Ultimately, the desire for meaning and significance is a search for identity. Our activities are meant to give us a sense of who we are. "What gives me significance?" When we explore this we find that it has something to do with a sense of self. "Who am I?" (Diamond Heart Book 3, pg 40)

Personality and meaning

The ego personality deals with the loss of a sense of meaning by creating a sense of meaning. As we have seen, the usual personality or ego way of trying to create meaning is by having goals and aims that you will attain one of these days. The meaning of your life becomes the attainment of those goals. For most people life has meaning only in terms of these long-term goals and hopes. Ego's way of dealing with the loss or absence of realization is too relegate it to the future. (Diamond Heart Book 3, pg 103)

Self-realization and meaning

When you know yourself, when you realize your true identity, the meaning of life does not come to you in the form of a conceptual answer to a question. It is not an answer in your mind. It is you. The Presence, fullness, and intrinsic preciousness is directly experienced; it is not in reference to anything else. It is complete autonomy; only the experience itself can give a taste of this satisfaction. This experience of self-realization is the answer, in the sense that it ends the drive. It is true absence of seeking. (Diamond Heart Book 3, pg 45)

In the dimensions of Essence there are experiences of self-realization in which meaning is based on the presence of the realized state in the present moment, rather than being based on the future. This eliminates the dependency on the future. Goals and aims become less and less important. In other words, the aim becomes the present moment, and the present moment is its own significance, is its own preciousness. The present moment is not different from the self-realization, which is not different from the self that is realized, which is not different from the reality that is precious. (Diamond Heart Book 3, pg 104)