What is your idea of the purpose of life?

Question

I believe the purpose of life is to become more spiritually developed and closer to the Creator. Through all your experiences in each life the soul becomes more developed and you are able to make better decisions in life. Depending on how developed your soul is, you will be reincarnated on a different level planet when you die. Level 1 is the least developed and 9 is the highest. On a level 9 planet sickness and death and evil and materialism no longer exists. After you have become so spiritually developed that you pass level 9, you will join the Creator for infinity.
We live on a level 1 planet, obviously,
and we think we have a good civilization
with violence and materialism and nuclear war.
I hope that someday I can get off this planet
but I probably won't, I don't know why.
I have adapted this idea from
the book Thiaoouba Prophecy.
What do you think the purpose of life is?
Do you know any good books to read?
Thanks.

Answer 1

That question drove me crazy five years ago trying to figure out what to do with my life and what to major in the university.

I ended up majoring in Philosophy. Now that questions doesn't bother me at all anymore. Not sure if it was because I was too over depressed through my college years or was it because I realized there are so much uncertainty over what I can really know...or maybe because I've arrived to some answer.

It seems to me nothing in this world really quite matters anymore (at least that's how it feels like) since there're so much unknowns. But one thing is quite directly important -- the feeling of content instead of emptiness (which leads to pain).

This emptiness, I came to equalize with boredom or some thinks it's loneliness. What about a "heart/mind that is lack of occupance"? Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer'd say intellectual happiness is best way to fight the pain from boredom (http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/s/s... ) while writer like Dale Carnegie, author of "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living", acknowledge the pain from borement, but suggest more general solution of finding something you like doing or making boring duties fun. Some Christian'd say God has made a hole in your heart in which nothing can fill it except your belief in God and have Him close to your heart. Others might say the purpose of life is love. You need to find your soul mate. Some might add to it that evolution give us the purpose of nothing but reproduction and survival anyway.

I think which ever path or paths you takes, the remedy behind is to have something that fills and attract your mind into. Intellectual pursuit, lover, hobbies, God. When you have something to go after (and also something that is fruitful, something that won't lead you to terrible consequences and something you truely bring you content consistently, continuously and sustainably). The question as to whether there is a purpose of life doesn't matters anymore... maybe because you've found it. (Have I been going in a big circle?)

Answer 2

The purpose of life... I've thought about this a lot, but I've never actually put it into words before. Interesting. Right off the bat my answer is we are here to simply live; however, the more I think about it the different and more complex my conclusions become. I truthfully don't know why we are here, or how we got here. I am a firm believer in the evolutionary theory, but I realize the proof of the spiritual theory isn't any different than what different people believe. I think people are "still" trying to find the meaning of life. That is an unresolved question and that it will remain.

Answer 3

I am just another animal on this planet. A bit more evolved than some, but an animal nonetheless. My purpose is to help my species become ever more highly evolved. I am presently reading The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins. I am re-reading a translation of The Republic of Plato. Just for fun, Mario Puzzo's - Omerta

Answer 4

I believe the purpose of life is individually specific for every person. But if forced to create an umbrella belief, I would say that a pursuit of truth and a subsequent genuine effort to follow whatever interpretation of that truth you actually believe is probably the best anyone can accomplish.

Answer 5

This life is a test. We have angels recording everything that we're doing, and on the "day of judgement", this record will be shown to us.

If we do well (worship only one God, do good deeds, abstain from doing evil), then God-willing we should go to heaven. If we worship someone other than God (ie. Jesus, statues, etc...), then that's a big sin and the hell-fire is where you'll go.

I highly recommend reading the English translation of the Holy Qur'an, that's by far the best book to read.

Answer 6

I too struggle with this question... I sometimes don't see the point of creating this planet and all the people in it, to what end? We're all suffering at one time or other... we all get sad from time to time... I sometimes wonder if this is he-- and if we don't get it right we'll have to come back for another round... and I often wonder where all these new souls are coming from... the earth's population is increasing by leaps and bounds... where is everyone coming from? And why? Deep questions ;-)

Answer 7

Well you will be sorely disappointed to hear that there is actually no purpose to be alive. All life forms reproduce and try to stay alive. there is no real reason for our being. If our galaxy was sucked into the giant black hole in the center and we all died it wouldn't matter, because we have no purpose. We are just life forms on a rock stranded in the universe until the day we all die. How could we have a purpose on this rock. all purpose is created by ourselves and in our minds. we are actually useless.

Answer 8

I agree with you.

The meaning of life is for us to discover that we are true children of an infinitely loving and merciful God, to find out what our responsibilities are to our Creator, and to fulfill those responsibilities.
In His infinite goodness, God could not keep all to Himself the happiness of existence He enjoyed in heaven. Just as we may love our pets very much, cats and dogs are just not able to share with us the happiness we feel from music and sunsets and Super Bowls. Only our children can do that. This is why God had to create us as His true children. But complete free will is the essence of His nature. So we, His true children, also had to have complete free will, only without the infinite power and wisdom. That makes things difficult. That makes it possible and even likely for us to refuse to accept God's authority.

For the rest of the presentation please go to this link.
http://www.meaning-of-life.info/themeaningoflife.html

Answer 9

The purpose of human life is to enhance awareness.

"The Fire From Within", "The Eagles Gift", both by Carlos Castaneda. (I would recommend reading all his books.)

Answer 10

Love