Of course, life can have a meaning; I just don’t buy into a universal meaning or purpose applicable to all and sundry. No panacea, no pansophy. What is even the “meaning” of meaning? Not everyone experiences bliss and peace in meditation, in rituals or in pursuit of an inner calling. The meaning of life is the one you deduce from it. Its purpose is the one you assign to it.
A doctor’s could be treating patients, a general’s could be protecting the borders and a soldier’s could be combating the enemy. A painter’s could be in art, a musician’s could be in melody just like a mother’s could be in her child. If Buddha’s meaning was in meditation, Einstein’s was in Relativity, Steve Job’s was in Apple. I see little difference.
Everything I state is only my view and not the universal view. I have no absolute answers. Do we not say to children that tooth fairy exists, that Santa exists? Do we not tell them that they are a gift from God rather than saying that they were born out of a sexual act? And later, when they grow up, do we not give them the real answers?
Why? Because you care. You care about what and how much they can handle. Not everyone is ready to hear the truth, let alone practice it. Physical age or bookish knowledge has no correlation to one’s readiness. If you are willing to listen, Nature is ceaselessly offering answers to your questions. The appeal of an answer is not dependent on the answer itself but on the mindset of the questioner. Similarly, the meaning of life is not so much about the meaning itself as much as it’s about the one on the quest for it.
A German approached Srila Prabhupada — the sweet and simple saint, the founder of ISKCON.
“Why am I always sad and depressed?” he said. “Why must I suffer?”
“Because,” said Prabhupada, “you are a rascal. You did a lot of bad karma in your past life and now you are paying the price.”
Many will frown at this seemingly uncompassionate response but this seeker immediately fell at Prabhupada’s feet and became his disciple. It worked for him. He said he got the answer he’d been long searching. Go figure.
As for the question, Does God Exist? Of course. What exists other than God? Only God exists. For another time.
“How old are you really?” a man said to Mulla Nasrudin.
“I’m 42 years old.”
“How can that be? Four years ago too you’d said you were 42!”
“That’s right,” replied Mulla. “I always stand by what I say.”
Consistency of beliefs is burdensome. How will you experience the beauty and depth of the ocean without undocking your ship? Give yourself room to learn, to play, to explore, to experience, to be. Come anew. Holding on to a belief may be comforting, compelling, even energizing, but letting go is liberating. It’s okay to prefer comfort over liberation if you so wish, it’s a question of choice, a matter of temperament. Take your pick.
Om Namah Shivay
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