What is the Purpose of Life?

[imranhasan]

I would appreciate if someone would kindly help me understand the purpose of life (human as well as other forms), according to Hindu teachings.

[Guest guest]

of life is to reach Bhagavan Hari, who is the abode of bliss, unlike the material world in which we live.

[imranhasan]

Thank you Bhimasena,

 

I am sorry for my ignorance. What exactly do we mean by 'reaching Bhagwan hari'? Who is 'Bhagwan Hari'?

 

Thanks and regards,

[gHari]

In the last sentence on this link you will find the ultimate perfection of life. The rest of the page describes how to reach that goal:

 

 

http://geocities.com/caitanyamahaprabhu/download.htm

Normally, animals and other creatures need to advance into the form of a human being to be able to progress to the ultimate perfection. Yet, it is their ultimate destination as well; all living beings are so loved by Allah.

[imranhasan]

Thank you gHari

 

How do animals and other creatures advance into the form of a human being? What is the ultimate perfection of life?

[gHari]

 

Thank you gHari

How do animals and other creatures advance into the form of a human being? What is the ultimate perfection of life?

The soul passes from one species form to the next after death through eight million different species in a progression from simple life forms to more complex, eventually reaching the human form of which there are four hundred thousand different types found spread throughout the many universes in the material creation. Souls in the human form can progress or again fall into animal existence depending on whether they advance or degrade their consciousness during that human life. If they continue to act like animals then they will need the body of an animal to fulfill the desires the soul has acquired. God is very kind, always giving the soul what it needs for its happiness.

 

In the last sentence on the following linked page you will find a statement about the ultimate perfection of life. The rest of the page describes how to reach that goal:

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http://geocities.com/caitanyamahaprabhu/download.htm

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[imranhasan]

Thank you very much gHari,

I request some clarification on the following points:

You write:

 

The soul passes from one species form to the next after death through eight million different species in a progression from simple life forms to more complex, eventually reaching the human form of which there are four hundred thousand different types found spread throughout the many universes in the material creation.

What I understand from this is that each and every human being, as he is today, has been every plant, every insect, every animal in the past. Is that correct?

1- If that is so, was that soul not happy in its plant, insect or animal body?

2- Were there any criteria on the basis of which the soul was given a different body?

3- I also see, that your statement implies that a soul can fall to a lower form of life, on the basis of what its soul requires. Why was this soul given a human body, in the first place? Was it something different that it required then?

4- After being put in an animal body, on what basis can the soul again progress to a human form?

One more question that comes to mind is that, according to this view of life, would it also mean that the combined number of humans, trees, weeds, insects, birds and other animals have always remained the same in this world?

I greatly appreciate your time and thank you for it.

In the referred article, it reads:

 

The highest perfection of life is to enjoy life constantly in the association of the Lord, and one who can relish this does not aspire after any temporary enjoyment of the material world via other media.

What exactly does "Temporary Enjoyment of the material world via other media" mean? Can anyone please elaborate?

[Avinash]

 

What I understand from this is that each and every human being, as he is today, has been every plant, every insect, every animal in the past. Is that correct?sis of which the soul was given a different body?

Well, there are 8.4 million species. It is not necessary for any being to go through all these species. How many species one goes through before becoming human depends on the actions one performs. Depending on one's actions, one can even move from human species to another.

 

After being put in an animal body, on what basis can the soul again progress to a human form?

There is not a single thing that one does to attain human form. What form one has in one life depends on the aggregate of actions performed in the last birth and, in some cases, many previous births.

 

One more question that comes to mind is that, according to this view of life, would it also mean that the combined number of humans, trees, weeds, insects, birds and other animals have always remained the same in this world?

Yes, provided you do not restrict yourself only to the life forms on this Earth. You have to count all including those present in heaven and hell.

 

What exactly does "Temporary Enjoyment of the material world via other media" mean? Can anyone please elaborate?

