I'm curious to hear what people think the purpose of life is, or if you think life has no purpose. Why do you think you are correct, and how did you reach your conclusion?

This idea really changes the way you live your life.

I want to hear from others first before I tell you what I think the purpose to life is.

I'm especially curious to see the differences between believers in any type of religion and those who do not believe in a higher power what so ever.

No religion for me. I think your born, have as much fun as you can, love your family and friends, be hedonistic to an extent, then die. I hope there is an afterlife but I doubt. I hope I am wrong there.

I really believe we were created by aliens. Probably to kill something. After that, we get exterminated, because we're such a burden on the universe.

There is no point. If you live a good life or bad life, long or short, enjoy it or not, you end up in the grave.

Heck, why don't we all kill ourselves right now?

I'm just here to enjoy myself and go out with a bang (I'm not a suicide bomber, I can assure you :-P)

If there is an afterlife, which road leads there? There seem to be 1001 routes/theories!

In other words, there is none, and if there is...I'm oblivious to it.

why does life need some great divine purpous? Just live your life.

Not religous here either but i believe there is something after we are gone from here, no one knows for sure why each one of us is here its different for everyone, it could be to become a doctor and save lifes, become a teacher and educate others, it could be anything and i believe if you hav'nt done what you was meant to you are reincarnated and come back to achieve what ever it is and if you have achieved what ever it is you move on to a different plain of existance.

Life is a wonderful, continuous process. When I wake up in the morning, I know that my life has purpose, because of what I let in to my life. I know that no one else can control my life but me. I believe that sometimes you have to step back and find out what it is that brings a smile to your face. And when times get tough, you just gotta laugh it off and pull through. Find a purpose.

I don't think life has a purpose except the purpose i give it , there is so much freedom in that then you truly live , truly love its what you want it to be so have a great time every minute try every thing hug everyone share everything and laugh alot because this is a great gig Namaste sheri

Errhm, wasn't there a thread about this a page back. I mean, we could merge topics right?

As for the purpose of life, I'd love to write about it but I'm kinda tired now (been studying for a Physics test you know?).

I'm Christian. So I just figure everyones purpose is to serve the Lord, entertain him a little by what we do in our lives and to learn and love as much as we can while our bodies are still strong enough to carry our souls around.

The purpose of life is experience and creativity.
Which differs from meaning. So be carefull not to confuse the two. Ultimatley everything is meaningless. Meaning is only temporary and fades away with time. Wheras experience is created in every moment, and therefore is eternal.

Hmmm, I seem to remember replying to a very similar thread recently. Oh well, I'll answer similar to how I answered that one. LIfe is many things. It's a journey, an experience, a mystery, a total joy, an extraordinary gift. Life is what you make it.

But ultimately, our purpose is to Love God and follow Him - "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Regards, PA

I would have to agree for the most part with paranoid android.

I think the purpose of life on earth is to learn how to love unconditionally everyone. That means basically being good person, being humble, and forgiving. The idea that we are part of a whole similar to the butterfly effect means that how we act can affect how others feel. Of course it's hard to be unconditionally loving all the time, so by experimenting and experiencing, and learning from our mistakes, we grow in love. I personly think the best and easiest way to do that is to look to god for help. Not as a crutch. God represents love and justice. He may punish and intentionally make life hard but we have to overcome those obstacles to make us stronger, spiritually. I think everyone has there own purpose, but the main purpose is simply love.

This is also the main message from the near death experiences.

Life on earth is just temporary. Think of it as a learning experience to strengthen ourselves.

Here is a good site I would recommend everyone take a look at.

you can see more excerpts like this:

The reason we are here in this physical world is for soul growth. This physical world is the ideal place for this. Spiritual growth in the spirit realms is more difficult. The reason is that the influence of our physical bodies gives us the opportunity for a full range of love (a child’s love, marital love, and parental love) which is ideally available here. Love that is misused or misdirected is best corrected in the here. In this physical world, there is the full range of physical and spiritual senses with which to act and communicate. --(Nora Spurgin)


http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research03.html

The purpose to life to me varies depending on what type of person you are. If you strive for material objects then your purpose is to gather as much as possible. If it's the quest for knowlage, you will never stop learning. If it's to please your God/s then you will do anything to satisfy them. In other words I agree with silvercouger, life is what you make of it basically. My life is to learn as much as possible, be as happy as possible and try to make others as happy as I can as long as they deserve joy. In my opinion not all should be welcome to the gift of reciveing and those are the people that have, but choose not to give themselves. Also, in my opinion our "lives" are just a game almost to show and see how we really are and what we do in particular situations. Weather we do good, bad, help, decieve, hurt, kill, etc. to show what type of person/spirit we truely are.

