So, What’s the purpose of my life? Is it just sitting alone, never bothered about what happens in this world, and keep meditating? Like this guy:
Or is it actively participating for the welfare of human and animal kind and doing what is defined as ”good” and living an impeccable life? How do we find out what that task really is and what we are doing is exactly what we have been assigned?
One of my good friends, Gauri Shankar from University of Madras, who is screening Thallassemia mutations from hundreds of samples (doesn’t sound much fun!) these days says after finishing many books of Osho and Swami Vivekananda - “There is a supreme power who has engineered you and all of us. Our bodies have a part of that supreme power who guides us in the form of our consciousness.” Who commands us to stop urinating as soon as it spots a small bug in the urinal which will flush down to death if you proceed with the motion (stopping at such crucial moments is not an easy task you know!). Proceeding further with his sermon, Gauri Shankar told me that – “The pupose of our lives is to reconnect that part back to the supreme power, which you may call, for operational purposes, as God.”
There is one very thoughtful post I found on a blog called Exploring the infinite Abyss. It says – “So often we are praying and praying and praying and yet, we never take the time to listen. If I were to just never break in there, be the one always talking, how could I ever get an answer from you? I couldn’t. The same goes for God. So often we are pouring our hearts and constantly praying (which is a great thing) but we so often forget to listen (sometimes never even taking the time). How are we supposed to hear God’s answer if we don’t give him time to answer? That requires us to be silent at some point. And that is exactly where we’ll hear God’s answer”.
I completely agree with this that we need to take time and Listen to the God. I believe that God is continously talking to us in the form of our consciousness. Telling us what is good and what is bad at every step of our lives. We just have to listen to that inner voice and act accordingly.
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17 Nov 2008, Chandigarh
I was going through this article which said that often some of our ways are pre-destined by rules of society, for instance, getting educated, doing a job, getting married, raising children and washing our old wrinkled bodies in winter sunshine!
Continuing with the theme of the post, I would say that getting married is certainly not one of those things why we are here. Rather, it has never been. To rationalize this, scientifically, I would agree on things like sexual reproduction favors better adaptation to immediate environment by promoting recombinational events so and so forth but who said bacteria reproduces sexually? And they too adapt to their immediate environments pretty well! Ask anyone working on Drug resistance! Point here is that – for sure, getting married is just one of those social norms which are made just to keep us going on with our lives and is certainly not the purpose of our lives. I just wonder how much creative and constructive activities one can do in all the time one spends with his/her married life! However, if one gets a partner who shares his/her passion of finding him/her self and do activities which he/she would rather do without getting married, than perhaps they both can complement each other and travel a meaningful journey of life instead of washing dirty diapers! I hope mom never reads this post! 
-To be continued…
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Hi
Please access the book:http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Philosophy-of-Teachings-of-Islam.pdf
the third question answered is “The Object of Man’s Life and the Means of its Attainment” is expalined very nicely there. I think you will like it.
Kindly visit my blosite.
You are welcome to make peaceful comments and / or starting a discussion on any post/page there if you so like.
Regards
I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim
Thanks for the link to the book. Although I have been to some Dargah’s and Mosques but so far I have never been exposed to the teachings of Islam. I shall certainly read the book.
-T
Ofcourse,.its very true that there are so many rules the society sets for all people who are born into it. but no one said one has to obey the rules to be a part of it.
However, most people dont think about things that way…for many the education, getting a job, earning money and getting settled in life by marrying and going on in the monotony fr the rest of their lives–this whole process for them is not “living” in the society,. but “surviving’ in it. I guess they are THE too firm believers of Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest”!!
However, there are others who aren’t docile enuf to submit their dreams to the society.. they believe in learning continuously and not stagnate their lives by offering themselves to the gene pool! (pun intended!)
thats what they call “living” in the society.
