Does life have any purpose or meaning? What is the purpose of life? What is the objective of existence? Why are we here? What is the reason for living?
This question has been raised by thinkers, scholars and sages throughout the history of humanity, and even today it still remains subject of debate and contemplation. We keep thinking about this because of the obvious fact that life has no overall meaning.
Life is meaningless
There is not one big cosmic meaning for all. Actually, nothing comes with “built-in” meaning. All situations, circumstances, things in life are neutral and devoid of any particular "built-in" meaning. They are neutral props, symbols. In other words, there is no automatic built-in meaning to anything.
The great gift of life is that life is fundamentally meaningless.
“No thing in life has built-in meaning.”
One of the great gifts of life is the unconditional quality of existence. Every human being chooses the meaning he wants to give to his life. Existence is unconditional. You are the one supplying the conditions, not existence.
You bring the meaning to life
You bring the meaning to every situation, circumstance in life. Either automatically (unconsciously) or intentionally (by choice). So there is only the meaning we each give to our experience. And maybe, the meaning of your life is what your life means to you now.
Life is a blank canvas
Life is a blank, unconditional, meaningless, canvas. You choose the purpose you want to give it at every moment or, if you choose, leave it colorless for a while until you decide to put some color in it.
There is no need to be afraid of it. It is a beautiful blank canvas. It’s up to you to put a meaning or keep it colorless. Rather than being afraid of this lack of color, and force some color into it, maybe there is no need for that, maybe you can just be without a reason.
What is the fear behind the lack of meaning in life? Everything we do, every identity we create in life, is in fear that our life has no meaning. The fear that nothing really matters and that living is meaningless.
But as you come to accept this necessary truth, you can truly embrace an existential view and live every moment as you please, in gratitude and choose the costume you prefer.
Life is a purposeless play
Rajneesh (Osho) wrote, “Drop the very idea of attaining anything whatsoever. Life is perfect as it is. Just be here, forget about any purpose. Life has no purpose and that’s why it is so beautiful.
Hindus have call it “Lila”, a play. Hindus do not call it a game, because every game has something as a purpose, a result to be attained, victory to be achieved. Adults play games, children only play. Life is Lila, it is a play.
Without goals then there is nothing to do, one can just be, one relaxes, and when there is nothing to do there is no tension. With nothing to do you disappear, the ego disappears, the old identity evaporates. Then you start a totally different way of life, you start being playful, you start being alive moment to moment, with nowhere to go, accepting with deep gratitude whatsoever life gives you.
Life is a purposeless play. Relax, drop the future completely. Only this moment exist and this moment is eternity. Don’t allow any goal to be there, just be total alone in your absolute purity. Try to live moment to moment as if there is no future. In the beginning it will be only “as if”, but little by little you will become aware that that “as if” is the only reality. At the beginning it may be just like acting. Soon you will realize that that acting is the only reality."
Be this ‘you’ as fully as you possibly can
Bashar tells us “In the recognition that you have never been this ‘You’ before, and you will never be this ‘You’ again, this life only has one life to live, the purpose of this life is to be this ‘You’ as fully as you possibly can. To do what excites you the most. Ask yourself, “What excites me the most?” And at any given moment do the most exciting thing that you are capable of doing something about.”
The purpose of this life is to be this ‘You’ as fully as you possibly can.
- Bashar -
The purpose when you wake up
When you realize that life is just a dream, you discover that in the dreamstate, it's better to be entertained than being correct. The purpose of this dreamlike reality is to make it interesting, entertaining and enjoyable, with love, gratitude and detachment.
Your God may judge between good and evil,
but my God judges between amusing and boring.
…life is but a dream.
If we honestly observe the unconscious purpose that moves the human being in his day to day life, we will see that the main motivation is to avoid pain and boredom and to seek pleasure and interesting situations.
We are astral beings living this temporal dream. Live your life with complete detachment, be the unconditional witness. Be interested in feeling connection and empathy with everyone, in your heart, cultivating love and presence.
We are here on Earth to fart around.
Don't let anybody tell you any different.
- Kurt Vonnegut -
Recommended article: The Creation Dilemma