PURPOSE OF LIFE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We keep wondering about life, its purpose/futility and existence of God etc. We keep on searching for answers from religious tomes, Gurus and parents. Still, we feel unsatisfied and unconvinced. I put forth my views on some of such questions.
Who am I? Once you learn how to live, this question becomes redundant.
What is life? Life is a 70-80 years long journey into pleasant and bitter experiences, relationships, financial highs and lows which are unique to each one of us. Life can be fun if lived positively and hell if lived grudgingly.
Is God there? Why should we bother? If our conscience is clear we need not worry about His presence. But, to share a secret with you, He is there.
Why am I what I am? If you were not what you are presently, the question would remain the same.
Why is there so much tension in this world? We have become artificial and hypocritical in our thoughts, speech and action (manasa, vacha, karmana). We have acquired affectations and gone far away from nature. We have surrendered ourselves totally to materialism. Spiritual and religious aspects of living have been relegated to the background.
Why does evil seem to prevail? When the good become passive and docile, the evil doers have a field day. To split a bucketful of milk, a single lemon and to break a glass pane, a single pebble is sufficient. Materialism has made us a bunch of cowards. People act selfish for the smallest of apparent gains.
Why should we live? Do we have an alternative? And pray, why should this question arise, at all, in anybody’s mind? For any doer, life is too short to do so many things he has planned and enjoy all aspects of life. Enjoy life to the hilt. Remain cheerful under all circumstances. Learn from nature. All flora and fauna live through the vagaries of weather, without even once questioning the maker.
Why should I care for others? You have been programmed to be caring and affectionate. Any other way of living leads to tension, unhappiness and pain.
Why am I unhappy? You have chosen to be so. Happiness is a state of mind. One can be happy even when he doesn’t know wherefrom the next meal is going to come or be unhappy even while enjoying all the luxuries of life.
Why do we have morbid fear of death? Our ignorance of the unknown causes the fear. Lack of logical thinking confounds it. We have a definite predetermined shelf life and come into this world with expiry date written/coded into our genes.
Why do I hate so many persons, dislike doing so many things? This happens because of a myopic view of life. Every person and thing in life is a package of goodness/evil in different proportions. Are we perfect? Still, we expect others to accept us fully. We should accept others with all their (seeming) faults. Hate is a personal inadequacy.
Why should I follow the rules of society? If some rules are unjust, mobilize public opinion to change them. But till then, follow them, nevertheless.
Why should I be morally correct? Moral correctness makes you bold and confident. You don’t have to depend on falsehood. People respect you for your beliefs and principles. Sooner or later, you are amply rewarded for the morally correct posture.
Why is sense of humour so important in life? It is the ability/quality to laugh at unseemly events/ personal embarrassments/ situations. This diverts the mind’s attention from the momentary pains and frustrations of life.
How should we live? Live as close to nature as you can, live positively and fight the negative forces stoically. Our thoughts should be constructive, our deeds productive and our vision humane/global. In nature, there are no negative forces.
How can I manage my feelings and emotions? When we are sad, depressed, frustrated or disheartened we question the very purpose and existence of life. We must learn the life processes completely to understand them. Then we shall have no trouble with the self and the soul. The soul shall remain restless till we don’t learn to relate to happenings around us with a non-aligned and detached state of mind. Excessive attachment or total lack of feelings/compassion both lead to misery.
How should I manage my time? Basic principle of time management is to devote 7 hours (29%) on self development, 8 hours (33%) on sleep and 9 hours (38%) on career/business. Sleep is the most important aspect of living. Unless you sleep for at least 8 hours daily, you cannot perform well in the waking hours. Similarly, unless you spend at least 7 hours on eating, exercise, leisure and self development, you cannot achieve much in life. Most successful persons follow these principles.
How much is enough? In nature, whenever any excess takes place, overt signals start appearing at regular intervals. With experience, we should be able to judge when a thing or act is being given undue importance or time. To a balanced person, the sense of proportion comes effortlessly.
How should I decide on a career? Lucky are the ones who make their hobbies their career. Don’t think in terms of engineering/medicine/IAS only.’ Develop your faculties in the field you feel most comfortable at. Go for theatre, personal effectiveness, public interest litigation and the like.
How to avoid temptations? Do a quick SWOT analysis of each such opportunity and take the most reasoned view. How much education should I receive? Level of formal education depends on many factors: economic status of parents and their attitude towards education, your place of birth, your own I.Q., aptitude and dedication. However, learn to read, write and speak at least your mother tongue, national language and English and specialize in some discipline. Be conversant with computers and internet. You should have a fair idea of the different parts of body and their functions. Keep yourself current with the local, national and international happenings and the latest in your profession. Basic knowledge of Economics, Sociology, General Science, History and Geography and the law of the land is equally important.
How should we take the criticism by others? Take it sportingly and treat it as a feedback to improve yourself. It is an occasion to introspect and correct. But if you feel that the criticism is born out of jealousy/ignorance/with an intention to discourage you from the chosen path, vehemently shrug it off yours shoulders. Otherwise, you shall be handing over the remote control of your self-esteem, self-respect and decision making into the hands of your critics.
What sustains life? The lust for life sustains it. This feeling is intrinsic to all living beings. Interest in life is also created by hope, ambition and attachment to near and dear ones/fellow beings.
What is the purpose of life? Every living being is programmed to grow, learn while growing, mature, realise the potential in totality and live a full life till death. Distortions are caused by societal interference, misleading advice by fellow beings and wastage of substantial time in unwarranted pursuits.
Artificial way of living, synthetic products for natural ones, diversions, excessive automation and commercial way of thinking have made life miserable for most of us. Blessed are those who have seen through it all at an early age, and taken corrective steps. They have understood the purpose of life, in its true sense. Upon them lies the task of making maximum people aware of the basic purpose of life and to guide them to lead a contented and fuller life.
What obligations do I have towards society/world? You owe your very existence to the world and the society. Whatever you have received from them, you should repay with interest. The society moulds you, sustains you and supports you. You should do like wise. It is a symbiotic relationship.
What should I do to live longer? Living life correctly itself ensures longevity. Balanced food, moderate physical exercise, noble thoughts, positive outlook, lofty ideals and pious deeds make life longer and living worthwhile.
What is the right mix of work and play? Please follow the principle of 6,8, 10. Depending on your current situation, you may slightly vary the ratio. But in the long run, this ratio is just appropriate.
What is the place of love in life? Where there is no love there is no life. Love for others, for near and dear ones, love for humanity, love for one’s place of birth, love for self- these are the most ardent feelings of human beings. One devoid of love leads a miserable life- rather does not live.
Who should decide about my future? Upto 12 years, let your parents take decisions. After 12, they should consult you for all major decisions.
Should I believe in luck? In life, chance plays a major role. Avail the chance if it comes your way. But don’t waste your time waiting for lady luck to smile at you. If you keep working, the smile is not far away.
The Sanskrit word for purpose in life is dharma. As per dharma, we each have unique talents which we are most likely to discover when we ask “What can I give?” Rather than ‘What can I get?’
“We were given magnificent birth gifts, talents, capacities, privileges. Because of these gifts, the potential within an individual is tremendous, even infinite. The more we use and magnify our talents, the more talents we are given and the greater our capacity becomes.” Steven Covey
Ba Ba Baalkee
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