Hum kyo jee rahe hai................

[shwetadhaka]

We all are living our lives......... koi kaise, koi kaise :):) .......... life just passes slowly with each breath ............ but we seldom pay a damn as to some 'worth reviewing' questions like why are we alive, what we want from life, are we living life the way we want, what the life has contributed to us and what have we given to make it meaningful................ we all find ourselves running out of time every now & then, but still we find time for party................... gossiping .......... movies......... etc. , but do we find time for ourselves often?? :confused: Time...... when we meet our inner self......... & be with just each other !!! It may sound funny to some .......... yeah....... but isnt it required that we take some time out just for a fair appraisal of what actually we want, what we r doing to get that, are we toiling in the right direction, what can we do to improve our way of living, do we need to check some of our actions which we know r not right but we always tend to ignore etc etc etc .............. list can go on..........

But do we do this............

Is it required...........

Can it bring some change to our lives............

Can it improve the quality of our life.................

Can it help us know the real meaning of the small word "LIFE"................

[samranwa]

What is the meaning of life, this life that we're now living? Why are we here? What's the purpose of it? Maybe you say to yourself, "Ahh, give me a break. What is the meaning of life?! I can't tackle that this evening." Well, let's begin to talk about it together just in a casual way. We can carry on the conversation tomorrow. What is the meaning of life?
What is the point of being here? You're staring, perhaps, at the stop-lights in front of you. Why? You're perhaps on your way home to dinner. Why? Why are you here? Why have you ever ended up on this planet at all? What is the point of it ? Maybe you say, "Look, that's too big a question. I can't tackle that! I have other questions that have to be answered. How can I pay my bills next week to the electric company? How can I get my salary in time? How can I buy food for this evening's meal? I have other questions that are more pressing than that."
Yet, isn't it true that we've kept putting that question off day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, until you've arrived at your present situation where your life may be one-third, a half or even three-quarters over. Still, you don't have a very good answer to the question, "What is the meaning of life?"
Maybe, like me, you thought you'd form a philosophy of life. Perhaps in the first twenty years of your existence you lived by that philosophy. Yet, it is amusing how many of us have failed to establish a philosophy of life that will even guide us through a day or a week, let alone a whole lifetime. You may say, "Well, why bother? I mean, life is here to be lived. Why work out what the meaning of life is? Why deal with the question of a philosophy of life?"
Well, there are several plain, obvious reasons. One you could find illustrated in this story. Let's imagine, for instance, that one of those large touring buses draws up at the door of your house someday, and there is a whole crowd of us on it. We're calling you to come get into the bus. It swings out onto the main road, then gets onto the motorway and begins to cruise down the motorway at about 65 KMs an hour.
Then you turn around to someone and say, "Now where is this bus going?" They say, "Ahh, don't worry about that! There's some food in the back. Let's break out the sandwiches, break out the drinks and let's enjoy ourselves." So you go along with that and think, "Everybody else is doing it, so let's do it." You break out the sandwiches; you break out the drinks; you have a really good time.
You enjoy the food and then the people start singing. You join in the singing. Then later on, as it gets toward evening, you turn around to this person again. You say, "But wait a minute. Where is this bus going? Why are we in it?" He replies, "Don't worry about that. Let's just sing a few more songs. Then we'll get some more drinks." So you go along with it and it gets to night time. So you lie back in the seat and you begin to relax. You have some kind of a night's sleep and you wake up in the morning.
The bus is still trundling down the freeway at 65 KMs an hour. Then, you lean over to the person in front of you, because you've decided the guy beside you doesn't know what he's about. You say, "Listen. Where is this bus going? Why are we on it?" That guy says, "Don't worry about that. Let's just keep cleaning the windows. Let's keep enjoying ourselves. Let's keep eating and sleeping. That's all we need to do."
As the hours of the days go by, you get more and more frustrated. Gradually, other people get frustrated. In fact, after about twenty years, the anxiety becomes unbearable, and everybody is not having just as good a time in the bus as they were having. Some of them are sick. Some of them have died and been thrown off the bus. Some of them have become enemies of each other and get on each other's nerves. Some crowd together in one corner to protect themselves against the others. Some people have no food and others have too much.
Yet, as children begin to be born to people in the bus, they are told by their parents, "Just keep on cleaning the windows. Keep on singing. Keep on laughing. Keep on having a good time. That's all you need to do." Even as the children ask the question, "But what's the point of it? Where are we going? Why are we on the bus?" gradually, everybody begins to get a very anxious, worried feeling that no one really knows the answer to that question.
People begin to wonder, "Is there any reason to it at all? Is there any meaning? Is there any point in being on this bus? Is this bus ever going to arrive anywhere, or is it going to go on and on forever? Gradually, of course, it begins to strike some of us that there is only one way to get off the bus. We have seen that that way has worked for others. We've begun to consider the possibility for own lives, because the only way to get off this bus is to die and to be thrown off it.
So gradually, more and more of us start to study the question of death and suicide, how to end this nightmare that we're involved in that has no meaning at all. That's one of the good reasons for beginning to think about the question, "What is the meaning to life? Why are we alive, or what is the purpose of your being here on earth?" If we don't attempt to get some kind of answer that is half-sane, we ourselves will begin to consider what more and more people are thinking about in world. Hideous though the thought may be, more and more people in our world are considering suicide.

