Seeking Life’s Purpose

Seeking Life’s Purpose

Julian Barnes’s book ‘History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters’ is a collection of subtly connected stories. In one of these, the author imagines what heaven would feel like. A working-class Englishman dies and wakes up in a new place, where he can ask for and do anything he likes, as long as he can think of it. The person goes ahead and enjoys the company of beautiful women, tastes the best cuisine and meets his favourite celebrities. He even learns to play golf and excels to an extent where he manages a ‘hole in one’ on a regular basis. But after some time be gets bored and asks one of the staff about what can be done. He is informed that people have the option to die and end it all. On inquiring whether people choose this option, the staff member replies that everyone opts for it, sooner or later.

Barnes’s story is fictional, but it brings out a unique characteristic of human beings. People seek change and movement to create purposeful and meaningful lives. A sense of purpose engages humans and motivates them to work at something of interest. But how does someone seek or home in on his/her purpose of life. Come to think of it, there are no precedents or guidelines or religious texts to help identify one’s purpose in life. Even the dictionary does not provide a clue. Nature, the source of everything, does not offer any solutions. As a matter of fact, nature is totally indifferent to what humans want or do. Observing nature, one understands that all living beings display two impulses: survival and reproduction for longevity of their species. Survival has retained its primacy even today, with a few exceptions such as soldiers sacrificing their lives for the wellbeing of the society. Begetting progeny however, has lost some of its attraction and many married couples do not seek children and some individuals prefer to remain bachelors. Having developed the power to think, imagine unseen things and alter behavior, humans have pushed to transcend the limitations imposed by genes and nature, seeking a more meaningful and purposeful existence, beyond natural impulses.

Some remarkable individuals have a lofty purpose and pursue their ideals with unflinching dedication. Many among the list of awardees of the Indian government’s Padma series this year were simple folks, but with remarkable achievements.  One of them, the 63-year-old Mohammed Sharif, a cycle mechanic, preformed last rites of over 25,000 unclaimed dead bodies irrespective of their religious beliefs. Such outstanding individuals display missionary zeal in pursing their lifetime’s purpose.

In contrast, ordinary people are at loss of words when articulating their purpose in life. Many go through life without even realizing their purpose, trying to find meaning in daily activities. But in most such cases, the unsaid purpose in simple words is ‘seeking happiness’. Happiness a state of contentment and well-being, is transitory in nature. But happiness as the purpose eludes one when linked to the achievement of an event in the future.

So, live for the moment. As Charles Shultz, the creator of the comic strip Charlie Brown said, “My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” He was possibly gifted and was joyous every moment of his life. 

The journey in pursuit of one’s life’s purpose is exhilarating and rewarding. While achieving one’s purpose brings tremendous joy, the journey does not end there. But as in the fictional story of heaven, even as you reach a milestone, a more attractive dream beckons and a new journey begins. Ghalib summed it up so well:

Hazaron khvahishen aisi ki har khvahish pe dam nikle

Bahut nikle mere arman lekin phir bhi kam nikle

(Thousands of desires, each worth dying for…
many of them I have realized…yet I yearn for more…)