What is the meaning of life?

Kunga

When I was younger I use to get very depressed because life seemed meaningless. I believed in determinism and thought that everyone was motivated purely by self-interest. I suffered a lot.

Then I found Buddhism. Buddhism told me that it was okay to suffer. It also taught me compassion and loving-kindness. It gave me a path.

But more recently I find I have hit a road block: Buddhism teaches us that everything that comes together will eventually fall apart. That everything is impermanent. But I am still left wondering, Why do things come together at all in the first place? What is the meaning behind the temporary phenomenon? Is there truly no purpose to it? No unifying force behind it?

finding0

The only thing that is real is consciousness. All else is the dream of this consciousness. Thus form and the formless. All manifestation is this consciousness experiencing its self with in its selfs as its self. All is one. there is no such thing as separation. We can make our meaning anything we would like. It does not matter. It is because it is. It simply just is. no what ,were, when, who ,or why

Daozen

42.

Kunga

But isn't this consciousness which has the power to create meaning and do so much really quite an awesome thing? Isn't there some value in this consciousness? Shouldn't we, for example, strive to defend the existence of this consciousness? Isn't a world with consciousness somehow better than a world without consciousness?

MindGate

Hmm... Well, I'll try to write up a quick answer which I will most likely regret writing. I do not claim to know much. In fact, I know nothing, but this is what I got:

Q: Why is there something rather than nothing?
A: Because nothing, by its very nature, cannot exist.

Q: Why do things come together?
A: What else would they do? You can't have something go up if there was no down. You couldn't have big if there was no small. You couldn't have things come together if they didn't fall apart.

Q: What is the purpose of life?
A: I don't know; ask yourself this. What keeps driving you to live? For most people - for life in general - they just want to be happy. Happiness drives people to live - life itself drives us to live.

Q: Why is there life?
A: Ask science.

Q: What happens to me when I die?
A: What happened to you before you were born? What happens to you when you sleep? What happens to those dying skin cells right now? Go read the Heart Sutra. It claims there was nothing alive to die. Think about conditioning, emptiness, and such. The answer will come to you.

Q: Is there a unifying force behind everything?
A: Everything is the unifying force.

Roger

Meaning of life: love, kindness and compassion. That's it. That's all there is for us humans. Nothing else. We're stuck with that for around 80+ years.

Hear something different? Keep asking questions until you see what the joke is.

Now-Is-reality

42.

Umm no... 47. Better number.

And I agree with finding0 if you look into emptiness, you see that everything exists on 3 phenomena arising together (as defined) and in this definition there is always a self that is present. AKA putting yourself into things through labeling, attachment, judgement, etc. We differentiate between things (hence labeling) and thus phenomena occurs on a basis of our consciousness. SO think of it as everything you see is, as you say, a combination or arising phenomena? Why does it occur, because you allow it to occur. The meaning? Simply that everything is one (which creates duality I know, everything is everything works better heh).

Now-Is-reality

But isn't this consciousness which has the power to create meaning and do so much really quite an awesome thing? Isn't there some value in this consciousness? Shouldn't we, for example, strive to defend the existence of this consciousness? Isn't a world with consciousness somehow better than a world without consciousness?

Well, if you recognize the existence of a consciousness, you should recognize the suffering that arises from it, no? That isn't to say completely abolish thought all together...

MindGate

The term "better," Kunga, has no true meaning.

Cloud

@Kunga, Buddhism is about opening our minds to how reality really is, not about a "meaning". We're only here for a short time, so clinging to a meaning doesn't seem to have much of a point. What helps is seeing life as it really is, losing all sense of being separate so that you can help alleviate the suffering of others, possibly even open their eyes to the truth as well.

What Buddhism gives us is the peace to not need to find meanings anymore. When we see the truth, we stop searching and our minds become still. Then the work of helping everyone else can truly begin.

Kunga

I really appreciate the honest answers from everyone. I think its easy to dismiss the question off-hand. thank you.

federica

@Kunga His Holiness the DL, stated that the PURPOSE of life is to be happy, and to make others happy.

In that order.

By happy, he didn't mean a selfish happiness.
he meant that we have to recognise suffering, accept it and work to make it cease. But to do it with a light heart and a favourable and serene attitude.
If you cannot be happy within yourself, making others happy will always carry an agenda.
Strive to establish a calm serenity 'withi'n, and everything 'without', will flow.

Jason

When I was younger I use to get very depressed because life seemed meaningless. I believed in determinism and thought that everyone was motivated purely by self-interest. I suffered a lot.

Then I found Buddhism. Buddhism told me that it was okay to suffer. It also taught me compassion and loving-kindness. It gave me a path.

But more recently I find I have hit a road block: Buddhism teaches us that everything that comes together will eventually fall apart. That everything is impermanent. But I am still left wondering, Why do things come together at all in the first place? What is the meaning behind the temporary phenomenon? Is there truly no purpose to it? No unifying force behind it?

