उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: || 5||
uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet
atmaiva hyatmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah
“Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, and not degrade yourself, for the mind can be the friend and also the enemy of the self .”
When we wake up each morning, do we know what we are willing to live or die for? If we do, we have found the purpose of life. If not, then we may be living aimlessly. Without a meaningful purpose to live for, life would be like being on a highway without a roadmap. Let us explore why we exist in this world and what should be the purpose of life.
Before answering a deep philosophical question like this, it is important to know our true identity. We are eternal souls who are tiny fragments of the all-powerful Supreme Lord and creator. He is an ocean of infinite bliss and as His ansh or parts, we naturally gravitate toward where we believe we will find bliss. Therefore, we search for bliss in the material world thinking that relishing objects, experiences, and people will make us eternally happy. We make the mistake of thinking that short-term pleasure will bring long-lasting happiness. When it does not, we feel disillusioned and start searching for other sources of pleasure. After endless such experiences, when we meet a true saint, then we realize the purpose of life. It is to serve God with the body, mind, intellect, and soul. Serving Him will provide us with the happiness that will satiate us forever.
We all come into this world with lower instincts that characterize mental afflictions (e.g., greed, anger, lust, etc.). The purpose of life is to redirect these and develop the superior nature that reflects in traits like compassion, kindness, absence of judgment, etc. The true knowledge of the scriptures will help us to learn the purpose of life, which is to develop a divine relationship with God and serve Him for His pleasure. Having received this precious human form, we must make maximum use of the opportunity to fulfill the purpose of life.
As tiny parts of God or Satchitanand, we have been blessed with an intense desire for three things without being taught – life (Sat), knowledge (Chit), and bliss (Anand). We will achieve all these by serving God – the purpose of life.
Focus on the Eternal Soul. We must continuously remind ourselves that we are the immortal divine soul, not the physical body made of matter. The body will perish but the soul, like its master, is eternal. Thus, we must properly use this life to develop transcendental virtues and qualities to be perfect like God. He has equipped the souls to become perfect like Him. God chisels the souls toward perfection with life experiences.
Acquire True Knowledge. We must learn to love God by acquiring the true knowledge of His names, forms, virtues, leelas or pastimes, abodes, and saints. In other words, we must attach the mind to God while detaching it from the material world which is the source of misery. Materially conditioned souls do not possess the power to overcome God’s powerful Maya Shakti, so our only recourse is to engage in loving devotion to God. Bhakti has the incredible power to transform lives, especially under the guidance of a true Guru.
Seek Devotional Bliss. On the spiritual path, association with saints (i.e., sadhu sanga), and a connection with like-minded devotees enable us to establish the faith (i.e., shraddha) needed for inner growth. Engagement in practical devotion (i.e., bhajanakriya) through Satsang, meditation, and contemplation tend to be graced with the gradual removal of the impurities in the heart (i.e., anarth nivritti). Simultaneously, pursuing true knowledge under the Guru’s guidance will strengthen devotion and love for God.
Repeated Practice. Progress toward a perfect state of consciousness will not occur overnight. It will require repeated and continuous practice to establish proficiency. We can take small steps daily, master each step before progressing to the next, exercise self-discipline and willpower, and make good choices to honor the commitment to grow. As science has documented, neurons that wire together, fire together! Repeated practice will work in our favor to fulfill the purpose of life. .
There was a teacher who taught his students that the world was created by a random event of nature, not by an intelligent power. One day he instructed his students to make a map of the world for homework. One of the students, who knew that God created the world, took a piece of paper, scribbled some lines on it, and threw some colors on it to complete his assignment.
The next day he put his homework sheet on the teacher’s desk when all the other students were submitting their assignments. The teacher returned to his desk and started grading the homework sheets. He noticed the paper with scribbles and color. He became angry seeing this and inquired whose homework it was. He got no response and inquired again indicating that he would punish the entire class if no one responded. The boy who had submitted this assignment stood up and said: “Nobody had made that sheet.” The teacher refused to accept this answer, stating that it was someone else’s work. The boy responded again saying that the emergence of the sheet was a consequence of a random event of nature. The boy stated, “The paper flew in by chance and landed on your desk. The pencil flew in right after and some lines were scratched on the paper. This was then followed by flying of the colors, which randomly filled the sheet. All these events were a simple act of nature and had occurred by accident.”
Hearing this, the teacher became angrier. He was convinced that it was the same boy and declared it to the class.
The boy politely mentioned to the teacher that it was surprising that just one day before the teacher told them that the whole world was a work of a random event, and yet, it was impossible that the little homework assignment was created by itself. It was sheer common sense that if the paper had a creator, then the entire universe also had a creator. The teacher was acting in ignorance.
Practical Wisdom:
Have you ever wondered what the purpose of life is? Is it about getting good grades, having many friends, or becoming rich and famous? While these things can be seemingly fulfilling, many spiritual teachings say that these things will not bring happiness and that the true purpose of life goes much deeper.
First, it is important to understand and believe that we are not our bodies. Think of our body like a car and our soul as the driver. The car cannot go anywhere without the driver. Similarly, our bodies would not function without our souls. The soul is who we really are. The soul is eternal and a tiny part of God.
Since our souls are eternal, the purpose of life is to understand and connect with our true, spiritual nature. Discovering our true purpose involves getting closer to God. Since our souls are eternal, the journey to uncovering our purpose includes practices that help us tune into this deeper part of ourselves.
Prayer. As middle school students, this journey can start with simple yet powerful activities like prayer and meditation. Prayer is when we directly focus on God. We can express our thoughts, gratitude, and desires; it can be done silently or out loud. Prayer can occur anywhere and anytime.