When one becomes free from the cycle of birth and death, then one attains supreme abode. That world is spiritual. Till then one is enjoying the material world.

[imranhasan]

Thank you very much, Avinash. Your answers are very clear. Thank you, indeed.

You write:

 

Depending on one's actions, one can even move from human species to another.

What I understand is that all species have the choice of taking to good and bad behavior? Does this mean a tree (and all insects, animals and all imaginable life forms) can perform good actions and also bad ones?

For the sake of conveinence of understanding, please allow me to defer the questions on the remaining part of your reply till this point is clarified.

Thank you very much, indeed.

[Guest guest]

This good and bad action are only in human life. For example a tiger will always kill to eat , but It will never get any reaction because of that killing. But if a human being is killing for its own pleasure , That will be counted as his action.

 

Hari bol.

Allaha is great .

YS, ddi

[Avinash]

 

What I understand is that all species have the choice of taking to good and bad behavior? Does this mean a tree (and all insects, animals and all imaginable life forms) can perform good actions and also bad ones?

Yes, all species can perform good/bad actions. Of course no species has beings who can perform whatever actions they like; there are limitations. Moreover what is good and what is bad changes from specie to species. It also changes from individual to individual for individuals of the same species depending on the situation they are in.

[Guest guest]

> Yes, all species can perform good/bad actions.

> Of course no species has beings who can perform

> whatever actions they like; there are limitations.

> Moreover what is good and what is bad changes from

> specie to species. It also changes from individual

> to individual for individuals of the same species

> depending on the situation they are in.

 

So we could conclude this subject in the following way:

True/false or good/bad like dualities are relative and will change according to time, place, and situation. so we could say that this will depend on the state of mind at large. That is what Bhagavad Gita states. Ultimately we need to control our mind for a real or good venture. So we need to look for a cleaning process.

thanks

regards

Ashok

[Guest guest]

Dear Imran,

 

Fundamentally The animals and plants and insects are

not bound to the karma kanda cycle. They dont have a

developed intelligence and hence cannot distinguish

the good from the bad hence there is no good or bad

karma involved with the plants or animals. Contrary to

this, Mans intelligence is developed and hence he is

in position to distinguish between the good and the

bad hence he is involved in the karma.

[Guest guest]

It is said that human being is the best all creations. Human is best creation not because of its body but because of wisdom and thinking powere of its soul. We all know that all living species are also made from living cells of different forms. Each individual cell lives because it has a soul & behaves according to its nature.

 

If the soul passes from one species to next after the death, understand that only body is changed while soul with all its wisdom and thinking power remains same. How is it possible for a speicy to think as an individual while it is reated by trillions of cells having soul. Also in this case all living species including animals should also innovate, create, develop, progress with the time. But we all know that all living species except human bieng did not change its living style/nature since it was created very first time. Then who was the first creation Human or other species. I believe that human was created with all wisdom to serve the almighty creator and all other living and non living things were created for human to use them with wisdom and achive the purpose of life " serve the Almighty Creator the way He demands.

[Guest guest]

I differ in view from Brother Ranjit Nair,

If it were true that animals and plants and insects are

not bound to the karma kanda cycle, then Human being who go down to plane of Animals can never rise again after becoming animals. It is also wrong to say that Animals and plants do not have any intelligence, the intelligence in animal or plant is of their own kind a little distinct from human being but it can never be that they are dumb.

 

If it were true to what Brother Ranjit said then Animals will ever remain animals and plants will ever remain plant but it is not so.

[Guest guest]

Dear Kalkin

 

if we can diffrentiate between life ,spirit and soul evry thing is understood.If we can understand creator and creations , his objective and the process of creationwe can understand all.how did he designed and hoe did he conceive the different creaturs and materials, we can underdstand soul.

