What Is The Meaning Of Life?

[Harry Haller]

The meaning of life seems to me, to be pointing inwards, so inwards that I have come to the conclusion that the meaning of life is to find out who you are, and then be that person.

Of course this requires much digging and discarding until you find the core of yourself, I am curious as to what other members feel is the meaning of life, and I am also curious as to what members feel the Sikh way of life is.

 

[TigerStyleZ]

If somebody asks me about the meaning of life and similiar things.. I always love to quote Teja Singh..

The aim of life, according to the Sikh Gurus, is not to get salvation or aheavenly abode called Paradise, but to develop the best in us which is God.
- Teja SIngh

This pretty much sums everything up for me.. It is a very deep and can be seen troughout our King , Siri Guru Granth Sahib ji..

 

[Harry Haller]

Tigerji

I am glad that at least two of us agree that there is more to life than this damn salvation everyone keeps talking about, or to sit next to Guruji drinking nectar and eating rice pudding!

 

[japjisahib04]

The purpose of life is full of purpose and to discover the divine treasure from within and how to make use of them, 'ਜਿਸੁ ਜਲ ਨਿਧਿ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਤੁਮ ਜਗਿ ਆਏ ਸੋ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗੁਰ ਪਾਹੀ ਜੀਉ ॥ thus ਛੋਡਹੁ ਵੇਸੁ ਭੇਖ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਇਹੁ ਫਲੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥ SGGS 598.4

 

[Harry Haller]

The purpose of life is full of purpose and to discover the divine treasure from within and how to make use of them, 'ਜਿਸੁ ਜਲ ਨਿਧਿ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਤੁਮ ਜਗਿ ਆਏ ਸੋ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗੁਰ ਪਾਹੀ ਜੀਉ ॥ thus ਛੋਡਹੁ ਵੇਸੁ ਭੇਖ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਇਹੁ ਫਲੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥ SGGS 598.4

would you say the divine treasure is readily visible, or do we need to strip away layers of falsehood first?

 

[japjisahib04]

Harry jee

It is readily available in all but has been covered with layers of falsehood i.e. why guru sahib says, give up your thought process and follow the one which is gifted to you - nanak likhiya naal.

 

[Harry Haller]

I wonder then, just how hard it is to know what is false and what is not. Are we in danger of throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

 

[japjisahib04]

It is not difficult, we have SGGS to distiniguish and If you are not living in 'anand' then all what we are doing is out of 'mai dar dar kardi'

 

[singh_man]

I know people who do sewa, live honest and virtuous lives and "say" they keep waheguru in their thoughts and mind constantly but still don't seem happy and seem stressed. They hold on to the past or worry about the future, which in my humble opinion is consuming too many mental calories! How do we help people live in the now and let things go, or just let it be?

 

[Harry Haller]

I know people who do sewa, live honest and virtuous lives and "say" they keep waheguru in their thoughts and mind constantly but still don't seem happy and seem stressed. They hold on to the past or worry about the future, which in my humble opinion is consuming too many mental calories! How do we help people live in the now and let things go, or just let it be?

happiness is a temporary state of mind, and different things make different people happy, my opinion is that in order to find contentment, one must stop looking for happiness, and in that process, one realises that one is actually happy. Not the mind blowing happiness that comes with a snort of coke, or the turn of a card, but the more subtle happiness of knowing that whether you are in the depths of hell, or the pleasures of heaven, its all the same, you can cope, you can live, you can get your head down and get on with it, and find moments of pleasure, and know nothing can touch you.

 

[singh_man]

Interesting topic. I think people's perception and tolerance of happiness vary greatly. One person's contentment could be another person's stress basket. I may be content with someone laughing at me (shrug it off) while someone else may internalize it, feel hurt and stress over it.

 

[Harry Haller]

Interesting topic. I think people's perception and tolerance of happiness vary greatly. One person's contentment could be another person's stress basket. I may be content with someone laughing at me (shrug it off) while someone else may internalize it, feel hurt and stress over it.

and out of the two of you, I would wager you would be the most content, and therefore the most likely to realise the god given you!

