One of the most important questions all belief systems seek to address is: What is the purpose of life? And virtually all religions propose a way of life that will lead to salvation, liberation, satisfaction, or happiness. Buddhism is no exception.
In Buddhism, the primary purpose of life is to end suffering. The Buddha taught that humans suffer because we continually strive after things that do not give lasting happiness. We desperately try to hold on to things - friends, health, material things - that do not last, and this causes sorrow.
And for you, what is the meaning of life?
“laws of logic do not prescribe the way
our minds think; they prescribe the
way our minds ought to think”- ARTHUR STANLEY EDDINGTON
I guess it is reasonable to argue that the question of meaning of life is essentially more complex and subjective and may not mean the same for everyone. For, every individual leads his life differently irrespective of how he thought/wished/wanted it to be or what the society he lives in represents collectively.
Life has always been so dynamic that any attempt to define it -even within a larger frame work of reference- renders it meaningless the next moment when it changes as it has ever been. Attitude developed as a result of cultural exposure and the basic characteristics of the individual define each one's approach. The intelligent one, questions and seeks answers for everything while the emotional one seeks the culmination of his activities or lack of it, the way he wants, almost at every turn. The wise one on the other hand learns to observe the ever changing flow of life and wisely chooses to remain unconcerned with the overall consequences of activities occurring all around and inactivity that may characterize our lives;; he goes about his work diligently with required intensity of purpose and poise which is not the case with indifferent ones who remain enslaved to their own interests.
Interestingly, each one of us possesses in degrees and tries to exhibit those different characteristics defining our attitude towards life at different points and levels and strive to arrive at different conclusions regarding life.
Affinities to different religious dogmas and consequent expressions by means of activities may be attributed to the predominance of those attributes .
Well.
Notwithstanding the consideration of obvious difficulties one may encounter owing to the complexities as mentioned above, one is equally constrained to state or define/explain what one means by the words ‘life’ and ‘meaning’ and the context prior to framing the question or seeking answers.
Perhaps the psychological question of why one leads life the way one does may be a bit more conceivable to many than the question of seeking meaning of life in a limited way.
the psychological sense that life is meaningful arises from the management of experiences in accordance with one's values regarding universal goals, of which there appears to be 16. to put it differently, all human motives/ purposes arise from 16 universal goals that individuals value differently. if you disagree, try to think of an exception. nobody has in 15 years. Buddhism address all 16 universal goals. for example, your statement that we try to hold onto things that do not last is a below-average valuation of what we call the need for order. it manages the experience of order to a low level and, thus, is meaningful.
There is no meaning in life at all except that one attaches so-called meaning or sense to it. Every and each form of being-not only physical but also mental, is transient, fleeting, changing. There is nothing constant. So the sheer meaning and the sole attribute of the world is change.
Through meditation, the Buddha Sakyamuni attained the truth of the universe, that is change and emptiness. Only through Buddhist meditation can the truth be attained and experienced. Only then can one be freed, to most degree, from the material or spiritual shackles of desire. If cultivation continued, one can be completely liberated as a Buddha.
But if we restrain our mind to emptiness, we may retreat to a synical life. Since we are an secular being on the globe, we need to take full advantage of this life to realize our own value.
But what's the meaning of value?To me, my value lies in purifying my mind, adjusting and beautifying my behavior, pefecting myself so as to make me helpful, beneficail to those I meet, making them happy.
Dear Marcelo, The answer of this question depends on one's worldview. According to Hekmat (islamic wisdom) the meaning of life is 'spiritual development'.
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