What Is The Purpose Of Life?
The Most Important Purpose Of Life For Human Beings Living In This World
It was the year 1893 when a Spiritual Monk known as 'Swami Vivekananda' was heading to Chicago, situated in the United States, for his speech at the World Parliament of Religion. He was traveling inside a ship. At a time, he saw a young boy, about 17–18 years old, standing a few distances away from him, standing idle near the railing of the ship. Swami Vivekananda decided to ask him who he was. What is he doing in his life, and for what reason? And let's open his eyes. The boy seemed proud to be a rich man's son but had no awareness of any spiritual seeking.
Swami Vivekananda asked him, "Why are you going to the USA, boy?". He replied, "To study abroad and get a degree in B.Tech." Swamiji replied, "Let's suppose you get a degree in Btech, then what will you do?". The boy replied, "I will then come back to my country and become an ICS Officer (Indian Civil Services) and apply for it, it is a rare position only a few people have been able to get it." Swamiji asked him, "Okay, let's visualize that you became an ICS Officer, then what will you do?". The child replied," Then I will get proposals from many beautiful women and I will marry one of them." Swamiji replied, "Alright, suppose you also got to marry a beautiful woman, then what will you do?"
The boy became a little bit furious about Swamiji's same questions again and again, but he maintained his cool and started uttering many things from his mouth in irritation. He said, "Then I will buy a big house and enjoy luxuries in them, I will earn money, enjoy eating delicious food and sleep in a comfortable bed and have a nice sleep, I will increase my wealth, build my value among high-class people and gain respect." Swami Vivekananda replied, "That's good. Suppose you also got all these luxuries and you enjoyed them, you built your value and increased your wealth, then what will you do?". The boy became more confused and furious about why this monk-like creature was asking him, again and again, the same question of what will he do then.
Yet the boy kept his cool and replied to him, "Then I will have children." Swami Vivekananda asked him, "Okay, so what will you do then?". The boy replied to him confusingly, "What will happen then? My children will grow up, they will feed me, they will take care of me, and I will get old." Swamiji again asked him, "So now you became old and now what will you do?". The boy then replied with a blank on his face," Then I will die. What will happen then? Please stop asking me such questions."
Swamiji then told him, "You asked me why I am asking you the same question about your life, again and again; I will tell you now why." He then continued, "Whatever you told me is your life planning. You will get a degree, you will marry, you will have a child, you will enjoy luxuries including tasty food and sleep, and you will protect yourself through a bank balance and wealth, you will grow old, and then you will die.
But don't you think animals also do the same things and activities? You told me you would eat, sleep, mate, defend, enjoy and die. The animals also do the same. It's alright, you will sleep on a comfortable bed and animals sleep on the ground, but the pleasure of sleeping will be experienced the same by both of you. You will eat luxurious food and satisfy your hunger with enjoyment, but animals also do and feel the same by eating the grass.
The animals do not even have to worry about health hazards like diabetes, cholesterol, etc. In this way, they are eating and enjoying food, even more than us, without any hesitation. You will protect yourself with your wealth and survive. The animals do the same with their fangs and claws. You will have children, the animals also do that, in fact, they can reproduce children more than us, they can have 4 or 6 children at a time, how can we beat them? And then human beings also die, and the animals also die. Then now you tell me what have you done other than animals, you also lived the same as they did. Listening to this, the boy was in doubt.
Swami Vivekananda said, "God has made human beings in such a way that they do not involve in animalistic activities." He then continued, "This means God has developed the human intellect for a higher purpose, by whatever you said to me about your life planning doesn't justify the human existence. If this is all you wish to do, what is the need to become an ICS Officer?"
He continued, "God has given us this special intellect for a higher purpose, and you should inquire about it from that purpose of life instead of moving your mind into enjoying a luxurious life." Here, the higher purpose means engaging your mind in God. Only human beings have this special power of realization of God.
And therefore, developing a devotion to love and service toward God is the primary objective of a human being. The worldly acts and works are the secondary objectives. It is not difficult to engage yourself in God. It is a gradual-slow process. You do not need massive energy to love someone who is already loving you, who is God. Still, you must keep on remembering God every day to develop your connection with him in a soft and loving way.
Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is reached
~Swami Vivekananda
