Life has no aim other than itself
It is said that whenever Buddha was asked by his followers to comment on the existence of god, he remained silent, refusing to either confirm or deny the existence of a divine power. Through his silence he wanted to convey that there are certain truths that can not be expressed through words. He said that any true seeker would always look within himself or herself for answers to such questions instead of relying on others. ''Be a guiding light unto yourself'' said Buddha.However, his silence was misinterpreted by his followers and subsequently Buddhism came to be identified with a sort of iconoclasm that was atheistic and nihilistic to the extreme.
Such metaphysical questions have perplexed man from time immemorial. Man has been contemplating and debating on them but still seems to be groping for answers. However, such inquiries may actually help a seeker make spiritual progress.To begin with, it is necessary for us to get rid of the primitive idea that god is an omniscient, omnipoptent being who goes around rewarding the believers and punishing the sinners. At the same time, we must think about the way we are leading our lives. After all, we claim to be conscious beings endowed with superior intelligence and intellect. Fact is that we often behave like automatons. We go through the motions of life without pausing to question the absurdity or meaninglessness of it all.We must stop and make an effort to look within ourselves. It is up to us to find a reason to justify our existence, our raison d' etre. Is this life just a mirage or are there other dimensions still to be explored?We have been conditioned to accept all preconceived notions blindly. But some of the greatest minds of this century have questioned this attitude.
They even rejected the idea of god because according to them this concept deprived man of all his dignity and freedom. They said that there is no truth beyond this tangible existence. The philosophy that they propounded came to be known as existentialism.Some of the greatest existentialist thinkers like Sartre, Heidegger and Camus believed that man leads a meaningless existence in an absurd and meaningless universe. Each man is responsible for and also the sole judge of his actions. It is up to man to provide a meaning to this life.This philosophy has appealed to several intellectuals and freethinkers over the years as it symbolises the ultimate rejection of all moral, ethical and religious principles.In a way, however, it is also a rejection of life itself. After all, one can argue that if all existence is meaningless then why should one go on living and enduring all this pain and suffering that one is being subjected to.
The great mystic Osho rejects this view of life. He shows the way to all angst-ridden seekers. When asked about the purpose and aim of life, Osho said, ''Life cannot have an aim other than itself. Life's aim is life itself - more life, higher life, deeper life, but life always. Each moment must be lived with such totality that each moment becomes a celebration, becomes an end in itself.''