What is the purpose of life?

Answer 1

The purpose of life is not MATERIAL HAPPINESS which is transitory, flickering and temporary. In opposition to that is the eternal SPIRITUAL HAPPINESS obtained with love of Godhead.

In the material world everything is temporary and comes to and end or dies for that which has birth has death also. But,the reason behind birth and death is to learn the lesson that the material world is temporary and miserable as told by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita(8.15) thus, "After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection".

Just like one goes to school not to stay there permanently or one goes to the hospital not to stay there for over. From the school we learn and go out and from the hospital we get cured and go out. Similarly in this temporary miserable world of repeated birth and death (Mrityu samsara) we learn the lesson and go back to our original home, back to God's abode in the spiritual world

The same question was asked by Mike Robinson of London Broadcasting Company in 1976 while interviewing Prabhupada(Founder of ISKCON). Some excerpts from that :

Mike Robinson: Can you tell me what you believe to be the meaning of life? Why do we exist in the first place?

Srila Prabhupada: The meaning of life is to enjoy. But now you are on a false platform of life, and therefore you are suffering instead of enjoying. Everywhere we see the struggle for existence. Everyone is struggling, but what is their enjoyment in the end? They are simply suffering and dying. Therefore, although life means enjoyment, at the present moment your life is not enjoyment. But if you come to the real, spiritual platform of life, then you'll enjoy.

Mike Robinson: Can you explain to me, finally, some of the stages you go through in spiritual life? What are the spiritual stages a new devotee of Krishna goes through?

Srila Prabhupada: The first stage is that you are inquisitive. "So," you say, "what is this Krishna consciousness movement? Let me study it." This is called sraddha, or faith. This is the beginning. Then, if you are serious, you mix with those who are cultivating this knowledge. You try to understand how they are feeling. Then you'll feel, "Why not become one of them?" And when you become one of them, then all your misgivings soon go away. You become more faithful, and then you get a real taste for Krishna consciousness. Why aren't these boys going to see the cinema? Why don't they eat meat or go to the nightclub? Because their taste has changed. They hate all these things now. In this way, you make progress. First faith, then association with devotees, then removal of all misgivings, then firm faith, then taste, then God realization, and then love of God, the perfection. That is first-class religion. Not some ritualistic ceremony of "I believe, you believe." That is not religion. That is cheating. Real religion means to develop your love for God. That is the perfection of religion.

Mike Robinson: Thank you very much for talking with me. It's been a pleasure talking to you.

Srila Prabhupada: Hare Krishna.

Answer 2

Life – it has a meaning and loving purpose - you just have to find your purpose and live it.

I believe every person is here for a definite purpose. Each person is special and valuable; that refers to me, you, your family, friends, in fact everybody! There is a loving plan for each of our lives here on earth and there is no such thing as coincidence. I don't believe that anything in life happens by chance and that every aspect of our lives points to something deeper.

You need to decide now to live for God rather than for yourself. You spend your life on Earth preparing yourself (as best you can) for death. I don't see death as a scary, negative experience, but birth into a bliss filled eternal life with God. I believe that this is something you have to consciously choose or not during your life on earth.

The meaning of life is for us to discover that we are true children of an infinitely loving God, to find out what our responsibilities are to our Creator, and to fulfill those responsibilities. Each of us is called to affirm, accept and develop the talents God has given us. -

Answer 3

Everyone can know their life purpose through regular practise of ANAPANASATI meditation which enables to attain thoughtless state, receive cosmic energy and third eye vision. For more details contact Pyramid Spiritual Society - www.pss.org

Answer 4

For me, the meaning and purpose of life is to go back, from where we came from. We came from the Source of Life ( God the Father ) He put us here in temporary state until we decided ( by freewill ) to return to Him.
But returning to the Source is not as easy, as the way we look at it. First you have to accept His Son as your Lord and Master. He requires obedience and faith to follow the instruction given via Bible. Humans has to undergone a process in order to achieve the purpose. Which we view as suffering and self-denial.
But He will send a helper, the missing part of every human being , the Spirit of God, which will provide wisdom and guidance and fill us inner peace and happiness.
Through experience of the process required, bit by bit, one by one, we will able to understand more, about God, why He created us and How much He love us to return to Him.
Love God will all your heart, soul and mind and Love your neighbor as yourself.
Do not love the physical world as well your physical body for it will came to pass, it will end. But returning to the Source will give us eternal life.

Answer 5

I do believe that the purpose of the life is to worship the God, what ever you are doing in this life is a part of the worship process.

Answer 6

purpose of life is
feel the Love by loving the God
or
gain knowledge by experiencing the God
or
act without self to understand the actions of
God

Answer 7

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Answer 8

1. Understand and then fulfil your individual responsibilities.
2. Making yourself happy by doing things what makes you
Happy.

There is nothing else as an individual, whether he is a President of a nation or a an ordinary worker. All your actions and achievements are meant for above two things.

Answer 9

Depends on your parents. what they teach you to achieve. A teacher will want to make his child and intellectual. a businessman to earn money and get rich.
In india, the womens fate is sealed. our society just expects a woman to get married and have children. this purpose should change. life is like a sea. its up to you whether you pick up sand, pebbles, sea-shells or pearls.

Answer 10

Expression. Individually, experiencing Joy.