Another great site that contains hundreds of NDE?STE?OOBE stories similar to this one you provided is :

Near Death Research Foundation

[quote]Life on earth is just temporary. Think of it as a learning experience to strengthen ourselves.[quote/]

Very true.

The answer is found in the bookUFOs, PSI and Spiritual Evolution in the chapter on "The Problem of Evil." Or, I should say, an answer is given. The meaning of life is whatever meaning you find in it.

cheers, Cebrakon

The road to the afterlife is easy. All you have to do is die. Evidence for this is found in the studies of reincarnation by Prof. Ian Stevenson, and the numerous studies of NDEs. I still like the original, Life After Life by Raymond Moody.

see you in the afterlife, Cebrakon

In my opinion, the meaning of life is either to:

1 Beleive in God, follow his laws, HAVE FUN AND ENJOY LIFE!

Do you beleive in God? You beleive in an afterlife right?.... lol I might be kinda confused, but isnt an afterlife just as hard to proove as God is? It's not physical or anything.

To seek the true nature of the Universe and become one with all. That is mine anyway. Everyone has a different path so the purpose of this life is different for all. Seek your own path and you will find your purpose.
For your research Scooby I am a Neo-Celtic Pagan (Witch).

Thanks for your replies everyone!

And thanks turtle for the link:

http://www.nderf.org/

I have decided to spend time researching happier things rather then the usual stuff I reasearch and put in the conspiracy forum. I started researching pedophilia rings involving my own government, and it made me so sad, I have to take a break.

I was wondering, am I on this forum in general making peoples lives better or worse. I'd like to think I am making thier lives better, but I am probably going about it the wrong way. I don't mean to scare people into believing what I know, but many of the things I research do scare people.

I'm trying to change my life around, and am trying to put my actions where my mouth is. I'm one of those people who say do as I say not as I do, and I want to change that around to be do as I say, and follow my example. This is more for people in my personal life, I guess I'm just rambling.

If I have offended anyone, and I know I have, I am sorry, please forgive me.

You totaly offended me and I hate you now, and NO, you're not going to be forgivin!!!!!






Juuuuuuust kidding. =)

To realize that within our physical body something else exists is necessary in order to discover the purpose of life. We as consciousness have a vehicle of flesh and bones and everyone can recognize this fact; however, only few can acknowledge their own psychology within. Our psychology is something that is possible to modify.
However, we have to comprehend our own psychology, if we really want such a transformation. People accept and comprehend their own psychology when they self-observe their own minds. When somebody self-observe his own mind, he can he realizes that a psychological self-transformation is possible. We urgently need a psychological self-transformation.
Life as it is, indeed, is very mechanical. To be born, to grow up, to grow old and to die as any irrational animal are all something very boring. So, to work in order to survive in this society and then to exist in a psychologically miserable way is worthless.
Not only poor people live in a psychologically miserable manner, but also those who are wealthy, because there are two ways to wallow in the mud of a psychological misery: Poor or wealthy, both wallow themselves in the psychological mud of misery. Both psychological states are psychologically degrading. Therefore, to live in either manner, to exist without a reason, not knowing why and what for is to live psychologically blind, like a caveman without light in their psychological depths.

Great post Loge. (because I tend to agree with this

"We urgently need a psychological self-transformation."

How would you go about raising consciousness?

I agree with you scooby.. i think we are here to have a material experience here on earth..but the biggest lesson we must learn is how to fully experience love. Not just fall in love with someone but to truly love everything and everyone that is around you. Understanding that type of love will allow you to truly experience loving god.

i think your a valuable asset to the forum,.. You provide as vast amount of information.. But i do think you are dead on, that you need to focus you mind on other issue besides the ones that you have presented so far. Its great info but i am sure it has taken its toll on you. it is depressing seeing so many horrible things and not really being able to do anything about it. and when you try and open peoples minds you get laughed at and ridiculed for being a nutcase. only time will tell if alot of these conspiracies come to pass or not. Hopefully they dont but if they do at least you will be vindicated as knowing this all along.

