THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

“For, such as we are made of, such we be”

         These words contained in Act 2 of the well received comedy, Twelfth Night, written in 1602 by the great English poet and playwright William Shakespeare summarizes in stark reality the nature of our existence on earth. In his exquisitely poetic way he was telling us that we must accept who we are and what we are, without ever knowing the reasons for why or how.

No one knows with absolute certainty, the reason for our existence on this earth, or for that matter, why we are even alive. This is not for want of trying. For, as long as man has existed on this earth, he has sought to ascertain his purpose for living by exploring every discipline he could think of. And although, over the centuries of history, his search has produced a voluminous number of scientific, philosophical, theological, and metaphysical theories and resulted in people and cultures trying to adopt multiple different beliefs designed to justify their findings, no one has yet succeeded in fully explaining life’s purpose. The net results so far have produced numerous conflicting opinions on the subject but little or no agreement. Indeed, this should not come as any surprise to anyone, since the real answers continue to remain as elusive as life itself.

But even though the true purpose of our living on earth will quite likely never be fully understood, it is nevertheless left up to each individual to determine, as best as he could or as much as he wants, the real meaning of his own life and to make full use of this knowledge for his own living. Joseph Campbell, the well respected American mythologist, author and lecturer, was adamant that this approach was appropriate and that it was left entirely within each individual to define his own answer. He expressed this in the following quotation:

Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question, when you know the answer already.”

Many people are quite content with just living out their lives in the moment, and in trying to find happiness as best as they can, without the bother or concern of why or how. Their aim is simply to do, for as long as their lives allow them to do so, whatever they judge necessary to achieve joy and satisfaction while avoiding, as much as possible, anything that may cause pain or sadness. For them, just living life, day to day would be reason enough. Eleanor Roosevelt, the outspoken wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt who, in her own right was a respected diplomat and human rights activist, was content to assign the purpose of life to be simply just living. She expressed this in statements such as:

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly without fear, for newer and richer experience.“

And in similar vane, Melanie Moushigian Koulouris, a fascinating American creative thinker and writer echoed this expectation quite effectively when she offered this advice: 

“I’m a true believer that everything happens for a reason. Though you may not always understand why, I believe the most valuable lesson behind it is to make you stronger; Live in the moment, because that’s all there is. Hang on to the good and let go of the rest.”

But the majority of human beings, bound by their own egos, are not content to accept such a basic explanation but are committed to go beyond what they can feel and see, to find a reason. This innate desire to know more is the fundamental difference that separates them from every other member of the animal kingdom. Humans are the only living beings on this planet that have the ability to think and to contemplate, to learn from past experience and to project into the future, to search for knowledge and often find answers. They are also the only living creatures to possess a conscience and able to act on it. This has nothing to do with the survival of the species, but rather, a deep seated longing to find meaning and to find reasons for existence. It is for this reason that men are driven to search for answers and in many instances hold steadfastly to them and build their lives around them. W. Somerset Maugham, the outstanding British author and critic, who gave up medical practice to devote his life to literature, drew attention to this dilemma when he noted:

“The secret of life is meaningless unless you discover it

 yourself.”

Carl Jung, the great Swiss-born psychiatrist and psycho-therapist, founder of the school of analytic psychotherapy, devoted a great deal of time, effort and thought into trying to determine the meaning of life and its purpose. He was convinced that this was the inner force that controlled and directed the psyche, and was a fundamental response of the subconscious mind. He explained this in the following observation:

“In the same way the body needs certain food, not just any kind but that what suits it, the psyche needs to know the meaning of its existence; not just any meaning, but the meaning of those images and ideas which reflect its nature and which originate in the unconscious.”

This conclusion is not very far from the truth, since humans are naturally curious and are constantly searching for answers. But the reason why so many stop searching and are content with whatever sounds plausible is a reflection of the poor degree of motivation in the individual. 

         To place this matter in the right context however, it requires first to decide whether one believes that there is indeed a reason for life or, as so many skeptics throughout the ages have insisted, that there are none. Charles Darwin, the famous Anthropologist who’s  Origin of the Species is a classic in anthropology, was convinced that with man, as with the rest of the animal kingdom, there was no reason at all to assume that life has an ultimate purpose or meaning. His views were echoed by the great French Philosopher and Nobel laureate, Albert Camus, who insisted that:

“The absurdity of the human condition is that people search for external values and meaning in a world that has none, and is indifferent to therm.”

And Stephen King, currently one of America’s most prolific and highly successful authors of fiction and supernatural topics, who is himself a declared skeptic, has regularly admonished others with such comments as:

“You discarded most of the lies along the way, but hold on to the one that said life mattered.”

But to the rest of the world, not influenced by this type of thinking, the search for meaning and for purpose continues both consciously or unconsciously. Charles-Augustin Saint-Beauve, a French physician in the 19^th century, who gave up the practice of medicine to become an author and a highly respected literary critic concluded:

Each man must look into himself to teach him the meaning of his life. It is not something discovered; it is something molded.”

In truth, all the major religious organizations have purpose of life as a fundamental belief and a requirement to satisfy the creator:

 In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the essential characteristic is service and love to God and fellow man. Man was created and placed on earth as a temporary prelude to eternal life, and his instructions were clearly laid out for fulfillment in the letter of St. Paul to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 28:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Islam, teaches that the purpose of life is a trial for the individual to show his true self. He is required to live a life of obedience, purity of heart and mind, and total submission to Allah in order to qualify for a final and lasting life in the hereafter.

Hindus, see the real purpose in living is to try to break the recurring cycles of birth and death, to achieve the exalted state of Brahma, and in so doing, stop the pain and suffering. This is explained in the holy writings as follows:

“Through many births in Samsara, have I wandered in vain seeking the builder of this house; repeated birth is indeed suffering.”

Buddhism, teaches that the only purpose of life is to end the suffering and seek enlightenment. We suffer because man is continually striving for things that do not give lasting happiness and until we are able to release them and replace with love it will continue. His Holiness Dalai Lama has repeatedly declared on a multitude of occasions that:

“Our prime purpose in life is to be happy and to help others”

In all these religions, the overriding theme for man’s purpose for living is to do what is necessary to achieve everlasting life. Without having this promise available to them, life itself will be reduced to that of the animal whose sole concern is individual survival irrespective of cost!

            But for most people, the need to find answers for a number of important questions remains paramount even if they accepted the promise of a hereafter as the purpose for life. Such questions as: related to remaining alive, capacity for learning or creating new life and whether death is final or will there be a reunion with loved ones. These questions although philosophical in nature and apparently without any answer, weigh heavily on any final conclusion on the purpose of life. In fact, there are an infinite number of meanings during one’s lifetime related to the prevailing circumstances at the time, each one providing specific fulfillment. It is really up to each individual to examine his needs and choose accordingly.

In the end however, the final decision concerning the actual choice of the answer will inevitably rest in the mind of each individual.  There is no definitive logical way to prove which of the many existing alternatives are actually correct. There is indeed an answer, but I firmly believe that such an answer relates solely to the individual and cannot be applied to everyone else. Anaís Nin, the American author and essayist, who was born in France from Cuban parents and who spent her life traveling to various countries, summarized this conclusion by offering the following solution:

“There is not one big cosmic meaning to apply for all.

There is only the meaning we each give to our lives; An individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel; a book for each person.”

It is clear to me that there is indeed a purpose for living for each one of us, but that the answer lies not in any generic, group classification, but rather in the heart and mind of each individual, who is then free to accept it or reject it.

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