It's been quite a while, some friends have asked me. Some are via email or questions on social media. What is the meaning of life? A brief question, but one that demands deep reflection.
This question becomes important when the crisis is haunting. Uncertainty threatens the future. Regret for the past also stabbed the chest. Pandemics add to the list of scary things in human life.
Why Ask About Meanings?
On closer examination, the question of meaning has three roots. First, the question of meaning arises, because we don't live. That means we don't experience life as a whole. We get caught up in the thoughts and feelings that arise. In the midst of it all, we lose our understanding of who we are.
Second, we ask about meaning, because we have lost our way in life. Maybe, all this time, we lived only for ourselves. We live only to realize narrow, greedy personal ambitions. We live only to satisfy the endless impulses of self, for example for pleasure.
Third, the question of meaning is also born, because we live in the wrong teachings. We may live in the confines of an oppressive religion and culture. We grew up in a culture that emphasizes fear and blind obedience, without questioning. At one point, it all seems fake, and we start to rebel and ask questions.
We ask about meaning, also because we are bored. Everything looks useless. We lose the motivation to continue living and working. What used to be pleasurable now seems bland and meaningless.
Life is Enough
To answer the question of meaning, three things are important to consider. First, the meaning of life is to live fully. That is, we experience everything from moment to moment in its entirety and fullness. Suffering and happiness are experienced to their fullest extent because they are both lives itself.
Life is not continuous fun. Life is also not drunk all the time. Life is not enjoyment without limits. Life is a dance between sorrow and happiness that alternates. Celebrate it all.
Second, by saying yes to all the elements of life, including suffering and happiness, we will get clarity. We can see the world for what it is. We are no longer chained by emotions or thoughts that torment the soul. Moment by moment, we too can take the right attitude.
There comes a time, we must be quiet and watch. We let life flow past all the obstacles. There are times, we must act to help solve the problem. Clarity helps us determine when to be quiet and gentle, and when to act and be tough.
Third, the question of meaning disappears, when we realize how rich our life is. Look inside our bodies. How rich and amazing are the various processes that occur within oneself, from the digestive, nervous, respiratory systems to organ movements that occur all the time. Everything happened naturally and so amazingly, without our interference.
Our existence in the universe is also very amazing. Earth is a unique and special planet in the solar system. It is the only planet that can accommodate complex life, such as plants, animals, and humans because it is very well positioned about the sun and other planets. Realizing how wonderful all this is, we will never ask for meaning.
In the end, the question of the meaning of life can never be answered completely. Philosophical formulas will only fall into useless debates that cause headaches. That question will disappear naturally if we live completely here and now with all its riches, both suffering, and happiness. Amid the ups and downs of life, we observe everything completely, dancing occasionally.
Nice one