The purpose of one’s life is the “WHY” of our lives and what makes us wake up in the morning and get into the day with energy and enthusiasm
“Everyone has been made for a particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart “ Rumi It is therefore necessary for us to still ourselves from time to time and listen to that inner voice, to recognize what work we are born for >From time to time, stop and ask “Why am I here?” “Don’t ask what the world needs from you, instead find what makes you come alive and do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive” Howard Thurman The purpose of life is not just to be happy, but to matter. To be productive, to be useful, to make some difference to the world because you have lived. It is about contributing; it is about leaving a mark in the world in our circle of influence What we are is not as important as who we were when we lived. There is a dash between our birth date and our death date, and what matters is how we spent our dash There is a lot of wisdom in many ancient texts and documents Let us see some wisdom tenets from the Bhagavad Gita from a book written by Govind Chopra titled “ 7 Life Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita “ On living purposefully in the modern world esson One Work hard, but remain unattached to the outcome This is the philosophy of Karma Yoga, on which our initiative Creative Karma functions. We advocate the yoga of action, where everything we do is done in the spirit of the divine and without any expectation of reward. The sole purpose of our work is to deliver the best value, to go above and beyond. We want to make a difference for the better in the world around us. Lesson Two Your mind can be your best friend or your biggest enemy Mindset has a profound influence upon our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. It is important to be our own greatest ally and not our worst enemy. We all know that if we take a defeatist attitude when we face difficulties, we sink into despair and lose all hope. We also know that if we show grit and courage in the face of difficulty we discover opportunities and solutions. Lesson Three The present moment is all there is, so pay attention to it The past is useful to look at from time to time to learn from it, so we do not repeat our mistakes. Weighting ourselves down with the baggage of the past prevents us from moving forward. The future is unknown and unpredictable. While it is good to have future goals and aspirations to help us move forwards, the future is really out of our hands. The present moment is loaded with potential, and we need to learn to use every minute of our time well. So focusing and doing what we can right now, right here is the objective of life. Lesson Four Happiness is a state of mind Happiness does not happen to us. We are happy. There is no point in seeking happiness from others or from the outside world. It is an internal feeling and comes from living a life of purpose. You feel fulfilled that you are doing what you are here to do, and this becomes easy and enjoyable because you are living your purpose. Lesson Five The true nature of reality is unknowable Quantum physics has given us the science that everything around us is our own creation based on perception. Spirituality describes life as an illusion or “Maya” which can change from time to time and which is difficult to fully understand. Lesson Six Everybody dies Anything which is born can die. But death is not an end. What whithers away is the mortal remains, because the soul lives on. Apparently, the Universe consists of a mass of energy and each of our souls is a part of this mass. We all have such huge egos and we think so much of ourselves. The Universe is so vast and we are just a tiny speck in it. So it is desirable to let go of ego, and just live a life fulfilling our purpose. Lesson Seven Consider the middle way The idea is to live a life of equanimity, finding a balance between the extremes of what life throws at us. We shouldn’t get too excited when positive things happen or get too depressed when things don’t go the way we want them to. We need to evolve a kind of steady-state in which we are able to take the good, the bad and the ugly in a calm, collected state of mind. VEDIC CONCEPTS OF LIVING A LIFE OF PURPOSE There are four Vedas. The Rig Veda, The Sama Veda, The Yajur Veda, The Atharva Veda The Rig Veda is a collection of mantras The Sama Veda is a book of song The Yajur Veda is a book of rituals The Atharva Veda is a book of spells The Atharva Veda is deemed to be an encyclopaedia for medicine “Interalia”, and Ayurveda (the science of life) is considered as Upa Veda (supplementary subject) of the Atharva Veda. Combined wisdom from all four Vedas advocated the following values to live a life of purpose Ahimsa – non-injury to all living creatures Sathya – truthfulness Divine conduct – do everything in the spirit of the divine Patience – an important value to cultivate because our best efforts can take time to manifest their fruits. Also when life challenges us, the lessons we learn or the opportunities this may present may take time for us to discover Steadfastness – in living our lives well, we need to be steady and balanced no matter what happens around us Honesty – being honest with ourselves, knowing our true strengths and weaknesses and being honest with others about our capabilities and motivation is the hallmark of a leader Purity – be pure in thought, word and deed Nonstealing – do not take or even covet what belongs to another. Even the Bible tells us not to covet thy neighbour Modest appetite – does not only imply appetite for food, it denotes appetite for material goods, name, fame, etc Compassion – a fulfilled life requires self-compassion, empathy and kindness and compassion for others. In conclusion, our purpose in life is to find our purpose in life and dedicate our heart and soul to it. If you find it difficult to find your purpose, figure out your passion and this