It
is an admitted fact that birth and death is an unending cycle. Whoever is born, must die.
The span between birth and death is generally termed as life; howsoever long this life may
be, it is limited because it is inherently related to beginning and end. Now, the question
arises as to what life is and what its aim or purpose is.
At
first sight, the question seems complicated and rather beyond the average understanding.
Everyone will answer this question according to his understanding. An infant wants to
continue to enjoy the lap of his mother as long as it can; it is not attracted by gold,
silver, diamond, etc. or the sky-scrapers or the royal palaces. Nothing is more precious
to it than the breasts of his mother. When the same infant grows up a little, it is
attracted by dolls and toys, and when he begins going to school, he takes interest in
playing with his classmates besides books and games. When he enters the college, he takes
pride in being counted among the promising students of his class or tries to excel in
sports so that he may secure a distinction. During this period, he also thinks of the
worldly comforts, profitable occupation, high position and as soon as he finishes his
studies, he is concerned about his future: he hankers after high posts and amasses wealth.
In short, he strives for a bright future and when he advances
further, he goes in for marriage and in this way enters family life and begins to regard
the well-being of his wife and children as the aim of his life.
Considering
all these facts we arrive at the conclusion that one’s centre of attraction and
attention goes on changing. As one grows, one’s aim of life undergoes a change
according to his thinking. That is why persons of different occupations and ages have
different aims of life. A sweeper, a barber, a schoolteacher, a doctor, and an officer or
rulers have different aims at different stages of their lives. The fact, which is worth
considering, is that when all people pass through similar stages of development, namely,
birth, playing with toys, study, occupation, marriage, procreation and death, why do they
have different aims of life? If we ponder deeply, these different aims will be found to be
revolving round the same pivotal aim - happiness. For instance, if we consider the life of
a person whose apparent aim is to amass wealth, we shall find that it is not the real aim
of his life. Wealth is not the end but the means for social recognition, well being of his
family, better standard of living, name and fame and consequent happiness. Similarly, a
student does not strive to become a sportsman of high order to secure a distinguished
position but to attain happiness. To reiterate, people adopt different means to attain
happiness, which they consider as their aims of life. This is not the end of the story,
because on achieving name and fame and comforts, and conveniences, they get only momentary happiness, nay abiding happiness. A man who carries a
wounded person from the roadside to the hospital and arranges for his treatment, in fact,
does so for his happiness through good deed. If someone feeds a hungry person, his real
aim is also to attain happiness through charity. In short, if we consider the deeds of any
person from any angle we shall arrive at the same conclusion, namely, that his real aim is
to attain happiness. In fact all efforts and endeavours being made in the world are aimed
at attaining happiness.
Everyone
craves for happiness. No one wants sorrow. But we find in our daily life that each
happiness is followed by sorrow. We may adopt any means and create favourable
circumstances, but we cannot attain abiding happiness in this way. That is why man remains
a victim of mental tension all his life and ultimately departs from this world losing his
existence and individuality when material comforts come to naught. If one realizes one’s
true self, for him the world becomes an inn. For him pain and pleasure are like sun and
shade. For him the animate and inanimate creations of the world are transitory. He learns
the art of living without attachment. He learns to pick up happiness even in this world of
sorrow and suffering. He attains such happiness as is not tinged with pain and suffering.
However, one cannot realize his real self without the blessings of a True Master. The True
Master alone can lead one from self-centredness to God-realisation - all bliss and
happiness - the aim of human life.