What’s your “personal” take on life’s purpose?

[Anatta]

I pretty much shut-up about how bad my life was, and  "tried" instead to find the good, and "enjoy" how well I really had it.

Kia Ora,

The "meaning" of life is debatable[there's no argument there  ] ...But for the most part one's "purpose" is quite obvious when one actually stops to "think" about it...

So in a sense you're agreeing with the Dalai Lama Tekla... "The purpose of life is[for the most part] the "pursuit" of happiness
[in whatever form ones personal happiness takes]

Welcome to the club !

Metta Zenda

[Pica Pica]

I'm still sure it's an abstract noun and can't be pursued.

[Lisbeth]

Maybe the other animals aren't as impressed with us as we are with ourselves.

That's why we invented nets, snares, traps, and guns.  Now let those animals laugh behind our backs.  We'll show 'em.

Meanwhile bacteria feed on your cells, and the worms will eat you when you've died.

So really the one thing that physics tell us about the universe is that it's big, rare events happen all the time — including life — and that doesn't mean it's special.

Just because big, rare events happen all the time, what makes you think they're not special? I find even the smallest, most common events to be special also.

So many lies were spoken in German in the 20th Century that it will take two or thee more centuries before anyone can ever believe anything said in that language again.

The same could be said about Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French, and --oh horrors-- English. I guess we can't believe anything said in any language. Please stop thinking you are any better than the Germans. We're all human beings, and that's where the hate comes from.

everyone should read the masterpiece on the subject,  Viktor Frankl's book... trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen: Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager.

But... But... That's written in... German!

I don't understand why, on the one hand, you criticize people for believing in meaning in life, then, on the other hand, waving Frankl's book as changing your life. Frankl was all about finding meaning in life in order to survive, the very thing you criticize.

After I read it in high school I pretty much shut-up about how bad my life was, and tried instead to find the good, and enjoy how well I really had it.

Are there negative emotions you've bottled up because of this? Maybe you should share some of those feelings. Perhaps you could get some of your anger out.

[tekla]

a sense you're agreeing with the Dalai Lama Tekla

or he's agreeing with me, after all, who's to say which is the higher level of reincarnation?  Perhaps if he's a very good Dalai Lama he can come back next time as a rock and roll stagehand in San Francisco.  I'll give the Dalai Lama this much, he's about the only religious leader who is constantly smiling, and on occasion even laughing.  Though he didn't get the joke about "The Dalai Lama walks into a pizza shop and asks "Can you make me one with everything?"  Perhaps though that's a language barrier/lost in translation thing.  I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on that one.

But... But... That's written in... German!
Yeah, but no one read it until he published it in English.  And indeed proof of what kind of shape Europe was in after the war, his founding of logotherapy, which is a form of Existential Analysis, and becomes known as the "Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy" really doesn't catch on in Vienna, or Europe.  It forms the basis for what's broadly become known as 'humanistic psychology' and that becomes centered not in the Old World, but in the newest part of the New World, California, specifically Big Sur.

[tekla]

Why not just go all the way and tell us that the camps didn't exist?

[ativan]

Now that my little darlings are in high school, the 16 yr old will be also starting college, You'd think that they have very little use for me anymore.

I found out today talking to my oldest that I need to be in their lives even more. I have no idea what the new world will bring? Technology ran me over and then backed up. But they need the reasons I kept on going. Why did I bother? Why did I take so many foolish risks? To Live, To be Alive!

Give me a purpose and I will do something else more important with it and if that fails I will make it something fun. It needs to be a purpose, you named it and gave it life. Just because your CPR didn't work, doesn't mean mine won't.

The Razor's Edge, a book, a great b/w movie, they even did it again with Bill Murray as the lead. It's worth reading and watching each one.

Ativan

[Anatta]

a sense you're agreeing with the Dalai Lama Tekla

or he's agreeing with me, after all, who's to say which is the higher level of reincarnation? 

Kia Ora Tekla,

Let me see, Tekla or the Dalai Lama ?...Tekla or the Dalai Lama? Oooowoo Now that's an hard one...

Metta Zenda

[Anatta]

I'm still sure it's an abstract noun and can't be pursued.

