Life’s Meaning & Purpose

 

LIFE IS A GIFT – a beautiful and precious present that, more often than not, we fail to appreciate. Something that has become very ordinary that we take it for granted…something we seldom think to be grateful for. Many times, we look at it as if it is a kind of burden or work so we tend to carry on with life grudgingly…behaving as if the world owes us for being here. When living gets pretty rough and difficult, we even curse it, curse God, and curse everything and everyone except ourselves.

Why are we alive? Did we even choose to live? Why don’t we have any say as to what kind of cards we are dealt? Why cannot we decide to just drop dead when we get tired of our existence? If we cannot choose either to live or die, then where and how can there be any free will? Why do good people suffer while bad ones seem to be better off than them? Is fate evenhanded? Does each of us has a destiny we cannot control?

Every human being is a work of art in progress moving towards perfection (when and for how many lifetimes would be up to us). Nothing in our existence is an accident. Everything that has happened to us…everyone we have met in our journey…are events and people meant to give us experiences, lessons and companionship to mold us.

In His talk “The Truth of Existence”, ADI DA SAMRAJ explained that the circumstances given to us were pre-designed in accordance to our spiritual maturity and requirement. Whatever life was given to us is meant to let us grow spiritually…that is to say, that nothing will be handed to us UNLESS we can handle the same. If we are dealt with a difficult card that only means we have a strong core that can take and bear it.

We should rise to the occasion. Face the music and act like responsible adults. Certainly, it is easy to whine and look for something or someone to blame for our misfortune. On the other hand, we have the choice to accept that what happened, happened already – perfectly in the past, water under the bridge and no lamenting will ever change its course. However, what is in the present or how we cope with the challenge in front of us is entirely in our hands. We can either react positively or negatively, that is the decision to make. Shams Tabriz captured it beautifully by saying:

So, does life ever have purpose? Does existence have meaning? What is existence for?

In His talk, “The Gross Personality, The Deeper Personality and The Ultimate Identity”, ADI DA SAMRAJ explained that existence is about doing sadhana (i.e., spiritual practice or discipline that lead to perfection) and life’s meaning is to live the Divine. It is not meant for attainment or self-fulfillment…rather, it should be purposed to transcend conditions and surrender self to the Divine. That means we forget that there ever was an “I” or that we are individual separate from God. Instead, we should self-forget and realize that we are lived by God and that we are in God. As such, we are meant to embody love and be love in and for itself – that is our greatest responsibility.

That is not to say that being the best of whatever we can be or to work for the good of mankind is pointless and unnecessary. What counts is our deeper intention – our motivation for that action. In so far as our undertakings are carried out not to build or immortalize our own name…for as long as we dedicate all our efforts in serving God…and all are done out of love, then we are going in the right direction.

Again, let me quote Shams Tabriz:

Let me end this article by this message from Islamic Reflections:

Life is a gift.

Today, before you think of saying an unkind word

-think of someone who cannot speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food

-think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife (or the people who provide you company and friendship)

-think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.

Before you complain about life

-think of someone who died too early.

Before you complain about your children

-think of someone who desires children but is barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, or someone who did not clean or sweep

-think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining over the distance you drive

-think of someone who walks the same distance on his/her feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job (or your business)

-think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they have your job (or business).

Before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another

-remember that not one of us is without fault or flaw.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down

-put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around.