Meditation. Another way to begin discovering our true purpose is meditation. This involves calming our minds and focusing our thoughts. The best meditation is putting our mind on God.
Acts of kindness and gratitude. Actions such as helping a classmate or volunteering will help us feel connected to others and bring joy to our souls. This also can help us discover our true purpose over time. Additionally, practicing gratitude by thinking of things we are thankful for each day can help us appreciate the good in our lives and connect with our inner selves.
By incorporating these simple practices, we can begin to understand and live out our true, spiritual purpose.
The purpose of life, from a spiritual perspective, is to realize that we are souls, not just bodies, and get closer to God. By practicing prayer, meditation, and acts of kindness and gratitude, we can connect with our true nature and find lasting happiness. Life’s true treasures are found within. By nurturing the journey of our soul, we discover a purpose that goes beyond worldly pleasures.
The purpose of life is to serve a higher power and live by divine principles. Health is a subset of this purpose, and we do it by achieving and maintaining a state of physical and mental well-being.
One crucial aspect of life is to strive for optimal health. This involves maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and avoiding harmful substances. Additionally, more proactive steps should be taken, for example, regular doctor check-ups, medical screenings, proper vaccinations, and long-term preventive healthcare measures. The goal overall is to enhance physical fitness, resilience, and longevity of the body so we may engage in devotion with the mind.
Life's purpose also involves nurturing mental health and emotional well-being. This includes managing stress daily, cultivating positive relationships in both professional and personal life, and seeking support when needed. Mental health is just as important as physical health for overall well-being. It is very hard to get closer to God if our body is breaking down.
A significant part of life's purpose is also to experience fulfillment and a high quality of life. Fulfillment involves pursuing activities and relationships that bring joy, satisfaction, and a sense of direction. It also means addressing work-life balance, personal growth, and life satisfaction factors. Health is not just an individual concern but also a collective one. Contributing to society by promoting health and well-being in one's community, advocating for healthcare access and equity, and participating in public health initiatives can give meaning and purpose to life from a health perspective.
Swami Mukundananda teaches that the purpose of life is to prepare our vessels to receive divine grace with help from the guru and develop divine love so that we may serve the Lord. Swamiji details his explanation in (this video).
The scriptures tell us that maintaining our quality of health is an important virtue, just like humility, kindness, and truthfulness. Shree Krishna makes this clear to Arjun:
“Humbleness; freedom from hypocrisy; non-violence; forgiveness; simplicity; service of the Guru; cleanliness of body and mind; steadfastness; and self-control; dispassion toward the objects of the senses; absence of egotism; keeping in mind the evils of birth, disease, old age, and death; non-attachment; absence of clinging to spouse, children, home, and so on; even-mindedness amidst desired and undesired events in life; constant and exclusive devotion toward Me; an inclination for solitary places and an aversion for mundane society; constancy in spiritual knowledge; and philosophical pursuit of the Absolute Truth—all these I declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to it, I call ignorance.” (B.G. 13.8-12)
Let us all recommit to the health of our body, so we may engage in devotion with the mind and reignite the purpose of our life.
JKYog members are very excited about two inspirational events in May, both held at the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas, the official Headquarters of JKYog. The first was the launch of Swami Mukundananda ji’s new book, and the second is the launch of JKYog YUVA.
JKYog is thrilled about the successful launch of Swami Mukundananda’s latest book “Spiritual Secrets From Hinduism” by Rupa Publications! The book launch was held on May 29, 2024, at the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas. If you missed the event or would like to relive the sweet memory, you can access the event on Swamiji’s YouTube page.
The book is available to order on Amazon USA and Amazon India at a discounted rate.
Accompanying the book is a 30-day Challenge to help readers solidify the practical implementation of its core concepts. The Challenge was launched on May 25, 2024, on the Radha Krishna Bhakti App. Two parts have already been released. If you do not have this free app on your phone, please download it now. You do not want to miss the application activities embedded in the app.
The Spiritual Secrets From Hinduism Challenge comprises the following tools:
• An amazing set of 30 lectures by Swamiji
• A very brief summary of each lecture
• Some interactive activities to seal the knowledge
• A memorable quote by Swamiji
Details: https://www.jkyog.org/spiritual-secrets-from-hinduism
JKYog believes in transforming the world through wisdom. What better way to transform the world than to empower the youth and young adults interested in creating a harmonious and compassionate world? With this noble goal, JKYog will launch an innovative initiative tailored exclusively for young adults (ages 18-30 years) called JKYog YUVA. This highly awaited program will be officially launched in the divine presence of Swami Mukundananda.
The purpose of JKYog YUVA is to create a platform for personal growth, fostering a professionally successful generation deeply connected to their inner selves and the world around them. JKYog YUVA intends to do this by conducting engaging workshops, seminars, study groups, and mentorship opportunities for its members.
JKYog YUVA members will have access to highly valued opportunities for growth in addition to those noted above. An Exclusive Membership will include:
College students at the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, Davis, have already benefitted from an excellent and memorable talk by Swami Mukundananda on The Power of Thoughts.
We encourage youth to become exclusive members by taking advantage of the Free Introductory offer using the code ‘EARLYYUVA’ for 100% off the membership fee.
Details: https://jkyog.org/yuva/
This magnificent Hindu temple is the serene abode of Shree Radha Krishna where you imbibe the nectar of love for God, celebrate festivals with the Indian community in Dallas, practice meditation and yoga, enrich your children’s lives with Vedic culture, or simply relax and enjoy the spiritual environment with your family.
Non Profit 501(c)(3)organization.
Federal tax ID:26-3490578.
1450 N. Watters Road, Allen, TX 75013 (Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex)
Phone: (469) 795-9130
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