Realise the state of YOUR own mind. and see that "it is an instrument of sensation and desire and that it is mechanically caught up in routine. Such a mind is incapable of ever receiving or feeling the new for the new must obviously be something beyond sensation - which is always the old. So this mechanical process with it's sensations has to come to an end, has it not? Karma is not an ever - enduring chain; it is a chain that can be broken at any time. What was done yesterday can be undone today; there's no permanent continuance of anything. Continuance can and must be dissipated through the understanding of its process. So when you SEE this process, when you are really aware of it without opposition, without a sense of temptation, without resistance, without justifying or judging it then you will discover that the mind is capable of receiving the new and that the new is never a sensation therefore it can never be recognized, re-experienced. It is a state of being in which creativeness comes without invitation, without memory and that is reality. That which is unnameable cannot be recognised. It is not a sensation." JK

You can not buy love, so your conclusions to me are faulty.
I agree with one of your assumptions that it is all about love, and your mission is to find it, in spite of materialism.
You are here to find love, through the dynamic reality of materialism.
Which do you love more....your fellow man or that nice bright shiny car and loaded bank account.

I think your misunderstood me Turtle. I guess I could have explained it a little better. I dont mean we are here to be materialistic. We are spiritual beings having a material experience here on earth.

You basically said the same thing i did "You are here to find love, through the dynamic reality of materialism." you just worded it alot better than I did.
I value the love I recieve and give from my family, friends and strangers more then any worldy posession

The short answer: to function.
The medium answer: to function in society, and to be one with society.
The long answer: there is no long answer unless I will take the rest of my life to answer it.

In my humble opinion, the purpose of life is simply to exist and propagate. Any divine, noble, or sublime notions we attach to it is superfluous and egocentric.

In other words----
Eat----sh*t---sleep

For you Loge you are immersed in the illusion, there is no meaning to life other than the meaning you give it , this intellegent design is ingenious if you deeply look into this you will see this I am very empowered knowing the only meaning something has is the meaning i give it this changes everything life becomes lived in awareness and you aren't endorsing Martyrs any longer , your not seeing sadness and gloom and degradation or misery anymore no more victims poof gone, I would never descibe life as you are , life is meant to be enjoyed how ever you go about doing that , Namaste Sheri

The purpose of all life is to die.

We are all mortal and yes, you will die. You can kick, scream, fight, cry, beg, and hate all you want but in the end you are no more special then the next maggot that stand before you in this realm built just for us to die.

It's all about accepting you will die... then each meaningless day... seems to have an empty purpose for you to thrive on and suck the life out of you.

Yeah, and I added to be one with society, so being one with yourself counts pretty much.

The purpose of life is to procreate. So if you have alot of sex in your life, your doing a service to mankind.

But not those who deserve to be sterilized.

People who are unable to enter into the amphitheater of the life free in its movement, call illusions the concepts of those who can, this is how they become filled with envy because they cannot bear the fact that a simple cognizant experience is better than hundreds of futile beliefs. Thus as ignoramuses, they sabotage concepts that are incomprehensible for them. Their crime, sadness, gloom, degradation and misery are hidden behind their description of life. To enjoy degeneration is what they meant for giving meaning to life!

Salam, Namaste Loge

Why does life need a meaning? Isn't it simply enough "to be" without trying to place some significance for our existence? We are . . . . and that is enough. The time of our existence is so short, we should not waste a second of it trying to justify it with our feeble philosophies or dogmas. I am here and if there is a reason for that, it is beyond my or anyone's ability to understand or know. I only know that I am here and I do not fear death and that if anything lies beyond death, then it will be an adventure. I cannot remember what or where I was before my birth and I suspect it will be the same void after life.

Loge
Mind if I ask a few questions??

1.) Are the self and universe eternal?
2.) Are the self and universe transient?
3.) Are the self and universe both eternal and transient?
4.) Are the self and universe neither transient or eternal?
5.) Does the self and universe have a beginning?
6.) Does the self and universe have no beginning?
7.) Does the self and universe have boith a beginning and no beginning?
8.) Does the self and universe neither have a beginning or no beginning?
9.) Does the blessed one exist after death?
10) Does the blessed one not exist after death?
11.) Does the blessed one both exist and not exist after death?
12) Does the blessed one neither exist and non exist after death?
13.) Is the mind the same as the body?
14.) Are the mind and body 2 separate entities?

Thanks

1.) Are the self and universe eternal?
Three eternal things are the causes for the Universe and the Being to exist: 1- The Space 2- Karma 3- Nirvana!
The Being “IS” before and after any cosmic existence of the universe, however, the Being ceases to exist along with the universe at the end of any cosmic manifestation!

2.) Are the self and universe transient?
Yes, they cease to exist after 410, 40.000,000,000 of years!

3.) Are the self and universe both eternal and transient?
They are eternal and transient within the recurrent wheel of cosmic settings and dawnings!