May be I need to write more..... Will continue for sure!

Regards,

Sam.

[rathee.sandeep]

What difference does it make what your position in life is, if you dislike it yourself?

[samranwa]

Life is not a two way process! Its either here or no where!! As simple as that.... Now looking at MY position does not make sense, as I am the same who might be looking at the position, a materialistic manifestation of what is called life, a human!!

This is, in principle, just a programmed robot! (Word again, bay be it hints at the same life less creature which I am trying to!) This life is torment! We fail to understand that we are here as we needed to suffer... had there been no sufferings for the soul, which provides with life to this human body, we would have been sitting with the BRAHM... The super soul!

Now the very skirmish of the soul with human body, means complications! The more the complex this life is, the more is the torment, and the more is the trepidity which this body needs to face.

Life.. has come from infinity and will go on till infinity... One can not quantify it.

What I said in the last post was a humanitarian approach to life. One which could come to the brain of a human. Now soul does not have a thing like brains!!! Its the realization on which the real life, the soul works!!

May be it makes the distincton between life, and the REAL life clear amongst our brains!

Regards,

Sam.




What difference does it make what your position in life is, if you dislike it yourself?

[nittoo]

Well I m not that big thinker as u seem to b,but we r here to act(karma).Each one of us has his hands full of responsibilities.I love the way things r and if I don't than I act to change that.First of all I want to change myself.I act to improve things however small way I can..........................
When I start think'g about all this-why we r here ......what is life....I m surly go'g to find that out.But right now I have to do something which I love to do .....yes my job.



Ashok Sangwan.
Textile Designer.

[samranwa]

One needs not to be a thinker for this...

And this is what i exactly said in my first post...

Ref. "What is the meaning of life, this life that we're now living? Why are we here? What's the purpose of it? Maybe you say to yourself, "Ahh, give me a break. What is the meaning of life?! I can't tackle that this evening." Well, let's begin to talk about it together just in a casual way. We can carry on the conversation tomorrow. What is the meaning of life?
What is the point of being here? You're staring, perhaps, at the stop-lights in front of you. Why? You're perhaps on your way home to dinner. Why? Why are you here? Why have you ever ended up on this planet at all? What is the point of it ? Maybe you say, "Look, that's too big a question. I can't tackle that! I have other questions that have to be answered. How can I pay my bills next week to the electric company? How can I get my salary in time? How can I buy food for this evening's meal? I have other questions that are more pressing than that."
Yet, isn't it true that we've kept putting that question off day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, until you've arrived at your present situation where your life may be one-third, a half or even three-quarters over. Still, you don't have a very good answer to the question, "What is the meaning of life?""

Regards,

Sam.


Well I m not that big thinker as u seem to b,but we r here to act(karma).Each one of us has his hands full of responsibilities.I love the way things r and if I don't than I act to change that.First of all I want to change myself.I act to improve things however small way I can..........................
When I start think'g about all this-why we r here ......what is life....I m surly go'g to find that out.But right now I have to do something which I love to do .....yes my job.



Ashok Sangwan.
Textile Designer.

[shwetadhaka]

What is the meaning of life, this life that we're now living? Why are we here? What's the purpose of it? Maybe you say to yourself, "Ahh, give me a break. What is the meaning of life?! I can't tackle that this evening." Well, let's begin to talk about it together just in a casual way. We can carry on the conversation tomorrow. What is the meaning of life?


Sam.


Well Samiksha.......... u write so long replies.......... mai thak jaati hu padhte padhte :) jawab dena to my god!!

Anywayz I wld like to say.......... as u said life is like a bus & we make merry & enjoy & bla bla............ but we tend to overlook the fact where is the destination............ where are we proceeding towards.............. though wierd, but it is a harsh truth indeed!! ........... life just goes on.......... sometime through greys, at other times through pinks !! ........... but .............. at times..............when we r somewhere amidst our journey life does makes us realise that we have travelled a long way and find ourselves landed at an unknown destination............ feeling uneasy.............. away from all things & persons who can soothe our minds ........ everything looks hazy.......... like a deadlock !! ........ it happens with eveyone sometime....... & reason for such a situation is often our unending pursuit for gathering & enjoying worldly pleasures.......... and keeping aside the quest of life ........... which can be pacified only when it is fed with the holy water of "purpose" ...........

[nittoo]

Well carry on with this discussion and as soon as u come to conclusion please let me know:)..........................Lord Buddha tried to answer this question centuries back.Why don't we study him for the clue.


Ashok Sangwan

[uditnhe]

Well I m not that big thinker as u seem to b,but we r here to act(karma).Each one of us has his hands full of responsibilities.I love the way things r and if I don't than I act to change that.First of all I want to change myself.I act to improve things however small way I can..........................
When I start think'g about all this-why we r here ......what is life....I m surly go'g to find that out.But right now I have to do something which I love to do .....yes my job.