However, their are still others who believe in Living and Survivng…. They educate themselves, get a job, marry and so on but as and wen their happiness allows it.
so thats all just another example of the “normal distribution”!!
however.,in it all one thing’s common — every type of persn has a choice to put himself nywhere into the normal curve– a choice to define the “purpose of his life” for himself…and one always learns through his choices…some make the right ones and some wrong….but thats the essence of continual learning.
Then again, what looks right to one may look wrong to the other! so we can never be judgemental about other’s choices either. Every activity in life gives u something to learn…irrespective of the fact whether the activity is for “survival” or for “living”.
Besides, who knows how much there could be to learn frm the “art” of changing dirty diapers too!
and ah well about bacteria reproducing asexually?…well true. but humans havent yet had such an option..and thats how their choices become more challenging!
Agreed cent per cent.
Hi there,
I read your article and I found it very interesting. Great thoughts gone there. Kudos.
Well, I would like to share some points here.
We all start our lives with something we cannot avoid – like our parents, environment, our skills/abilities etc. These factors play a major role in shaping our lives. Might be for the better or for the worse. This would be the starting point of everyone’s lives.
Beginning from the childhood, a person wonders always what is the purpose of life. I am sure this question arises to every person on earth. What is the purpose we are born? – to serve what cause?, etc. So, a person tries to find an answer for these questions. Many lose their ways in finding the answer for this question.
Also, we can observe that every person on this earth is unique. Even twins are not exactly same in qualities (even looks). So, the purpose of life differs from one person to another. But the theme remains the same – Search for the ultimate truth.
A person does so many activities trying to find if those are the right activities for him. Like someone might think he would be happy once he gets a job, then he thinks he would be happy once he is married, then have kids, then retire and so on. But some dont realise till the end what is the real happiness and who they are.
So, now, I am going to give the answer for “What is the purpose of Life?”
The purpose of life is the quest for the Ultimate truth – The ultimate truth is the source of all happiness. Realisation of the Self is a part of the Ultimate truth, and the first step towards realising the Ultimate Truth.
Who am I? What is my real nature?
Why am I here – why was I born?
What is this complicated system of life on earth, how is it being maintained?
What is the Ultimate Truth? How do I get to know that?
Now, let me dig a bit deeper into these questions:
Who am I? – Am I only this body? Does my existence cease after death? If my death means my end, then what is the point of being born at all? Is the whole system of life a permutation-combination of physical, chemical and mechanical systems as the modern scientists and Darwin say?
Ans. Well, let me give you a scenario:
A small child asks its father, “Who are you?” – The father says, “I am Gopal”
Now, the child thinks that the person wearing a yellow shirt (assume) is Gopal.
After sometime, the father takes off his shirt and the child asks – Who are you?. The father again says “I am Gopal”. Now the child realises that it is not the yellow shirt that is Gopal, but this man of muscles and skin is Gopal.
After few days, the father suffers an accident and loses a substantial part of his skin/muscles. Then the child asks – Who are you?. The father again says “I am Gopal”. The child realises that this person is not even skin and musles, but someone inside. He also realises gradually that even the skeleton of Gopal is not Gopal – its just Gopal’s skeleton. Then who is Gopal? Gopal is the spirit inside. He continues to exist even if his body is destroyed. THIS IS THE “I”, in the question “Who am I?”
Every living entity has the tendency of trying to exist. Even if you put an ant into water, it struggles to somehow survive even if it does not know how to swim. This realisation that “I” am not this body is the first point of realisation of our existence. And we continue to live even if our body dies.
If you look closely, you will realise that every circumstance in your life helps you to know yourself better.
- To be continued –
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Well, i didnt want to write a filthy long comment. So please let me know if you like my viewpoint, and if you like, I can write about the remaining questions I raised before.
Take Care.
I would also address how the realization of self helps us in living and maintaining a healthy society in my future comments. I think that would complete Tamanna’s views on the “Self” and the “Society”
Thank you so much for sharing your views prashant. Each and every word reflects exactly what I believe in!