Meaning of life

Col Amarjit Nagi

+91 98205 46111

WHERE HAVE I COME FROM ?

WHY AM I HERE?WHERE DO I GO FROM

HERE?WHAT IS LIFE ALL

ABOUT?WHAT IS THE PURPOSE

OF EXISTeNCE?WHY LIFE???

WHY SEEK A PURPOSE?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

LIFE AND ITS MYSTERY HAS BEEN A MATTER OF

SPECULATION SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME…

PHILOSOPHICAL..SCIENTIFIC..THEOLOGICAL.

ANSWERS DEPEND ON CULTURAL AND IDEOLOGICAL

BACKGROUND..ONTOLOGY..ETHICS,,

VALUES....FREE WILL..CONCEPT OF GOD..SOUL..AFTERLIFE…etc.

PHILOSOPHICAL

Socrates,,,pupil ::Plato::

the meaning of life is attaining the highest form of knowledge…which is the idea of good., from which all good things and just things derive their value.

ARISTOTLE::

BE VIRTUOUS

VIA

VIRTUOUS ACTIVITIES

cYREANAICIUS::STUDENT OF SOCRATES.

HAPPINESS IS ONE OF THE AIMS OF MORAL ACTION ..

PLEASURE IS THE SUPREME GOOD.THIS IS A HEDONISTIC WORLD

VIEW..WHEREIN BODILY GRATIFICATION IS

MORE INTENSE THAN MENTAL PLEASURE.

DENIAL IS UNPLEASANT

HAPPINESS.

EPICUREANISM

GREATEST GOOD IS IN SEEKING MODEST PLEASURE… TO ATTAIN TRANQUILITY AND FREEDOM FROM FEAR VIA KNOWLEDGE, FRIENDSHIP, AND VIRTUOUS TEMPERATE

LIVING…BODILY PAIN IS ABSENT WHEN THERE IS FREEDOM FROM FEAR….AND HAPPINESS In ITS HIGHEST

FORM IS THE RESULT….

EPICUREANISM..

REJECTS IMMORTALITY AND MYSTICISM…THERE IS A SOUL BUT IT IS AS MORTAL AS THE

BODY.THERE IS NO AFTERLIFE..ONE

NEED NOT FEAR DEATH..BECAUSE IN DEATH

THERE IS NO SENSATION ::AND THAT WHICH LACKS SENSATION

IS NOTHING TO US.

STOICISM

LIVING ACCORDING TO REASON AND VIRTUES IS TO BE IN

HARMONY WITH THE DIVINE ORDER OF THE UNIVERSE.

MEANING OF LIFE IS FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING…BY BEING

OBJECTIVE,,AND HAVING CLEAR JUDGEMENT..NOT INFERENCE.

ENLIGHTENMENT PHILOSOPHYDEVOTION AND SUBSERVIENCE TO GOD WERE LARGELY REPLACED BY NOTIONS

OF INALIENABLE NATURAL RIGHTS AND POTENTALITIES OF REASON.UNIVERSAL IDEAS OF LOVE AND

COMPASSION GAVE WAY TO NOTIONS OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY AND

CITIZENSHIP.FOCUS OF HUMANITY CHANGED FROM

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO RELATIONSHIP

BETwEEN

INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIeTY.

Classical liberalism

individual liberty is the most important goal, because only through

ensured liberty are the other inherent rights

protected.

Kantanism

the physical world is outside of one’s full control & thus one

cannot be held responsible for the events that occur in it.

All actions are performed in accordance with some underlying

principle or maxim- and for action to be ethical , they must

adhere to the ‘’categorical imperative’’ of duty.

Utalitarianism

nature has placed mankind under two sovreign

masters :‘pain & pleasure’.

That is good which brings the greatest

happiness to the greatest number of people.

Nihilism(fredreich nietzsche)

life is without objective meaning.

God is dead.

Albert camus people search for external

values & meaning in a world which has none.

“people should live with dignity in the face of absurdity… live with

secular saintliness, fraternal solidarity, transcending the

worlds indifference.”

Pragtamism

concerns itself with truth.Practical , useful

understanding of life is more important than

seeking for an impractical abstract truth about life.The meaning of life is

discoverable only through experience.

