What is the Meaning of Life?

[Ciel]

Originally Posted by flowperson

"c"

Absotively and posilutely. But fleeting tastes only gives one a yearning and longing for more bliss. I think Joseph Campbell would have liked that thought. That's why I try to lead my life "following my bliss" even though I'm old enough to know that reaching a permanent state of it on earth is never going to be possible.


flow....

Now don't you know, where bliss is concerned you never know.
It just Is.
In your absotively of the absolute have you been at the absinthe?
- c -

[flowperson]

"c"
Yep, one is only aware of bliss when and if it happens. Had a little bit of it happen thursday talking to my daughter's moustache parakeet at sundown on my porch. Lovely!

Never have done the "absinthe" thing, but I've been known to partake of some other dream inducing substances in the past.

flow....

[Prober]

Originally Posted by flowperson

"c"

Absotively and posilutely. But fleeting tastes only gives one a yearning and longing for more bliss. I think Joseph Campbell would have liked that thought. That's why I try to lead my life "following my bliss" even though I'm old enough to know that reaching a permanent state of it on earth is never going to be possible.

prober...such an improved avatar...love it !

Only one human that I am aware of was able to eliminate the chases in his life, and they were so jealous of it that they crucified Him...or so the stories that we know of go. Of course they killed MLK and Ghandi also because of their pursuits of bliss.
Yep, the kingdom is within us...but it is usually well hidden and submerged in most people's lives because of their material pursuits. Therefore we are only allowed occasional glimpses to lead us on to the end.

flow....

01. I really enjoy Joseph Campbell's stuff.
02. Thank-you! (reaching for heaven)
03. I think this (killing the ego, heaven on earth) is an area where Christians can learn something from Buddhists (do I dare say that?)

[flowperson]

There are quite a few people who see Bhuddist principles in Jesus' teachings. Earl posts here and know a lot about all that. Look up some of his posts. DARE to be different.

flow....

[Prober]

42 - Hitchiker's Guide

[flowperson]

Haven't read it. Now I'm going to have to spend money again and buy it. See how we are tied to materialism to improve even our minds ?

flow....

[Quahom1]

I don't know about Prober, but I was being fecicious. 42 is what my father-in-law told me the meaning of life was. I never forgot that (it meant, who knows?).

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by aburaees

I personally think the question is flawed. Like asking "what does the colour red taste like?"

I think the question should be "what is the purpose of life?"

I think that this is as close to the best answer, but for me even this falls short. If we reframe the question the absurdity of ideas like "meaning" and "purpose" actually show us the way. Imagine asking what is the purpose of a tree? what is the meaning of a mountain? The very question asks us to leave the small mind behind and enter the silence of what the Zen practioners refer to as Big Mind. In any even it does call us to come up a bit higher doesn't it?

Peace

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

I don't know about Prober, but I was being fecicious. 42 is what my father-in-law told me the meaning of life was. I never forgot that (it meant, who knows?).

Q,

Your Father in law must have been a big fan of Douglas Adams

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Paladin

Q,

Your Father in law must have been a big fan of Douglas Adams

He didn't read, so I don't know.

[Prober]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

I don't know about Prober, but I was being fecicious. 42 is what my father-in-law told me the meaning of life was. I never forgot that (it meant, who knows?).

Oh, sorry, I thought you were referencing HG. My bad.

[manephelien]

Live our lives the best we can while causing the minimum amount of suffering to others. Parents setting limits for their children don't cause suffering, they help raise them into good members of society. When I say minimize suffering, I meant suffering for its own sake. It's the journey that counts, not some unknowable goal we attain at the point of death.

Do unto others as you would be done by is a good rule for everyone, not just Christians.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by manephelien

Live our lives the best we can while causing the minimum amount of suffering to others. Parents setting limits for their children don't cause suffering, they help raise them into good members of society. When I say minimize suffering, I meant suffering for its own sake. It's the journey that counts, not some unknowable goal we attain at the point of death.

Do unto others as you would be done by is a good rule for everyone, not just Christians.

Hard rule to live by if there is no guide.

[manephelien]

That's why I've always found organized religions distasteful. They're the struts for the weak who can't see for themselves that playing nice is better in the long run than grabbing everything for yourself if you can. Oh, sure, many religions have various rituals which aren't always that easy to live by, but that's just so that the practitioners can claim moral superiority over others by saying "we have to do this to be saved, what have you done?"

I do perfectly well without any guides, thank you, and resent the implication that only religious people who submit to some sort of dogma can lead a good and ethical life.

[samabudhi]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

The purpose of life is to BE. I think we can only accomplish this in love.

luna

Life and death are two sides of the same coin,
being is delimited by none being.
The more you cling to the extremes of being / existing / owning
the more you will suffer at inevitable death.