[Buddha-l] Purpose of life

[[DPD Web] Shen Shi'an]

On Camus and the purpose of life
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheDailyEnlightenment/message/559 -

One Truly Serious Philosophical Question

The way you live should lead to how you should live. - stonepeace 
How about not equating death with stopping? - Alanis Morissette (Thank
U)

The existentialist philosopher Albert Camus once wrote, "There is but
one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judging
whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the
fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest - whether or not the
world has three dimensions, whether the mind has nine or twelve
categories - comes afterwards." 

Seemingly drastic yet true words. The first spiritual question to ask is
this - "Is living worth the trouble?" All other questions are secondary,
or even frivolously unpractical in comparison. Yet, upon mindful
reflection, one realises that the question seems to presuppose that
death might be worth dying for, that it might be the be-all and end-all
of life. It is surely too big a risk to not believe in rebirth, to
squander or relinquish this life thoughtlessly. 

Remember there is no effect without cause. What we do now affects us
later. If reborn, how would we be - for better or worse? The safe bet
then, is to live this life fully and well, to advance towards True
Happiness. To increase your spiritual satisfaction, simply help others
do the same. 

As Stonepeace once said, "Ultimately, what is worth living for, is also
ultimately worth dying [and being reborn] for." You thus need to ensure
"it" is worth it - because it is literally going to cost you your life,
as your entire life would be spent in pursuit of it. To you, what is
worth living for? Is it sense pleasures? Is it fame and fortune? Is it
family and friends? Is it the chance to better yourself (for everyone
else)? Which is substantial? 

Whatever it is that takes top priority, you would be willing to die for
it - because it is worth that much - your life. And if you believe in
rebirth, your craving for that deemed worthy will compel you to be
reborn time and again in pursuit of it. Thus, a further reflection on
Stonepeace's words is to ask this - "What is of ultimate worth?" If we
remain ambivalent over what is really worthy, we won't attain it. This
life would then be wasted, lived in vain - probably in the digressed
"trivial pursuit" of quiz answers to less spiritually relevant
questions, which are often disguised as meaningful. The failure to ask
the right questions is to not even awaken to the need to further awaken.

Here's an alternative "truly serious philosophical question" - "How to
be truly happy?" This precedes Camus' question. All philosophising is
driven by the wish to know how to be truly happy. "Philosophy"
originally means "the love of wisdom". Being wise, surely, is
understanding how to be truly happy. It is this wisdom that the Buddha
offers us, having surveyed the dynamics of life and death, having
attained the ultimate realisation of what's worthy. 

Anything that makes concrete advances towards the Enlightenment that the
Buddha attained would be worth all the troubles in life. To be truly
happy, we first need a rough idea of what constitutes "True Happiness".
Surely, one of its aspects is the state of contentment. If so, to "crave
for contentment" is most oxymoronic. Not understanding this is
ignorance. Thus are the roots of dissatisfactions in Buddhism labelled
craving (which gives rise to attachment and aversion) and ignorance (or
delusion). Deeply practical, the Buddha was focused on pointing out
existential suffering and the path to transcend it. Thank goodness for
that! 

The reason you are here is because you have yet to fulfil the reason you
are here. - stonepeace

-----Original Message-----
From: Jackhat1 at aol.com [mailto:Jackhat1 at aol.com] 
Sent: Thursday, 28 August, 2008 11:31 PM
To: buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
Subject: Re: [Buddha-l] Purpose of life

In a message dated 8/28/2008 10:13:43 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
bencd at baolin.org writes:


I'm  doing  a  research   involving  the  question of
purpose  and  I would like  to know what is your purpose
of life as Buddhists. In addition, I would  also like to
know how you respond to the Camus's questions, "Is  life
worth living? Why?"
===
I don't have a purpose of life. It's not needed. Replacing it is a
feeling  
of a good relationship with my environment. This feeling makes life
worth  
living.
 
Jack






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