Theists

god created the universe and he had a purpose in

doing so. Humans find their purpose and meaning for

life in god.If there were no god to give life an ultimate meaning , values and purpose…life will

be an absurdity.

Existentialismeach man and woman creates the essence &

meaning of his and her life.Life is not determined by a

supernatural god or an earthly authority…

“you are absolutely free.”you have total rights to

“ action , freedom ,& decision’’.

Keirkegard

life is full of absurdity and one must make his and her own values in

an indifferent world.

Schopenheur

one’s life reflects ones will ..and is aimless, irrational & painful.Salvation lies in

aesthetic contemplation – sympathy for others and

ascetism.

Absurdism

thereIn is a fundamental disharmony between the

individual search for meaning and apparent

meaningless of the universe.

We are looking for a meaning in a meaningless

universe.

Secular humanismthe human species came about

by successive reproducing generations in a progression of

unguided evolution as an integral expression of nature ,

which is self existing.People determine human

purpose without supernatural influence.

…… 2

Humanism affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater

good of humanity…it aims to promote

enlightened self interest & common good of all people. It is based on the premise that the happiness of an

individual is inextricably linked to the well being of all

humanity.

religion

Christianity

to seek divine salvation through the grace of god &

intercession of christ.Humankind was made in

the image of god & perfect- fall of man was caused by

the original sin of first parents.

Islam

man’s ultimate life objective is to worship the

creator..allah… by abiding to the guidelines revealed in

the quran & the traditions of the prophet.

Earthly life is a test , determining one’s afterlife::

jannat or jahannum.

Judaism

the meaning of life is to elevate the physical world

and prepare it for a world to come.

:::Eastern ::::::mohism:::

purpose of life is universal impartial love….

it is unconditional.

Confuscious

we can realize the ultimate meaning of life

in ordinary human existence.

Love should be unconditional, but it

should not be indiscriminate.

Taoism

need for all sentient beings and man to return to the primordial to rejoin with the oneness of the universe by way of self cultivation and

self realization.Only introspection can help

us find our innermost reason for living.

Shintolife is a creative process.

Shinto wants all human life to be prolonged forever on earth as a victory of the divine spirit …in

preserving its ‘ objective personality ‘ in its highest form.

The suffering of life is the suffering of the divine spirit in

search of progress in the objective world.

Zorashtrianismthe universe was created by a

transcendental god , ‘’ahura mazda’’….

To whom all worship is directed.Ahura mazda’S creation is in truth & order (asha)..and its antithesis is falsehood and disorder (druj)

Bahai

unity of humanity.

Buddhismthe buddhist sutras and

tantras do not speak about the meaning or purpose of life…

but they talk about the potential of human life to end

suffering .. Attaining nirvana..

:: Freedom from both suffering and rebirth.

Jainism

following the ascetic teachings of jina..a human achieves enlightenment . All living beings have an

eternal soul…. Strict adherence to

ahimsa.

Ajita kesakambalin

contemporary of buddha

complete materialism.Eat..drink..and make

merry.

Naturism

live amidst nature or as close to it…

guided by its flow.

Sikkhism

the lord dwells in every heart…and

every heart aims to reach him.

Hinduismis all about beliefs and

traditions.The ‘atman’ – the soul- the persons true self

is eternal.Spiritual development

occurs across many life times.

Four possibilities of human life :(1) purushartha..progression from least to greater.(2)kama..wish..Desire..love..sensual pleasures.(3)artha…wealth..prosperity…glory.(4)dharma..righteousness..duty….morality…virtue…ethics.

Hinduism… encompasses :

ahimsa..satya…moksha .

In short the goal of life is to realize the fundamental truth

about oneself.

Sufism..kabir..bulle shah…rumi

Remember you are born free

So the question now is :

what is the purpose of life?

Ekam dhyanam opens All doors for you

EKAM DHYANAM

Celebrate lifeWith music.. songs and dance.

Meditate…be meditative..live a life of awareness.

Stay blessed..stay happy..spread joy..stay inspired..

serve others..the other is an extension of you and me.

We are all one.

Strive to be a homo luminousbe a man of awareness..let this be your

realization…let this be your eureka moment.