The Purpose of Life

 

Photo Credit: www.spiritualawareness.co.in

The Purpose of Life

We have probably asked this question – Why are we born? In most cases we have our own agenda about what our purpose in life is. However, from a spiritual perspective, there are two generic reasons why we are born. These reasons define the purpose of our lives at the most basic level. They are: To settle the ‘give-and-take account’ we have with various people and to make spiritual progress with the ultimate aim of merging with God, thus getting out of the birth-death-rebirth cycle.

Over several life-times we accumulate umpteen give-and-take accounts as a result of our deeds and actions in those births. These accounts may be positive or negative depending on the nature of our actions. According to the Spiritual Science Research Foundation – “As a rule of thumb, in the current era approximately 65% of our lives are destined (not within our control) and 35% of our lives are governed by our own freewill. All major events in our life are by and large destined. These events include our birth, the family we are born into, the person (or persons) we marry, the children we have, serious illnesses and the time of our death. The happiness and pain that we give and receive from loved ones and acquaintances are by and large simply a case of prior give-and-take accounts directing the way relationships unravel and play out.”

In our lifetime, while we do work on completing our give-and-take account and destiny earmarked for this particular lifetime, we also end up creating more give-and-take accounts because of the deeds and actions we do while using our freewill. Because of this, we end up being stuck in the cycle of birth and death.

In my earlier posts I have written quite a bit on merging with God, which is the sole objective of every soul born on earth. This is the ultimate in spiritual development. ‘Merging with God’, is nothing but realising God within oneself and all around us too, while not identifying with our five senses, mind and intellect.

Most people in today’s world are at the 20-25% spiritual level, according to the Research Foundation, and hence are disinclined to do any spiritual practice for their own spiritual development. Such people are heavily identified with their five senses, mind and intellect. This gets reflected in our lives as we focus mainly on our looks or are arrogant about our intelligence or success.

Spiritual development is only possible through spiritual practice with a 360-degree spiritual understanding or overview. One needs to mould one’s meditation under the guidance of a realised Master along with one’s behaviour with fellow human beings. Meditation in collectivity has far greater merits than meditating alone – like Swamiji says meditating with 5000 people for half an hour is equivalent to meditating alone for 5000 days!

Most of us have our own life goals. We strive for worldly goals to achieve satisfaction and happiness. But this satisfaction and happiness is always short lived as our expectations and desires keep climbing as we move up the gravy trail. Ultimate satisfaction and happiness can only be attained when we are on our inner journey towards merging with God within which is the purpose of life.