Throughout history, the meaning and purpose of life have been topics of contemplation for philosophers, theologians, scientists, and thinkers. The responses to these questions differ greatly based on cultural, religious, philosophical, and individual viewpoints. Further, the meaning and reason for our existence are unique to each individual and depend on their beliefs, thoughts, scientific knowledge, spiritual and personal encounters. Discovering one’s purpose also requires considering one’s morals, interests, and the difference one wants to make in the world and the lives of others.

Many individuals discover purpose and fulfillment in their lives by pursuing their interests, building solid relationships, pursuing meaningful careers, and positively contributing to society. These endeavors can take different forms, such as engaging in creative activities, making scientific breakthroughs, engaging in charitable efforts, or raising and nurturing a family. Let us further ponder the spiritual perspective on the meaning and purpose of life.

Life is happening within you at this very moment. It vibrates with aware energy; it is present in your breath and blood and pulsating in your heart. The essence of your life is who and what you are right now. You do not have to wait or discover a meaning; you must create one. Go with an open mind, not imitating or copying others, and be innovative and dynamic with alertness and clarity regarding everything you see, think, and do. Do not easily believe what you hear from others, especially when you consider them superior to yourself or if they impress your mind in any manner. Use your intelligence because If you do not bring forth what is within you, you may destroy yourself with a meaningless life. Because of the qualities or emotions inside you, borrowed knowledge from here and there, along with those suppressed feelings imitating and copying others, will eventually harm you. In other words, ignoring or repressing your true self can lead to internal conflict and suffering.

The Hindu Vedic scriptures propose four aims or purposes of life – Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. With righteous living, seek economic prosperity to satiate emotional desires. After that, if content, seek spiritual prowess to liberate your true self from your mind by non-attaching from life’s illusions. Transcending from dualities of pleasure and pain or happiness and sadness to a realm of mental peace and tranquillity with selfless service in the companionship of your soul, you realize a harmonious life, balancing the material with the spiritual.  

The above-said emphasizes the importance of keeping one’s priorities straight and focusing on the bigger picture. While it’s crucial to enjoy each moment to the fullest, we often lose sight of our overall well-being and happiness when we fixate on individual goals. Many people get caught up in trivial matters, overlooking what truly matters. Consider your most profound quest when materially assessing your progress and planning for the future. Genuine commitment to a cause requires sincere feelings and dedication when material and spiritual objectives combine with awareness and equality. For meaning and fulfillment in life, these goals help balance individual objectives with overall well-being and happiness, guiding one toward a path of wholesomeness. Always remember that spiritualism is fundamentally knowing who you are beyond your body and mind to fulfill one’s life. Otherwise, you go on a roller-coaster ride of happiness and sadness in all sorts of dualities.

 In spirituality, the core purpose of life is to live fully and embrace the cycle of existence with aware-conscious energy. However, amidst our daily routines, we often forget this truth. We get caught up in specific objectives, neglecting our overall well-being, living in illusions, and existing in dualities of this and that for me and mine. At times, we focus on trivial matters; at other times, we may lack purpose. The Hindu text suggests that when the mind evaluates accomplishments and plans for the future, we should reflect on what we genuinely desire at our soul level. It emphasizes the importance of dedicating our lives to pursuits that align with our deepest values and aspirations, ensuring that our endeavors are meaningful and fulfilling not only selfishly but also selflessly, emphasizing both material and spiritual. Guiding that during our younger age,  the main focus of life is dedicated to our material progress to become something. However, as we become wiser, we must also devour the remaining part of our life in spiritual practices, with contentment and clarity reducing our attachments to worldly activities. 

Life is a journey of good and evil instances; we become wiser not by ignoring them but by introspecting, experiencing, and realizing how to become wiser from them. Our world is often consumed by desires and pursuits that can lead to feelings of oppression and irrationality. Whether caught up in self-pity, striving for achievements, feeling discontent, or chasing power, we are constantly entangled in a cycle of pursuing happiness through external means. We rarely take the time to introspect and analyze our thoughts, feelings, and actions unquestioningly without justifying or judging them with preconceived notions. Embracing self-observation as a habit fosters a deeper connection with our mind, body, and world.

Through consistent watching and witnessing our mind, our sense of contentment can increase as our egos dissolve, leading to a feeling of liberation from the external environment and connection with our true selves. Self-observation is akin to meditation, where one can achieve a silent, language-free awareness that brings inner peace and connection. The spiritual message encourages us to keep witnessing our mind as a form of meditation to find deeper fulfillment and understanding.

The key to the mystery of life is to explore and discover your true self as the spirit and soul beyond body and mind. ‘Self-Knowledge’ provides an in-depth study of life and its interconnectedness with the universe. It takes you from the duality of attachment/detachment toward non-attachment, liberating you from the clutches of the mind in constant beliefs, emotional desires, and excessive selfishness for your outer self. Only spiritualism through spirituality can take you toward self-control through completeness, purity, selfless love, devotion, and meditative awareness of that inner self.

By identifying oneself beyond the compulsions of body and mind, you overcome the limitations of the mind, entering into a spirit of all-pervading intelligence, where you do not rely upon destiny but create one with a defined purpose in life. Karmas are the lord of your fate and destiny; you create and transcend with that knowledge in awareness of that being-ness beyond the body and mind, accessing absolute freedom to dedicate and devout – body, mind, and soul in the realm of uniqueness, clarifying that you possess the potentiality of “Thou Art That.”