Humans have always felt perplexed by life’s
mystery, its origin, meaning and finality. Especially, origin, meaning and
purpose of human life have always remained vital subjects of discussion and
analysis from the beginning. Theists and atheists, both, have for thousands of
years been discussing these subjects continuously and comprehensively. Scholars
have differently presented their respective arguments and conclusions on them.
Their arguments, interpretations and conclusions have further been
reinterpreted and reanalyzed from time-to-time without failing to deliver new
explanations each time. Along with socio-political and economic spheres,
spiritual field has also got new dimensions, one after the other in constantly
changing situations of space. Even though, i.e., despite constantly changing
situations at all levels, from local to global, and in all walks of life the
process of discussion and analysis pertaining to life, its origin, meaning and
purpose in particular, still continues. It has not lost its significance even
through the inevitable process of change.
II
The Vedic-Hindu philosophy, the most ancient
and the best thought that has left impression in one way or the other on all
existing philosophies of the world, declares the origin of life to be the
divine. This notion could be well observed in the light of the Vedic concept of Hiranyagarbhaa, the golden embryo, as the source of creation of the
universe, in which the creation arises out of the dismemberment of a cosmic
being, The Purusha. [Rigveda: 10:121]
Karmas [deeds] are natural to all living beings.
Despite this, it is only human beings who possess two extraordinary qualities
namely intellect and creativity. These two traits render a human being a
distinction and superiority over all living beings. With an appropriate
co-ordination of intellect and creativity with Karmas, thus, transforming Karmas
into Sukarmas [righteous acts] is
generally expected from man’s life. In other words, making one’s actions
virtuous through an amalgam of intellect and creativity is the highest
accomplishment of human life. Life founded on the basis of righteous deeds
achieves the highest kind of redemption, the Moksha. In this state soul is fully liberated and beyond the
process of death and rebirth. It is considered to be the ultimate purpose of
human life to make sense of his life through his actions and thoughts.
The
highest stage of Moskha is possible
only in the superior human life. A human being is entirely free to act. If he
merges his intellect and creativity to make good of his actions, he achieves
the highest state, the Moksha. The Vedic-Hindu view of life usually
envisions this ultimate state of human life when soul is wholly liberated from
the cycle of births and deaths.
Thereafter, it remains eternally in the service of God in His
abode. It is in other words the realization [of soul] of fundamental [its]
nature or obtaining the state of oneness with God.
Almost all theistic philosophies, developed in India and rest
of the world, are more or less and in one way or the other, seem near to the Vedic-Hindu concept pertaining to
origin, meaning and purpose of human life. Other philosophies like Buddhism and
Jainism are also in agreement in toto with Vedic-Hindu
notion pertaining to make the life finally meaningful with the attainment of Moksha, Mukti or Vimukti through
righteous [virtuous] acts. It is, however, the other matter if they [Buddhism
and Jainism] do not agree to Vedic-Hindu
view of existence of any Supreme authority, God, on one hand and existence of
soul after the liberation on the other.
In Buddhism and
Jainism, attaining the highest, the Moksha,
is a state. Buddhism, rejecting the theory of a transmigrating permanent soul,
states that the state of Moksha it to be free from all passions and desires.
One who achieves this is called liberated. It is a state having no origin, and
no end. It should have, therefore, no
existence thereafter. In Jainism, on the other hand, it is the last step, a
state of achieving Amaratva. The liberated [soul] gets abode in the Siddhaloka.
The
essence that could be drawn in short from Buddhism and Jainism in context of
the Moksha or the Nirvana is that both of them lay emphasis on bringing life
within the ambit of virtuous acts [Sadachar]. Both stress on making life pure
externally and internally, both. When there is a state of absolute purity, soul
realizes extreme bliss and happiness, and then gets the state of permanent
peace. It is the highest, the ultimate state, i.e., making life meaningful,
ideal and exemplary for others, generations to come.
Dayananda
Saraswati, one of the great Vedic-scholars, thinkers, and exponents of the
Vedas, despite being in concordance with the Hindu view of origin, purpose and
goal of life seems differing in respect of the state of soul after the Moksha.
He is of the opinion that after the Moksha soul enjoys extreme [beyond
explanation] happiness for a certain period and reappears [in a body]
thereafter. The opinion of Dayananda Saraswati is definitely amazing. This view
of Dayananda renders another dimension
in this regard, to the perception related to the state of soul after
liberation.
III
What
I draw as conclusion from the whole discussion, while having the Vedic-Hindu
viewpoint in the centre, is: 1-human life is the best and rare rarest one of
all living beings; 2-leading it through righteous acts to make the best of it
is the duty of man and achieving the state of liberation, the Moksha is the
purpose of it. After Moksha, the liberation, the cycle of birth-death comes to
an end. Soul reaches the state of Sachchidananda, obtains Paramatatva or merges
with Brahamanatva. It is in fact the process to make life worthy and
meaningful. It is, to repeat, the ultimate purpose of life.
Man is full of
wisdom. He is sharp. He imagines and tries continuously to learn and explore.
This is the quality, which separates him from others and to make him superior
over all living beings. He may differ partly or fully from all established
concepts pertaining to origin, meaning or purpose and goal of life. He may
particularly disagree with the theist ones believing in Supreme power, among
which is the Vedic Hindu viewpoint,
which is the ancient and the best one. It dissension existed in the past also.
Man has the right to explore and experiment on the basis of his own wisdom and
experiences; it does not matter even if explanations of treatises are great and
seem based on reality.
Even though one thing has emerged in the above-mentioned
concepts, that is the Vedic-Hindu
philosophy in particular, is not only relevant to be conformed to, but also
along with giving satisfaction to a great extent leads man to make his life
worthy and meaningful. When the purpose and goal of man’s life is discussed, he
is called to rise above his own self-interest. He is further urged to endeavour
having the welfare of all in the centre. He is expected to step forward by
seeing and regulating his own happiness and comfort in the wellbeing of all. If
he does so, he performs what we term as the righteous acts. Giving up own
self-interest, and working for progress and welfare of others is the process of
indulging in righteous acts. It is Sadachar
[ethics], necessary for proper conduction of the system, from individual to
global, from global to universal. In this context the following message of
Gautama Buddha is worthy of mention here:
“After observation and analysis, when you find that anything
agrees with reasons and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all,
then accept it and live up to it.”
Donning the
true spirit of this view and acting in consonance with it is without a doubt a
fair pathway to make life fulfilled or worthy. No one can deny this
reality.
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