A question which vexes me is "What is the purpose of my life?"

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I have spent quite a lot of time thinking, meditating, and reading to find the answer. But the answer to this fundamental question for all humanity is very difficult to answer.?

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If one goes by reason, one would find that one gets born without one's permission, one grows, eats, drinks, works and follows those pursuits that interests one. And then, doing as such, dies. This completes the journey. But if one looks at one's life on earth in hindsight, it is difficult to say that this was the "purpose " of life. Can eat, drink and be merry be the purpose of life? If so, we would be like animals living on instincts.

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If one says that one's purpose in life is to be the best in what one does, say the best painter, the best statesman, the best sportsperson, still then, the answer is not complete. Being the best in one's sphere of work may satisfy one's ego but surely one would continue to crave for more. Satisfaction will still elude and the question on the "purpose of life" will not be answered.

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It appears that the answer to this simple question is not simple. Hence one needs to delve deep inside one's psyche and introspect. Perhaps the story of a king who achieves all fame and glory, but renounces everything to seek "aatmic shanti" or calm and tranquillity of the soul, explains the dilemma. After all the conquests that he won, power, fame, and wealth he collected, King Ashoka still yearned for inner happiness and fulfilment.

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The purpose of life to me thus appears to be not just achievement in one's work or interests, but beyond this, to achieve supreme happiness. A state of bliss or "nirvana" which is elusive and difficult to achieve. Perhaps, the pursuit of nirvana is the purpose of life! But then comes the question as to how does one know that this "supreme happiness ", aatmic shanti or nirvana is the purpose of our life? One's answer can be either based on reason or faith.

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Reason tells us that achieving supreme bliss which is more precious than any material gain must be the purpose of life as one's work in life is dedicated to acquiring wealth, fame and power which would lead to happiness, but falls short as it does not give supreme bliss.?

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Faith, on the other hand explains, that the purpose of life is to free the aatma or soul from the cycle of birth and rebirth by doing such deeds which give happiness and prosperity to all living beings. Faith explains that aatma is immortal and is a part of the paramaatma. Aatma is born in living form to clean the blemishes that it has got on it is aatmic chadar or on the soul canvas. The blemishes are the result of bad karma and must be washed away by doing good karma. Once the blemishes are cleaned the soul or aatma merges with the paramaatma and achieves moksha.?

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This then seems to be the purpose of life - to be free from the bondage of birth and rebirth.

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On this note it is important to understand what was said by Guru Adi Shankaracharya in the Nirvana Shatkam. He said that the human being is neither body, mind, senses, or anything that can be described.

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“Mano buddhi ahankara chittani naaham na cha shrotravjihve na cha ghraana netre na cha vyoma bhumir na tejo na vaayuhu chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham”

I am not any aspect of the mind like the intellect, the ego or the memory, I am not the organs of hearing, tasting, smelling or seeing, I am not the space, nor the earth, nor fire, nor air, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, am Shiva (that which is not) ...

“na cha prana sangyo na vai pancha vayuhu na va sapta dhatur na va pancha koshah na vak pani-padam na chopastha payu chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham”

I am not the Vital Life Energy (Prana), nor the Five Vital Airs (manifestations of Prana), I am not the seven essential ingredients nor the 5 sheaths of the body, I am not any of the body parts, like the mouth, the hands, the feet, etc., I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not) ...

“na me dvesha ragau na me lobha mohau na me vai mado naiva matsarya bhavaha na dharmo na chartho na kamo na mokshaha chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham”

There is no hatred nor passion in me, no greed nor delusion, There is no pride, nor jealousy in me, I am not identified with my duty, wealth, lust or liberation, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not) ...

“na punyam na papam na saukhyam na duhkham na mantro na tirtham na veda na yajnah aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham”

I am not virtue nor vice, not pleasure or pain, I need no mantras, no pilgrimage, no scriptures or rituals, I am not the experience, not the object of experience, not even the one who experiences, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not)....

“na me mrtyu shanka na mejati bhedaha pita naiva me naiva mataa na janmaha na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyaha chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham”

I am not bound by death and its fear, not by caste or creed, I have no father, nor mother, or even birth, I am not a relative, nor a friend, nor a teacher nor a student, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, am Shiva (that which is not) ...

“aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo vibhut vatcha sarvatra sarvendriyanam na cha sangatham naiva muktir na meyaha chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham”

I am devoid of duality, my form is formlessness, I am omnipresent, I exist everywhere, pervading all senses, I am neither attached, neither free nor limited, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not) ...

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