Purpose of Life
It is an undeniable fact that man is born on this earth.
Yet, why are we born, what are our duties? I request you to remove this veil
and give us light that can be understood by all, with your grace.
Sage Agastya: You are asking a question that will bring
light to the people of the world.
First, reflect on who you are? Man is made up of the
physical body and the astral body comprising of intellect and senses, that
surround the soul.
So, does ‘you’ indicate your body, your mind, or your soul?
When you gain true knowledge that ‘you’ are not the body, nor
the mind, then ‘you’ will realize that you are the soul.
The goal of the soul is to return to the place it has come
from. However, maya[1] conceals this
knowledge for some time in some people, and for some lifetimes in others. It is
only when the person reaches self-realization, does he realize that he is but a
soul. The moment the soul realizes its true nature, it yearns to return to the
Supreme.
Man is that which is
composed of the mind, and the body which has the five senses, that is around
the soul. Hence, we must reflect on the three aspects of body, mind and soul when
talking about man.
This soul that has intellect and form, is the light of
knowledge that has emerged from Paramatma, hence, the soul itself has no duty.
Yet, there is a magnetic force that is inherent in this soul that desires to be
freed from the body and return to the place it has come from. The soul is
caught in the vessel called maya because of its own doing. If the soul must get
liberated, then the body and mind must become pure.
That is why the soul is teaching the mind some righteous
paths as given by God. The duty of the mind is to show the righteous path to
the body that has different limbs. However, the mind is like a drunken monkey
and loses its focus sometimes. The five senses that are caught in their grip, slip,
and go elsewhere than the path they must take.
The responsibility of taking the physical body on the right
path is given to the intellect. However, like a drunken monkey, it sometimes instigates
man to act wrongly and leads him down the wrong path.
Understanding what has been explained so far, let us see how
an average man must live. The precepts given by God have been changing in
accordance with the times.
In the olden days, man’s behavior was in accordance with the
guidance of the good, the lessons given by the four Vedas, the knowledge given
by the Gurus.
The primitive man lived a simple life in harmony with the
nature around him. As time passed, man started looting nature, which can be
likened to a tunnel of gold, for pleasure. He did not pay any heed to the fact
that it is nature that is vital in sustaining his life and other living things
like him.
This is the biggest sin that he is committing without even
understanding it. This is the first mistake he has made in his duty. Having
been born, he has forgotten that the animal life forms that were born along
with him are part of God’s creation. They are souls just like him and he is
looting them at an excessive rate. This is the second error that he is
committing that is against the duty he was to discharge.
It is distasteful to see all this. Even though there are many
opportunities for man to understand why he was created, he does not have the
curiosity to do so. That is why man must consider others as his own family and
help them to live a good life. This is one of his primary duties.
Instead of this what is it that is actually happening? Once
in a while he attends a spiritual event, sits, and listens intermittently like
a cow chewing food that he has hurriedly eaten that day. He then claps his
hands along with all the others assembled there, and once the group disperses,
returns to his old way of life.
Once he returns home, he closes the door even though it is
still daylight and like a blind person brings darkness into his home and to
those that surround him.
Many a man who is born, expends all his energy on satiating
his carnal appetite, and then once he gains satisfaction in it, spends the rest
of his life, struggling to bring up his children.
Every day returning from work, he eats a big meal, drinks
alcohol, and medicine, and goes to sleep. When the alarm rings again in the
morning, he jumps up from the bed, hurriedly finishes his daily ablutions; without
bothering to understand, or appreciate what he is eating, swallows his food, and
hurriedly gets into his vehicle.
Then, without even being conscious of the rapid beating of
his heart, he returns to his workplace.
Such a man does not understand who he is, why he is born or
what the relationship is between him and the world. He does not understand the relationship
between him, his family, and others beyond his circle. His limited sphere of
thought is confined only to himself and his family. His only idea is that he
must enjoy life. Such a man gets caught in the cycle of birth and rebirth and returns
repeatedly in an endless cycle.
[1] Maya: Illusion.
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