The purpose of living
Living selflessly to benefit others is the true purpose of life, says Darshan Goswami. This, in turn, leads to the ultimate goal of God-realisation—the realisation of one’s true nature as pure consciousness.
Have you ever asked yourself: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? Is life more than just a brief span of time on earth? Such questions have baffled the greatest thinkers and philosophers down the ages.
Living, in itself, is not enough; it is not the goal. Most of us are so busy with our day-to-day existence that we do not have time to think about the purpose of living. It seems that our lives revolve around daily routines and worldly demands rather than the striving for fulfilment. Consequently, the eternal purpose of life eludes us. All our pondering, technology, and sophistication still haven’t solved the fundamental riddle posed by the two indelible facts of human existence—life and death.
In this article, I will attempt to share with you my thoughts on the purpose of living. We are all created to be happy and have purposeful lives. As human beings, we are blessed with a brain and conscience, so we can decide what we want to make out of our life. Often, a purpose is imposed on an individual by their family, culture, government, or even by individuals who seek to control others for their own selfish motives. As we strive to learn the purpose of our life here on earth, we must remember that true fulfilment is not found in our outward achievements, but in what we accomplish within ourselves.
Why would you want to know your purpose?
What would you like to ask the Supreme Being if you could get a direct and immediate answer? A poll in USA Today reports that the #1 question people would like to ask God is “What’s the purpose of living?” According to Swami Rama, “A human being is a citizen of two worlds. The world within and the world without are two entirely separate realities. The external world dissipates energy, but the internal world showers blessings that fill the vacuum created by the [outer] world. Conquering the inner world is more difficult than succeeding in the kingdom of life in the external world.”
Knowing your true purpose leads to real joy, satisfaction, and happiness as you strive to fulfil your dream life. Studies have shown that purpose-driven people experience more contentment and have more success and financial rewards than most other people. By taking the time to understand your purpose in life, you'll have more satisfaction and energy, and be more focussed on achieving that purpose. Until you find your purpose and begin fulfilling it, you will never be truly happy.
Where do you begin to find your purpose?
Your incentive for knowing or finding your purpose lies in your future. Your greatest satisfaction would be to look back on your life and know that you gave your all unselfishly to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. From this point of view, nothing could be more important than finding and fulfilling your life’s purpose.
But how and where can the purpose for your life be discovered? Your job, daily responsibilities, or even long-term goals are not the true purpose—the real reason why you’re here on earth. I believe that the most fundamental human desire is happiness. I used to think that happiness could be achieved through material possessions. I presumed that if I made enough money, I would be happy and fulfilled. But it didn’t work out that way. The more I followed the path of material possessions, the less satisfied I became. Consequently, I no longer believe that materialism is the way to true fulfilment. I have learned that if you understand your purpose and practise it in your daily living, God will give you what you want and so make future steps easier and clearer.
On the other hand, many people believe that you have to give up all your worldly possessions and devote all your time to helping others, without regard for your own wants and needs. While such self-sacrifice may be admirable, the most important thing to understand is that your supreme purpose cannot be found by searching outside yourself; you need to look within. Various meditation methods can help you with this.
How to find your purpose?
To discover your true purpose, you must first empty the mind of all the false intentions acquired in the course of daily living. You must understand that, while your present life and body will come to an end, whatever you do during your life ultimately influences your future. According to Eastern teachings, death is not the end of life. At death, you acquire a new body based on your previous activities (karma) and desires, and reincarnate as any of the 8.4 million species of life on any planet within the universe. This cycle of birth, death, and transmigration continues indefinitely. For humans, this is a very special opportunity because we are endowed with the intelligence to enquire into the true purpose of life. Unless this milestone is reached, life is in vain.
We are eternal living beings; we are not this body but eternal spirit. While the body will die, our real Self, the spirit, will never succumb to death. The body is merely a temporary vessel, and when it becomes old or useless, the soul takes on a new body, just like a person changes clothes. Some view the prospect of death and changing bodies as unnatural, unpleasant, and depressing. However, this notion fails to consider that the unpleasantness of birth, death, diseases, old age, or other miseries of this world are due to having forgotten our real spiritual nature and relationship with God.
Accepting death will help with the realisation that life is temporary, a journey of learning and growth that culminates in understanding that God, or the eternal Reality, is within you. Without this awareness, your purpose remains shrouded by body consciousness and ignorance, believing that life has no ultimate goal or meaning. But as soon as you turn your attention back to God, this illusion is removed and you are free from fear. Achieving this level of enlightenment, however, is an arduous journey that must begin with an examination of the inward self. Even Buddha spent years in solitude before realising his purpose, and Jesus went off into the desert to discover the truth.
Conclusion
Finding the true purpose of life begins by understanding your real nature, transmuting your earthly desires to spiritual ones, and turning your attention back to God. When you re-establish contact with God, even ordinary activities and relationships take on a new meaning and significance, no longer being temporary or illusionary. Ultimately, it will enable you to go back to your eternal home. There, you can forever engage in blissful loving service to the Supreme Lord, without being subjected to the stringent laws of birth, death, old age, disease, and suffering.
Being human is a precious gift. Finding the true purpose makes life more enjoyable, and more importantly, the mind and spirit are infused with a mission and a direction.
Creating a purposeful life begins with changing your attitude and thoughts. Give thanks to God for what you have and, most of all, enjoy it. When you live life with purpose, giving to others without expecting anything in return, prosperity will result. It took me a while to grasp this concept. But now, doing things for others unselfishly gives me pure joy and true inner happiness.
Let me tell you the secret of true happiness. When you wake up each day, recite a little prayer of gratitude to the Lord for the immense pleasures of life and the opportunity to be of unselfish service to others. By doing so, your subconscious mind picks up the positive feeling and energy, and you will realise the purpose of your life. When you recognise your purpose, you see things more positively. This insight releases tremendous amounts of positive vibrations, which, in turn, attract more positive energy.
Live consciously and courageously, and resonate with love and compassion to awaken the great spirit within others and leave this world in peace. All of us have been blessed with precious gifts by God. What really matters is what we do with these gifts during our lifetime. To discover this, ask yourself a simple question: What am I doing to help others?