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What is the Meaning of Life?
To say that the meaning of life is everything indicates that life leaves nothing and no one out. “Everything” is just another way to embrace the infinite range of possibilities.
Have we come closer to answering the ultimate question, “What is the meaning of life?” Imagine for a moment that someone came up with an answer. Directly or indirectly, most of the traditional answers have crossed everyone’s path; the meaning of life usually comes down to a higher purpose, such as to glorify God, to glorify God’s creation, to love and be loved, to be true to oneself.
As with many other spiritual questions, I find it difficult to imagine how these answers could be tested. If someone holds down a good job, supports his or her family, pays taxes, and obeys the law, is that an example of glorifying God or of being true to oneself? In time of great crisis, such as war, does the meaning of life change? Perhaps it is all one can do to stay alive and be reasonably happy in a crisis.
Life refuses to be pinned down. Whatever meaning you want the universe to reflect, it provides. If you try to pin the universe down to one reflection, you pin your own life down at the same time.
Reality is like a two-way mirror that shows you yourself as well as what lies on the other side. This mutual effect is mandated because the universe doesn’t possess one set of facts. You the observer bring your version of reality into being.
Adapted from The Book of Secrets, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2004).
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13 comments
add your comment »Interesting point of view. You should share it with us on the meaning of life forum: http://www.whyistheresomething.com , there would be a lot of people interested, that's for sure.
Marcel
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That question haunts every human soul there are in this world. We find that answer by making our own discovery, or finding our own path. Mostly, I think the meaning of life is to learn and accept the way how things are. But whatever it is, we each have our answer to that.
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Your answer to this question lives in the silence of your heart...your Spirit. Listen and you will hear.
From the many interviews I conducted, actor Richard Dreyfuss' 'meaning of life' answer is one of my favorites. Part of his answer is: "It's your choice!" ...Sign up for a free copy to read the rest of his answer!
Viva la question!
take care,
Louise Lewis, author
"No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to YOU!
FREE gift e-book at: www.noexpertsneeded.com
(Simply my way of 'giving back' to life...
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Mary you Rock as I am upset at being blamed for the mess we are in `!! and even being called a whiner on 3 that is 3 network shows Deepak is nothing sacred to you? I am American I did not vote for this ? I cannot believe ears.....you really feel this way? You my friend need to reread your own
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The meaning of life.......its what you make it.
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So the day has come that some will think that there is no meaning to their lives, they will taunt the teacher, jeer the light-bringer, with no rhyme or reason. these are the same days that they blow up my mountains and rip the soul from the flesh of the mysterious. they will give soldiers ice cubes soaked in blood and human debris,take 300 billion gallons of water a day and say they are not making a negative impact on the agricultural communities and ecosystem there, while some people eek out a living collecting recycled materials, some outsource all their work selling brain enhancing health supplements drop shipped and others design TV commercials and do they know they lie, or do they only think we do what we are told? We try to solve the design criteria for the spot-- that is our main and ultimate priority and we don't need to know if this is real or actual or if this company is responsible for deforestation at a rate of one football field per minute, or that when this commercial succeeds, that rate is set to expand at 40% within two years?
meaning or no meaning to life is not the question, the question is will you allow yourself to have a personal meaning during your lifetime and if so, when will you allow it to come to fruition?
Marcus Arelias said something like what better to accept as your destiny than what lies before you? He probaly made it little more clear, poetic, but that is the jest of it- so go at it- get something meaningful for yourself, in your life, do
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Love being, love self, love each other, in the perfection of time and all we can learn from being consumed in it. The biggest lesson is yet to be revealed and understood universally, but, humanity as the potential to be great in peace, when we use our minds as one innocent child, knowledge and wellbeing will excel to a new level of awareness and security and our abilities will surpass the meaning of history, to be completely in tune with our own capacity to engage and cultivate the future of common participation in the quality and equality of life, for all species in creation, this was my understanding of selfless love, since, selfish love is by far the lesser part of being in the world right now and humanity needs to define its credentials and intentions in order to move forward, if it ever wants it's children to consider it to be great or respected. The writing is on the walls, in the hearts and minds of all earths’ children, until we lead with a global consensus of substance to our own significance as unique beings of unlimited potential, we will never know freedom.
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the meaning of life is what we should all be searching for. life is more than your spouse and children, more than your career or mortgage or cars. all of these are distractions that keep our awareness very limited to the self. Albert Einstein said:
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.
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I understand that the meaning of life is what each and every individual believes it to be at that moment that he/she asks themselves that question. I believe the meaning of life is to live our life as fully as possible while at the same time embracing whatever has come to us (good or bad because everything can be transformed into love). I believe the only sin we can be damned for is to not appreciate the life we are given and strive to transform every situation into a life of love unconditional.
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BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! Asking the question, "what is the meaning of life?", ASSUMES that there ACTUALLY IS a "meaning" of life, which, I submit, there is not (other than that which is conjured up by humans). Humans' intellectual, emotional, and/or spiritual needs compel him to attempt to answer this age-old question for the simple reason that he is afraid of accepting, or even contemplating, the (admittedly) unpleasant alternative, i.e., that the universe and all that occurs within it are nothing more than natural, random occurrences governed by physical laws that are devoid of any objective "meaning". If one desires to ascertain some sort of overarching "meaning of life", one has to do nothing more than make it up for himself! What do you think of that, Deepak, oh wise one???!!!
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