 

Regards

 

D.Swaroop

[Guest guest]

Rishi you didnt understand me correctly. I never said

that animals doesnt have intelligence at all. They

have intelligence enough to function themselves. They

dont come out of the basic rule of material life of

Eating Mating Sleeping and Defending. The living

entities possesing such bodies (ones who have lead a

sinful life) have developed a particular kind of

Consciousness which makes them glide down to

evolutionary cycle.

 

Yes it is true that they dont have karma simply

because they cannot understand spiritual life or they

dont have the intelligence to understand spiritual

life.

 

Animal life is given to such Living entities so that

they get conditioned and finally get a suitable human

body where they can start their spiritual life and Go

Back Home Back To Godhead

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

Here is how I understand the whole subject of the different living

beings on earth. I might be wrong.

 

The difference is in the level of consciousness. Plants are the

least aware; animals are more aware than plants; and finally humans,

who seem the most aware but only in comparison to plants and

animals. There are limits to our awareness as well, which I believe

no one can doubt. Any amount of referring to religious texts can

only give us a very rough idea of the purpose of our existence. They

can at best guide us on how to lead our lives. They cannot tell us

about the roles we humans play in the bigger scheme of things in the

universe.

 

I don't know much about Hinduism. I would love to hear from others

the answers they may have found on the role that humans play in the

universe.

 

 

 

[imranhasan]

Thank you very much, all brothers for your contributions.

Avinash, firstly, as you would see there are some differences of opinion in this regards. Are all these differences within the framework of allowable differences and can be termed as differences of understanding, in your view?

Secondly, you write:

 

Yes, all species can perform good/bad actions. Of course no species has beings who can perform whatever actions they like; there are limitations.

I understand that each species has limitations within the framework of which it would operate. However, what choice of good and evil does, for instance, a tree possess?

 

Moreover what is good and what is bad changes from specie to species. It also changes from individual to individual for individuals of the same species depending on the situation they are in.

Because of my earlier question, I would not be able to understand the concept of good and evil in other species, for now. However, as far as this concept in the humans is concerned, when you say that it changes, depending upon the situation, I presume that you do not imply that there is a difference of opinion regarding the basic moral values in human beings. All human beings know that truth is right falsehood wrong, justice is right and injustice wrong. However, there can be situations where one person may have to resort to something that he considers 'wrong', for instance, to avoid what in his eyes is a greater wrong. Am I correct in this understanding?

Thank you.

[imranhasan]

Thank you amala dasa, you write:

 

So we could conclude this subject in the following way:

True/false or good/bad like dualities are relative and will change according to time, place, and situation. so we could say that this will depend on the state of mind at large. That is what Bhagavad Gita states. Ultimately we need to control our mind for a real or good venture. So we need to look for a cleaning process.

 

Do you mean that good and bad behavior is so relative what is good behavior today may not have been so at another place or time? I really would like some clarification on this, as I have always felt that moral values in their essence are universal and unchanging. Though the form in which a society applies these moral values, may differ, yet the basic values remain the same. Is that not the case?

Thank you.

[Avinash]

 

Avinash, firstly, as you would see there are some differences of opinion in this regards. Are all these differences within the framework of allowable differences and can be termed as differences of understanding, in your view?

When various Hindus respond to questions on Hinduism, their responses differ. Some differences are because of differences of understanding. However, there is another reason for the differences. The reason is that they do not always respond based on their understanding of scriptures. They combine that understanding with the understanding that they have from other sources e.g. from whatever they have studies in Science and in some cases, their personal beliefs. Since their understandings from other sources differ, their responses differ.

 

...what choice of good and evil does, for instance, a tree possess?

Hinduism says that even tress have soul. So, they can possess the choice of good and evil.

Request to other posters: Could somebody please give the answer to this question in more detail?

 

However, as far as this concept in the humans is concerned, when you say that it changes, depending upon the situation, I presume that you do not imply that there is a difference of opinion regarding the basic moral values in human beings. All human beings know that truth is right falsehood wrong, justice is right and injustice wrong. However, there can be situations where one person may have to resort to something that he considers 'wrong', for instance, to avoid what in his eyes is a greater wrong. Am I correct in this understanding?

