“We are not given a good life or a bad life.
We are given a life, and it is up to us to make it
Good or Bad.”
This profound observation was the
foundation of the Buddhist philosophy as laid down by Buddha in
the 4th century BC, and it continues to be one of the major pathways
to achieving Nirvana, the ultimate spiritual goal. To the Buddhists, the
choice of the life they lead is dictated far more by their own intention, than
by any other factor, and that the fact that it is good or bad, is determined by
the decisions they choose to make along the way. Buddha insisted that there
existed in each person an innate tendency for “goodness” which has to be
awakened in order to lead to true happiness. For them, a good life is one which
provided opportunities for wisdom, appreciation and happiness for oneself, and for
everyone and everything around them.
The
search for understanding and achieving a Good Life has been one of man’s
unending philosophical dilemmas for as long as he has inhabited this earth. Over
the succeeding centuries, each culture has adopted its own set of criteria on
what provides most happiness, fulfillment and meaning to their life, based
mainly upon their own particular outlook:
-The Ancient Chinese, guided by Confucius,
viewed a good life to be a never-ending aspiration for moral integrity and
perfection. They insisted on moral values, human relationships and
virtues as pre-requisite to achieving the good life.
-The Ancient Romans and Greeks, although
differing in details, all recognized virtue and wisdom as the essential components
of a good life. They insisted that for any life to be considered a success it must
reflect morality, fulfillment, happiness and meaningfulness. To them, living a
good life is present, not only in the exploration of Happiness and satisfaction
and the experience of pleasure, but equally, in the finding of virtue and
meaning in the life.
-The Indian cultures, guided by their Hindu
teachings and the Law of Karma, held the view that a good life is
one that overflows with good deeds and intentions, and will be rewarded in this
life or in a future life; and that equally, that evil actions or intentions
will be punished.
-The Arab cultures, influenced
mainly, by their long-standing Moslem traditions, are convinced that the
only way to secure a good life on this earth and achieve true happiness is by
worshipping Allah in everything we think, say or do, and to live by his
commandments. The Holy Koran states this explicitly in the following
quotation:
“The purpose
of life is to achieve real happiness by worshiping the one true God in everything
you do.”
-Christians, have always believed that a
truly good life can only be achieved by having the Almighty God’s blessings upon
them, and especially in the relationship of one with the other. This is clearly
explained in the Holy Bible, in St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians,
chapter 4, verse 8:
“Whatever is true, whatever is right, what ever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -if
anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.”
Whatever the circumstances, and however
different these may be in their personal expectations, there is a general
desire by most people to live their life with the greatest joy and satisfaction
they can achieve. In this regard, having a good life to reflect on, creates an
aura of happiness and contentment in everyone, regardless of whether there is
accompanying success or material gain. The fact is that having a good life is a
subjective response that is measured by the person’s outlook, desire and action
contemplated rather than by comparison with the achievements of others. When it
is operating successfully, there is present a feeling of joy and fulfillment, a
spirit of love and compassion, a confidence to achieve more and a sense of pride
for the good deeds carried out successfully. Because of this, a truly good life
will not survive in a milieu of hate and suspicion, nor for that matter, in any
contrived or artificial setting, but only in a setting that will leave a legacy
that others can recognize. This is perhaps what Marcus Aurelius, the great
Roman emperor and stoic philosopher, was alluding to, when he advised:
“To live a good life; we all have the potential
for this. If we can learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.”
It is never easy to measure a good
life in any quantifiable form. It can only be assessed subjectively by its effects
on the individual, his relationships and by the sense meaning and purpose it
imparts. It certainly should never be judged on the individual’s wealth, status
or power, since these external signs of success and achievements do not
automatically guarantee happiness and meaningful living. This, very unfortunately,
is the significant failing of modern societies where the great majority of people
prefer to equate a good life with fame, fortune and external popularity, and
lose sight of their fundamental role and responsibility in seeking the good
life.
St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the Roman Catholic church’s most
influential theologians, philosophers and jurists, more than 7 centuries ago,
observed:
“Happiness is secured through virtue.
It is a good attained by man’s own
will.”
He argued
that a good life, full with happiness can only be achieved by leading a
healthy, ethical life, guided by reason and respect. It will not be achieved by
emotion, passion or greed, nor in the futile pursuit of the distractions of the
world. Such a life is not uniform but can present in a variety of ways, mire
often related to purpose and intention. These may include any of the following headings:
-A Moral
Life: were the word ‘good’
is expressed in moral approval and life is conducted by principles of virtues
rather than by pursuing personal gratification. In effect, it is a life lived
by God’s laws.
-A Happy Life:
the ancient Greeks
used the term, Eudaimonia, and the French used, Joie de Vivre, to
describe the subjective feeling of joy and well being that accompany a
successful life. Such a life overflows with goodwill, companionship and
sharing.
-A Fulfilled
Life: a life that
viewed happiness objectively, that saw the ‘goodness’ in radiating good
feelings such as friendship, virtue, kindness, respect and help to others in
need. This life is dictated by the need to serve and to help others.
-A Meaningful
Life: living life
with meaning and purpose even if it means setting aside personal feelings, to
arrive at a desired goal. A life of trying to set and live by high standards of
quality and purpose.
Striving to live a good life therefore,
irrespective of the road chosen, is based on such actions as compassionate
deeds performed, personal goals set and the legacy chosen. It is not concerned
with trying to compete with others, but rather to understanding how to find
your personal best. It requires building good connections and relations based less
on control and competition, and more on sharing and supporting. It means above
all, knowing who you are, why you are here, and the role you must play to fully
benefit from your good life.
Khalil Gibran, the very highly respected
Lebanese-American poet and author, in his classic masterpiece, The Prophet, effectively
placed the true perspective of living a good life in its right context:
“Your
living is determined no so much by what life brings to you, as the attitude you
bring to life.
Not
so much by what happens to you, as by the way your mind looks at what happens.”
-This
indeed, is the fundamental premise of choosing to live a good life. What
matters, above all else, is the deep feeling of satisfaction, contentment and
fulfillment that invariably comes from doing so.
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