I do not believe it is possible to realise the true you whilst in the pursuit of temporary happiness

 

[singh_man]

True - I do feel more content and not really stressed about much ;-) And then this comes across as less "empathetic". I rather spend my calories on driving positivity and solutions than wallowing along with people stuck in their past miseries.

 

[TigerStyleZ]

Sat Siri Akaal,

Harry ji you could have also asked if there is a life before death. Equals it somehow..

I think the meaning of liffe is simple.. It is just to BE. To BE a DISCIPLE of LIFE. A Sikh. You can obtain it through honesty and truth.. which lies in everyone. You have to develop that foundation stone by stone i.e. through Guru Maharaj .

Just my 2 Cents..

PS. Have found a good Video on Youtube from "Harinder SIngh" of the Sikh Research Institute. It is good to listen..I think.

 

[japjisahib04]

I know people who do sewa, live honest and virtuous lives and "say" they keep waheguru in their thoughts and mind constantly but still don't seem happy and seem stressed. They hold on to the past or worry about the future, which in my humble opinion is consuming too many mental calories! How do we help people live in the now and let things go, or just let it be?

Those who remain tuned with truth and walk on the path laid by divine, don't get disturbed about their past and worry about future. In order to confront their fear and not to lose their balance and temper, gurbani says, 'ਊਠਤ ਬੈਠਤ ਸੋਵਤ ਧਿਆਈਐ ॥ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਚਲਤ ਹਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਗਾਈਐ ॥੧॥. This is called 24x7 simran.

 

[singh_man]

The meaning of life seems to me, to be pointing inwards, so inwards that I have come to the conclusion that the meaning of life is to find out who you are, and then be that person.

Of course this requires much digging and discarding until you find the core of yourself, I am curious as to what other members feel is the meaning of life, and I am also curious as to what members feel the Sikh way of life is.

View attachment 19513

But how do you really know "who you are"? Is there a self-assessment that scores us on some self-awareness scale and allows us to be quantifiably ranked across society? Or is my perception of who I am and my contentment with that good enough? I guess the question is "when do I know I have found my core self?" I'm always seeking to improve and attain peace and contentment knowing I'm not doing anything bad.

 

[Harry Haller]

But how do you really know "who you are"? Is there a self-assessment that scores us on some self-awareness scale and allows us to be quantifiably ranked across society? Or is my perception of who I am and my contentment with that good enough? I guess the question is "when do I know I have found my core self?" I'm always seeking to improve and attain peace and contentment knowing I'm not doing anything bad.

my own opinion

Firstly, just because you have found yourself does not mean it is for keeps, you have to work at it, keep your mind focused on the good, and ignore the bad, ignore the temptations that do nothing other than fill your time with pleasure whilst causing damage, but once it is there, I think you just know, you just know that you are getting closer to the truth and further away from the darkness, I think you can feel it, being closer to the truth feels calm, good, noble, getting away from it feels like a panic, unease, fear, anger, frustration, discontentment, thats how I feel anyway

 

[singh_man]

my own opinion

Firstly, just because you have found yourself does not mean it is for keeps, you have to work at it, keep your mind focused on the good, and ignore the bad, ignore the temptations that do nothing other than fill your time with pleasure whilst causing damage, but once it is there, I think you just know, you just know that you are getting closer to the truth and further away from the darkness, I think you can feel it, being closer to the truth feels calm, good, noble, getting away from it feels like a panic, unease, fear, anger, frustration, discontentment, thats how I feel anyway

I totally agree. I must say, since rediscovering Sikhi within the past year, I do truly feel more calm, centered, content and not stressed. The connection to naam feels real within me. Amazing.

 

[Tejwant Singh]

The meaning of life seems to me, to be pointing inwards, so inwards that I have come to the conclusion that the meaning of life is to find out who you are, and then be that person.

Of course this requires much digging and discarding until you find the core of yourself, I am curious as to what other members feel is the meaning of life, and I am also curious as to what members feel the Sikh way of life is.

View attachment 19513

The meaning of life for me as a Sikh is: If life handles you lemons, make the best lemonade out of them.

 

[Harry Haller]

The meaning of life for me as a Sikh is: If life handles you lemons, make the best lemonade out of them.

and then go into business selling lemonade!