The meaning of life IS LIFE….For Life has many meanings.

This was what a goal-less fellow, a traveler without a destination, had once asked Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Buddha had replied lovingly, ‘Young friend! As you have been so curious as to ponder on this seemingly unanswerable question and have given me the kind opportunity to answer it, hear my answer patiently: there is no meaning of all this. Man, always in need and want of something or the other performs deeds, good or bad. Due to these deeds, he is reborn again and again. If man is able to destroy his desires, he will surely come out of the cycle of birth and death and be a free bird having attained ‘moksha’ or freedom from the cycle of birth and death.’

The above speech of Buddha summarizes his teachings. What his teachings meant can be known from this simple conversation. That was the time when people used to ponder on such things as life and death, need and ‘moksha’, but do we hear of it today? Can we think of a man today, without desires and needs?

It is need that has propelled man to great inventions in science. Without needs where would be science today? If all people followed what Buddha preached, life would have come to a standstill with no development, progress or advancement. And what would have happened if all people succeeded in destroying their needs? It would have led to the extinction of mankind: all having attained freedom from need, birth, death and the earth?

Yet if one meditates on the meaning of life now, one feels as mystified as the goal-less fellow mentioned in the beginning. Besotted with the myriad problems of life today even a normal person may feel demoralized. He can not escape from the urges to commit suicide after reflecting on the meaninglessness of his life.

Suicide? No, no… It is not the freedom from life and death. Suicide is a path adopted by an utter coward who is unable to cope with the highs and lows of life. If people are looking up to suicide as the best way of freedom from frustration, need, life, death and the problems of life, it is the greatest mistake of one’s life.

If one takes up the way of ending one’s worries and get freedom from the earth, one will return again and again to suffer on the earth.

According to me, the best way to be free from suffering is the afore-mentioned ‘moksha’, just take the good path, do good deeds, don’t hurt others physically or mentally and most importantly meditate everyday for some time and you will not feel the need of anything else in the world. Try repeating this as many times as you want for a few minute to relax ” Nam Myoho Renge Kio ” You will enjoy life and will leave no space in your heart for suffering. It works for me….. ………. …………….

……………….

Activities & thoughts which after you engage in them bring a positive emotion and a sense of meaning.

I think purpose is a bi-product of experience. I also believe that purpose reveals itself more than we actively create it. A meaningful life is recollected in hindsight. Goals help develop purpose, but I think only in retrospect do we apply a judgment to experience and derive a sense of meaning.

So I thought, is Allison in fight club?

That’s ok, you don’t have to talk about fight club.

(never read the book or seen the movie)

As for the mega-deep question…lol…I equate “meaning” to “purpose” and “purpose” to “motivation.” So in trying to answer “What is the meaning of life?” I ask myself, “What is the motivation behind my behavior?” Obviously, I can only answer for myself, but my life experience thus far has led me to believe that life is ultimately a selfish quest for significance. And I don’t mean “selfish” in a negative sense. I only mean it in the sense of serving one’s own ego, not in the sense of greed to the point of neglecting others. In the end, I suspect that most people want to leave this world feeling as though their lives mattered…to leave their mark in some way. I realize that this might seem to be a cynical view, but I don’t think of it that way because, for me at least, I am working to leave my mark by effecting positive change – as many have noted here…to leave the world a better place. Others feel significant when they are able to realize other things – whether that be fame, power, spiritual enlightenment, children they can be proud of, etc. But if I am to be honest with myself, I know that ultimately, I do good because by doing good, not only do I feel good, but I also feel like I’m living a life that is worthwhile. Similarly, I do my best not to behave in a way that hurts others because I feel really crappy afterwards, and that’s not how I want to be remembered. Whatever the case may be, it boils down to how I want myself and others to regard me, which in my opinion, is a selfish pursuit.

I’d also like to say that I really enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts. It’s terrific to see all the different viewpoints, and at the same time, the commonality among us.

If I may put in a request for a future topic…since a number of responses here brought up this idea and it’s something that has often occupied my brain space…what do you think of good and evil? Do you think such entities exist? This topic reminds me of a quote I read a long time ago: “Nobody ever does anything deliberately in the interests of evil, for the sake of evil. Everybody acts in the interests of good, as he understands it. But everybody understands it in a different way.” Gurdjieff (1873-1949)

I love you girl, but I just don’t see it happening that way. You described a Utopia, a world of peace and prosperity, a world of similarities and very few differences. Honestly one could say you just described a socialist society. Well seems like it to me. Not saying you are, it’s just I disagree. You reflect off people, you change who you are, and what if someone disagrees with you because you changed who you are? They’re beliefs spread to others and then you gain factions, meaning conflicts and crisis. So regardless of how we change the world, a Utopia cannot happen when free-will is in play. It just cannot.

The meaning of life, to me isn’t general. There is no general meaning to it. It’s yours to define alone. You are finding a meaning in your own life. Yes I agree we are self centered but who is to judge your life then yourself? Who’ll be able to judge your experience fairly and understand the experience, if not yourself? Allison, and others reading this. No one can judge your life then yourself. You find the meaning. Some say the meaning comes when you are on your death bed, and you see your family around you. And it’s that final Epiphany that makes your life so clear, and that’s the meaning of it. The meaning of life, at least to me, is what does your life mean to you? Did you enjoy your life, are you happy with yourself? Did you aspire to be more then you are? All of these are aspects to that meaning. Was your life fulfilling? When you look back, would you change anything? That’s the meaning of life. What did it mean to you, are you happy, content with it? Do you think you are dying too soon?

Now there are countless of interpretations, for all we know there is no meaning but a purpose. What is the purpose of life? Life and free-will is connected, so what? Did you feel you served a purpose? Why are we here? Life, what is it good for? Stuff like that.

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” answers the question. What is the answer to the Ultimate Question about life, the universe, everything?

42.

I like that answer, short and sweet.