Kia Ora,

You're right Pica,[notice I didn't say  "skilful"  ] The word/term "Happiness" is an abstract noun one cannot sense, However what does create a "sense" of happiness can vary widely from person to person... Some people require a lot of their needs to be met before they experience a sense of well being, while others find happiness in simplicity.

In the conventional sense one important element of what one would normally see as an happy state, is a sense of "self"-satisfaction. I believe we have physical, and emotional needs[ and for many spiritual needs too] which need to be met in order to experience some degree of well being...

Consciously we tend to seek out or "pursue" things that will satisfy, and whether they be physical objects and or emotional states, from the moment we wake we are in pursuit of "self" satisfaction [or if you like "happiness"  ]...For example this could be the first cupper of a morning [Ah... that nice cup of coffee or in my case green tea], and throughout the day  one is constantly on the lookout to please one"self" ...For many altruism seems to be a fool proof way to achieve this ...

Somewhat of a paradox I know,  but life is full of contradictions  "Please others in order to please oneself !"  I'm happy with that...

As you awake Pica so in my world I retire for the night...So good morning and have a nice day at work, rest or play...

  Enjoy....

Happy Mindfulness

Metta Zenda

[Renate]

I guess that this all confirms the law that any internet dialog deteriorates into a discussion of Nazi Germany.

My point was that the "American way" and the American constitution are not the pinnacle of human achievement.

The American constitution, although ground-breaking 200-plus years ago has aged.
Some constitutions written in more recent history are cleaner and more liberal.

The "American way" is usually just a call to arms for smugness.
Disparity between the haves and the have-nots in America is large and growing.

[VeryGnawty]

Let me see, Tekla or the Dalai Lama ?...Tekla or the Dalai Lama? Oooowoo Now that's an hard one...

It's not that hard.  Tekla is obviously a very advanced spiritual being.

[cynthialee]

Perhaps we all have diferant objectives. The meaning of life is diferant from person to person?

Perhaps one person comes here to learn all about love, and anouther is here to learn about debauchery. Should either fail to embrace what they are here for they get to repete the process and reincarnate.

[VeryGnawty]

Perhaps one person comes here to learn all about love, and anouther is here to learn about debauchery. Should either fail to embrace what they are here for they get to repete the process and reincarnate.

And I'm here to learn about being stuck in the wrong body.  What a great joy.

[cynthialee]

And I'm here to learn about being stuck in the wrong body.  What a great joy.

Seems to be a common path around here.

[tekla]

It's hard to say really, I know that I've had one of the great life experiences (twice) that the Lama is forbidden, and I'm very sure that he's faced a lot more sorrow than I have.  He is our current ages example of sitting on rivers of Babylon and remembering Zion, and as the song tells us, that is a profound sadness.

By the rivers of Babylon
Where we sat down
There we wept
When we remembered Zion

[Pica Pica]

I used to live with this incredible woman; 94 year old, holocaust survivor, USSR escapee, who came to London and found all her husbands knowledge was useless and he felt useless, kept her family going and alive. Eventually her brother had a business that worked, she became a woman of leisure and became a painter, so successful she joined the Royal Society, auctioned round the world. Quit art because of the commercialism by storming out of an agent's calling her words I can't repeat here. - A woman who has lived - and she said the purpose of life was 'to create impressions on how it feels to be alive'. She also said the problem with ageing is that she feels less.

She does depressing pictures that filled the house, here is one

[kate durcal]

It's not that hard.  Tekla is obviously a very advanced spiritual being.

I think we should build a religion around the teachings of the Prophet Tekla

Kate D

[tekla]

That's pretty much the last thing that anyone who is sane would ever want.

[Lisbeth]

That's pretty much the last thing that anyone who is sane would ever want.

We finally agree on something.

[tekla]

Sooner or later most people come to their senses and agree with me. Wait Long By the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By.

[Julie Marie]

I think we should build a religion around the teachings of the Prophet Tekla

Hmmm.... Today's prophets do get a lot of perks, like a bevy of nubile young women.

That's pretty much the last thing that anyone who is sane would ever want.

considering the perks, you may want to keep that under wraps.