That's an interesting question, and to be honest, I don't really know answer. From the Buddhist point of view, things arise and come together and cease and break a part due to a complex causal process, especially psychological states. The Buddha described the general principle as:

When this is, that is.
From the arising of this comes the arising of that.
When this isn't, that isn't.
From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.

It's a natural process that may very well not have any outside meaning or unifying force (like God) behind it, just as evolution is a natural process whereby species change due to random mutations in genes causing variation, some of which are beneficial and some that aren't. That doesn't mean, however, that we can't make our own meaning in life.

Moreover, the Buddha taught that one can actively transcend this process of conditionality—that one can 'touch the deathless' in an experience that's unable to be satisfactorily expressed in words. For example, there's this passage from MN 64:

Whatever is there of material form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness — he beholds these phenomena as impermanent, suffering, as a disease, a boil, a dart, a misfortune, an affliction, as alien, as decomposing, as empty, as selfless. He turns his mind away from these phenomena; and when he has turned his mind away from them, he focuses his mind on the deathless element [amata-dhatu], thinking: "This is the peaceful, this is the sublime, that is, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing of the foundations, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, nibbana." (Bodhi)

So even if Buddhism doesn't posit a 'meaning' to life, it does provide a goal that, at least in theory, seems worth pursuing. And this should be a source of joy because it's saying that, even if there's no cosmic 'meaning' or 'point' given to life from the outside, we can still give our lives meaning and find things like compassion, goodwill and happiness all around us.

Just something to think about.

zidangus

The Buddha divided all questions into four classes:

1: Those that deserve a categorical (straight yes or no) answer.

2: Those that deserve an analytical answer, defining and qualifying the terms of the question.

3: Those that deserve a counter-question, putting the ball back in the questioner's court.

4: Those that deserve to be put aside.

This I think comes into the fourth category, that is those that don't lead to the end of suffering and stress they in fact cause more suffering and stress within a person.
So for me I would not become attached to finding a definitive answer to your question, and instead try to concentrate your energy and mind on questions relating to the first three categories, particular questions regarding the four noble truths, to try and encourage more contentment in who you are and where your life is.
That's my advice anyway on the question that you ask,

Metta to all sentient beings

genkaku

Kunga -- For my money, a Buddhist practice begins with "meaning" and "belief" and "hope." These aspects inspire us to practice. In that atmosphere, the idea of no-meaning or no-belief or no-hope seems preposterously depressing. And no Buddhist with a little practice behind him/her would promote no-meaning, no-belief or no-hope ... that's just another version of meaning, belief and hope.

But with practice, I imagine, experience begins to assert itself. Experience trumps meaning and hope and belief. Experience is clear and requires no complicated or elevated discussion. If you bang your thumb with a hammer, it hurts. Nothing is unclear and no philosophy or religion is required. "Ouch!" Later, of course, we may exercise our "wisdom" and try not to hit our thumbs again: How meaningful, how believable, how hopeful!

With experience, our explanations are less necessary. Don't do that -- that is enough. Do do this -- that is enough.

Sorry ... this is probably a bad explanation. But with practice, it may make some sense.

Best wishes.

johnathan

42.

Umm no... 47. Better number.

@Now-Is-Reality

The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is, and shall always be 42...

Arjquad

The meaning of life, it is a very complicated idea to answer. But if I may quote the movie "City Slickers" the meaning of life is one thing, and it's diffrent for everyone and they must find it out for themselves.

hermitwin

Simple answer is life has no meaning. Or nobody knows.
How do I live my life? Simply and doing whatever it takes to reach nirvana.

Epicurus

Meaning is a concept that only makes sense within the confines of a human mind. It's a human construct. A human concept. A human filter of reality.

A mile doesn't "exist". A gram doesn't "exist". We THINK it, we measure reality using man-made abstract concepts. If they are abstract that means they "are" not concrete.

Meaning doesn't exist. We THINK it.

As far as I'm concerned...it's that simple.

Inji-gyo

What is the meaning of spilled milk?

Disney

But more recently I find I have hit a road block: Buddhism teaches us that everything that comes together will eventually fall apart. That everything is impermanent. But I am still left wondering, Why do things come together at all in the first place? What is the meaning behind the temporary phenomenon? Is there truly no purpose to it? No unifying force behind it?

Every form and formless (mental) of sentient beings are merely in a dream of yourself, so close and lovely together, there is no permanent existence. Every form and formless (mental) of enlightenment beings are inherent suchness of permanent self. The meaning behind the temporary phenomenon is to be enlightened and live pleasantly, as well as getting others onboard as and when necessary.

pineblossom

Why does life have to have meaning?

Zayl

To be happy.

I've known this since I was a child.

federica

I still AM a child.....

In oh, so many ways...

Zayl

We all are, I feel :P