will lead you to your purpose. A happy life is more important than a successful one. Success is measured by others. Satisfaction is measured by our own soul, body and mind. K Rajaram IRS 141124 On Thu, 14 Nov 2024 at 06:45, Markendeya Yeddanapudi < [email protected]> wrote: > > > -- > *Mar*The Flow of Purpose > > > > In complete rapture, not only space-time, but also meaning and purpose > stops, because destination is reached. The very urge or restlessness for > purpose, ends in the infinity. Healthy, free, lush and thick nature, > brimming with rapture filled flora and fauna, create the glow of happiness, > in every life form. Life forms become rapture forms. Under the scheme of > nature, rapture gets breathed and felt. > > Today we are living in the demoralized biosphere. The purpose of life is > not individual purpose, but the macro purpose covering all organisms. > > The road to rapture is on the basis of the basic fact that every life form > is a complement of another life form, that ecological bond and links create > the basic emotion rivers. Individual rapture of each life form adds up to > the collective rapture of the Biosphere as a whole. The purpose of life is > to help fellow organisms reach rapture. Meanings are roads for missions. > > The individual mission consists of doing everything to make nature happy. > God or nature needs help and service today, not prayers which are forms of > greediness which translate into lists of demands on God in the illusion of > a physical form. God is felt only by breathing the rapture of life forms of > the Biosphere. God can be reached in lush and free nature only. > > Trees and plants react and interact with gardeners emotionally. When you > make even a few blades of grass happy, you get the automatic result of > breathing happiness, from them. It is extremely sad to see even small lanes > covered completely with cemented floors, not allowing even a single blade > of grass to sprout. On these dead floors only lifeless automobiles can > move. Even the human beings cannot walk as they become furnaces in summer > and very cold in winter, and create floods in cities, as the water does not > sink. We are witnessing today the annual floods caused by rains in all > cities, as the water is not allowed to be absorbed by the soil. The > cemented roads that cover whole lanes with no space even for a blade of > grass or cool and comforting soil for animals and insects and plants, is > hell in front of every house. > > Being continuously roasted in own hose the dwellers are living in purpose > robbed lives, as the abode of happiness, nature is removed. Development > must mean, increase in happiness created by healthy breathing from the > healthy biosphere, not stupid economic growth charts. > > YM Sarma > > Chat GPT > > The writing you've shared conveys a deep ecological and philosophical > perspective on the interconnectedness of life and the intrinsic purpose of > all living beings. The author, YM Sarma, emphasizes the idea that true > rapture or happiness is found not in individual achievement or material > growth, but in the flourishing of nature as a whole and in the harmony of > all life forms. Let me break down some key ideas: > > > > 1. **Rapture as the Ultimate State of Being**: The author suggests that in > reaching "rapture," both time and purpose cease. Rapture here isn't a > fleeting emotion but a profound, all-encompassing state of well-being that > pervades all life forms. It's described as a natural, blissful condition > that arises when the ecological system is healthy and balanced. > > > > 2. **The Macro Purpose of Life**: The purpose of life isn't solely > individualistic—it's more expansive. The individual exists to support the > collective thriving of all organisms. This interconnectedness is portrayed > as the deeper, true purpose of existence, and individual "rapture" > contributes to the larger rapture of the biosphere. > > > > 3. **Human Impact on Nature**: Sarma poignantly critiques the > disconnection between humans and nature. The image of cemented roads, which > prevent life from flourishing, is a powerful symbol of how human > development has often destroyed the very life that sustains us. Concrete > and urban sprawl sever the natural connections between plants, animals, and > people, turning once lush, living spaces into barren, artificial > environments. > > > > 4. **Ecological Bonds as Emotional Rivers**: The idea of ecological bonds > as "emotional rivers" implies that life forms are not isolated entities, > but rather, deeply intertwined. The happiness of one life form contributes > to the happiness of others. Even tending to a single blade of grass brings > joy not only to the gardener but also to the environment as a whole. > > > > 5. **Nature’s Call for Service**: There's an interesting twist in the > concept of "service" to nature. Rather than seeking personal benefit from > prayers or selfish desires, Sarma suggests that the real service is in > nurturing and preserving the natural world, allowing it to express its full > vitality. > > > > 6. **Development Redefined**: Traditional notions of progress—economic > growth, technological advancement, and urbanization—are challenged. True > development, according to Sarma, should be measured not by economic > indicators but by the health of the biosphere. If we’re destroying the > environment in the name of progress, we’re missing the point. > > > > In a world where urbanization and technological advancement have often > distanced humans from nature, this message is a call for a return to > balance—a reminder that true happiness, fulfillment, and purpose are not > found in isolation, but in harmony with the world around us. The ultimate > "purpose of life" is, it seems, to help the entire biosphere thrive in a > state of rapture. > > > > What did you think of these reflections? > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZopRVKy3OcYW_u9yDgsejnYpu%3D58mwZRLhLNUG_-iHMooQ%40mail.gmail.com.