Ashok Sangwan.
Textile Designer.

I agree with your reference to Karma, we are here to do.....what we do ?? how we do it ?? and who it affects is in our choosing. You shall reap as shall you sow.....
I believe we are not here do anything more then what we LOVE to do and if we are one of the lucky few who can find out what we love, we will be able to answer the question put up in this thread.

[shwetadhaka]

Well carry on with this discussion and as soon as u come to conclusion please let me know:)..........................Lord Buddha tried to answer this question centuries back.Why don't we study him for the clue.

Ashok Sangwan

Though the question was for Sam I suppose...... let me say something Sir, firstly, life's meaning is different for differnt persons, no short cuts like making a pill out of the meaning of life and giving with a glass of water!!! There are no Buddha pills for that matter!! :) Aaj tak koi sant mahatma nahi kar paaye hai........ koi nahi....... but yes, they have helped people to go in that direction.......... and take my word......... MEANING OF LIFE CAN NEVER BE UNDERSTOOD......... we can just strive towards making an attempt....... to just peep into our minds......... to find out WHAT LIFE MEANS FOR US !!! ........... and please dont start spending hours for that ............or dont join some "adhyathmic" sessions!! Naaaaaa the topic is not that....... its just very simple.................................. pay some heed into questions like ..........are we satisfied with our life........ if not, then how can we strive towards being satisfied or somewhat near some good day......... what u ought to do for that......... , are we living life the correct way........ , are we getting what we deserve in life and if not what is blocking our way etc etc....................

These "thought provoking exercise" ,though not necessary but is very helpful to make one's life better ! It doesnt means u take out long hours and keep on thinking absurd things!!.......... it just means taking some time out just for us.......... just for relaxing and talking with ourselves.......... the one who is most near to us always, but its the one who is most overlooked!! Soch ke dekhiye.............. kya aisa nahi hai??

& this question might be centuries old......... but will remain the latest & important one till there is life on earth............. life which knows how to think!!

Buddha ji and many more tried intensively......... we cant be that much intensive........ we have many more chores to meet!!......... but we can think to an extent........... for some positive change!! :) well, these r personal opinions & u may disagree :):)

[samranwa]

Well Shweta,

Am sorry for the long replies I write, but am a bit into the same realization these days, and who knows? may be tomorrow I get up to be a self proclaimed Budhha, as Dreamer has just stated :)

One of our English poets put it like this. He was, of course, A. E. Houseman, who many of us know as a Greek professor in a leading universities in past years. He wrote poetry. One of his poems runs like this:



Yonder see the morning blink,
The sun is up, and up must I;
To wash, and dress, and eat, and drink,
And look at things, and talk, and think,
And work, and God knows why!
Oh, often have I washed and dressed,
And what's to show for all my pain?
Let me lie in bed and rest;
Ten-thousand times I've done my best,
And all's to do again.


Though we may at first sight say, "Oh what pessimism, what dreadful pessimism!", some of us might wonder "what poetry" or "what doggerel". Yet, it expresses very well what many of us think in these days. We get up in the morning and we think, "yonder see the morning blink, the sun is up and up must I, to wash and dress and eat and think, and look at things and talk and think, and work, and God knows why!" Why are we here? What is the purpose of it?



There are two schools of thought to answer the same question, which ponders in the brains of all of us! One is a bit abstract, which looks not at this life we live as a human life, but a life which has been here for ever and ever, the soul. And the another is much more shallow, which just sees life from the point of view of a human, a self!

The prior school depends largely on the assumption that the body is a materialistic thing, and that whatever we see here, even this language we converse in is a manifestation of the maya, and one needs to be aloof from this maya to help self from getting into seemingly bad things. This again becomes a topic of debate, does there exists such a thing like good and bad? Or is it just another manifestation of maya??

Given the abstract nature of such an approach, we generally take respite in the seemingly shallow explanation, which just says, according to Srimad bhagwat Geeta, karma.... But to be a Karma yogi, one needs to be a yogi in the first place. A yogi is one who obtains a state of renunciation, and that too through compassion!!

So... This life is a complex thing, karma explains it as all of us are destined to do what we are doing! And the Advaita explains it as. Soham Shivoham, or I am HE, I am the God, and so it is on my orders that this body has got this life to go through sufferings! Now, I believe in oneness of nature, in being an advaita, and so I say, I am He.... you are He.. and so I am you.. and our lives are just the same.. its a manifestation of maya, the bodies we are living into!!

Hope this leaves yet another string in the air to be discussed further, will surely pour in more boring stuff!

Regards,

Sam.

[prayas]

Frineds,

For quite a sometime I have been writing a blog, it also hovers around the same question...

if you want to check it
http://celebrationcalledlife.blogspot.com/

I am not trying to advertise my blog or something, just sharing my views indirectly here.

- Prayas