4.) Are the self and universe neither transient nor eternal?
The Being is neither transient nor eternal, the Being “IS”.
The Universe is neither transient nor eternal, the Universe is Illusory!

5.) Does the self and universe have a beginning?
The Being is in a state of eternal becoming and the universe is the outcome of its becomingness!

6.) Does the self and universe have no beginning?
There is no beginning for the Being because the Being “IS”!
There is no beginning for the Universe since it is illusory!

7.) Does the self and universe have both a beginning and no beginning?
In the beginning is the Being that has no beginning!
In the beginning the universe emerges from that which has no beginning!

8.) Does the self and universe neither have a beginning or no beginning?
The Being neither has a beginning or no beginning, the Being “IS”!
The universe neither has a beginning or no beginning within that which “IS”!

9.) Does the blessed one exist after death?
The Blessed One is beyond life and death!

10) Does the blessed one not exist after death?
The Blessed One exist within life and death!

11.) Does the blessed one both exist and not exist after death?
The Blessed One both exists and not exists within life and death!

12) Does the blessed one neither exist and non exist after death?
The Blessed One “IS” before and after death!

13.) Is the mind the same as the body?
The mind is Matter as the body, but is not the body; if you do not understand never MIND it does not MATTER!

14.) Are the mind and body 2 separate entities?
Mind and body are intermingled without getting disheveled; when they get disheveled it is because ignorance has broken their intermingling correlation!

The purpose of life is simple, it is to experience. Some people make it more complicated for their 'self', depending on how and what they choose to experience...
just love

"words are
the key
to knowing
everything is
so simple
even though
it appears
so complicted" - Me_Again
and thats my 6 cents

There is an old lawyer saying " do not ask questions that you yourself do not have the answer to"
I profess my guilt in this regard.
I read these questions in the new book by The Dali Lama.
In it he quotes these questions as unanswerable, yet here you are answering them.
I can not prove, or disprove them, so I let them stand unquestioned.
Interesting answers though.
Shall I call you Buddha?

The purpose of life is to experience. Plain and simple.

I totally agree, Sheri. Why isn't it enough to simply "be?" When you consider that the earth is 6 billion years old, our lives (averaging 75 years) represent 000.000.000.125 of one percent of that time. Why waste a single second? Live and love and be. Love life and love yourself because you are all you have in this snap-of-a-finger existence.

there are "the answers" and then there are the answers we create for ourselves.

it is important to recognize the difference between the two.

However, "the answers" are more obvious than most will ever realize for it requires looking at things from a perspective other than "down the nose". The proof of "the answers" is readily apparent as well, but will forever be missed by those trapped in the constructs by which they live.

The purpose of life?
Life is what it is there is no purpose except what you give it your self and for me that purpose is just to be happy and experience as much as I can
So what is life.... just a chance happening...
There are no gods, and no higher powers to judge us at the end of the day
When it's all said and done all that will matter is if you think you have fulfilled everything you could have done with your time...

So just enjoy every experience... especially the smaller ones that happen every second and hopefully when your time comes you will find some piece of mind when it’s all over.... for good....

Everyone hopes there is an afterlife also... a way of making up for what you missed here I guess or just being able to go on for ever....
But I personally don't believe in an after life at all, this is all the time that we have here and now, and I guess the whole reason I’m even here on this board is to try and help people see that...

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to add the view from islamic view. In the holy Quran chapter 51 verse 56 that Allah said

,"And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me".

So it is clear that in islam that the basic purpose of our existance is to serve Allah (GOD)

And the purpose why we live on earth can be found in Chapter 2 verse 30

And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khalif (a leader), they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness? He said: Surely I know what you do not know.

Then we should become a leader in the earth.

Cheers

I agree with your thoughts to a "t." The lone exception would be about an afterlife. While I don't believe in a heaven or hell per se. I do believe that reincarnation, or some variant of it, does exist. Edgar Cayce and others ahve documented this to be the case and to me, it seems like the most reasonable explanation as to why things are the way that they are. I'm not too certain about karma and that kind of thing, but the regeneration of the soul into different bodies as they wear out is something that I've come to see more and more as being very possible.

I am just Loge the Fire God who eventually will return to my elemental form in order to destroy everything. I represent the purifying force of fire INRI: Ignis Natura Renovatur Integra.

Salam!

Loge ,
I am Prometheus and I took your fire and gave it to humanity
*waves her magic, purple, sparkly wand and runs away (to protect herself against the eagle).
j/k