Why?

[usonian]

35. Why is not the question; it's the answer.

Religionists want you to ask the question, because they have the answer. Kindly genuflect and contribute in order to find out.
Religion is about control. You are stamped and inferior and we (who are superior to you) will explain.
You are unlike spiritual beings and your little universe is apart from the heavenly realm. "You must escape it."


NOT

IMO, The purpose of life in the universe is not to find meaning; it's to create meaning: through observation, combined with cognition, combined with life experiences, combined with beneficial actions equally for one and another. Doing so, even -- and especially -- in times of difficulty is what humans are all about, and any "paradise" without obstacles to overcome, especially when we overcome them together, is foreign to us, and why we leave the womb.

Any similarity to The Hitchhiker's Guide or to machines or simulations "evolving" to understand and create meaning out of stored information (they lack two aspects of the above) are outside this discussion.

The universe was not created at "some time". It is created in this moment with our thoughts and actions. We create the "why" (or trash it)

This is the gist of the opening section of The Lotus Sutra, a profoundly egalitarian, empowering, non-judgmental yet deterministic, and visionary work that turns hierarchical and manipulative systems of thought on their heads to this very day. It's metaphorical, not a walk in the park. I'll find (or write) a guide.

Here is one description of the Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sutra has the drama of fighting for justice against evil. It has a warmth that comforts the weary. It has a vibrant, pulsing courage that drives away fear. It has a chorus of joy at attaining absolute freedom throughout the three existences of past, present and future. It has the soaring flight of liberty. It has brilliant light, flowers, greenery, music, paintings, vivid stories. It offers unsurpassed lessons on psychology, the workings of the human heart, lessons on life, lessons on happiness and lessons on peace. It maps out the basic rules for good health. It awakens us to the universal truth that a change in our heart, or attitude, can transform everything. It is neither the parched desert of individualism nor the prison of totalitarianism; it has the power to manifest a pure land of compassion, in which people complement and encourage each other.