Yes, exactly.

[imranhasan]

 

When various Hindus respond to questions on Hinduism, their responses differ. Some differences are because of differences of understanding. However, there is another reason for the differences. The reason is that they do not always respond based on their understanding of scriptures. They combine that understanding with the understanding that they have from other sources e.g. from whatever they have studies in Science and in some cases, their personal beliefs. Since their understandings from other sources differ, their responses differ.

I can understand that being a written word, one's interpretation of a scripture can be significantly different from another's. Such differences of opinion, I would presume, would be considered simple differences of understanding and within the allowable frame of differences. However, when someone would base his opinion on somethiing other than the scripture, this, as I see it, would amount to a much graver difference (in basis) even if the resultant difference of opinion is not as huge. Would you consider a person who does not derive his beliefs from a scriptures to be a Hindu? This question again is of secondry importance only and may be ignored for the time being, if you deem fit.

 

Hinduism says that even tress have soul. So, they can possess the choice of good and evil.

But is it not against common human observations? What would be the basis of believing that a tree "can" possess the choice doing good and evil, when our observation suggests otherwise.

 

Yes, exactly.

So, the basic moral (and immoral) values are absolute and unchanging. Correct?

[Guest guest]

...is to love and serve krsna and be happy

 

-------------------------krsnaraja prabhu----------------------

[Avinash]

 

However, when someone would base his opinion on somethiing other than the scripture, this, as I see it, would amount to a much graver difference (in basis) even if the resultant difference of opinion is not as huge. Would you consider a person who does not derive his beliefs from a scriptures to be a Hindu?

To same extent I have found many people basing their opinions on something other than scriptures. Some of them outright refuse to believe in what scriptures say. Of course, they should not be called as Hindus. However, there are some who want to believe in scriptures but, on some particular topic, they are not sure what scriptures say and they get answer to that based on their personal belief. I would not outright consider them as non-Hindus, but I would say that their belief is not exactly as per the scriptures of Hinduism.

 

What would be the basis of believing that a tree "can" possess the choice doing good and evil, when our observation suggests otherwise.

I am myself not very much clear about this. I have read some stories in which somebody had to take the form of a tree till a particular time because of some bad action that he had performed earlier. After the expiry of that period, he was back in his earlier form. These stories do not talk about good and evil done by trees. But both tree-life and also the life after that were due to something that happened before the tree-life. But, I am not very clear about what scriptures say about good and bad done by trees. I will wait for sometime for somebody else to post answers. If nobody posts, then I will assume that those knowing the answers may not have read this post of mine and I will start a different thread on this topic.

 

 

So, the basic moral (and immoral) values are absolute and unchanging. Correct?

I am not sure what should be considered as basic moral values. Could you give any example of what you could consider as basic moral value. The example need not be as per Hinduism. It could be based on your belief. Then I will answer what Hinduism says about that. Many would consider telling lies as bad. But, depending on situation, telling lies can be better than telling the truth.

[Guest guest]

Hi Imran,

 

Before telling why, i would like to narrate an incident..

"One mother with her son came to Sri Ramakrishna with a complaint that her

son was eating lots of sweets even after his mother instructing him not to

eat more sweets.......

Sri Ramakrishna asked tat mother to bring her child after a week .. after a

week mother came to Sri Ramakrishna along with her child and Sri Ramakrishna

adviced the child to put a limit to eating more sweets as it would spoil

his teeths & going forward he will also have few problems...

 

Mother was curious to know , why Sri Ramakrishna didnt advice her son

earlier and had asked them to come again after a week.... she putforth her

doubt

Sri Ramakrishna answered "Mother, last week when you came that time I was

also eating lots of sweets ... inorder to tell your son not to partake more

sweets , first i had to stop eating sweets"

PREACH WHAT YOU PRACTISE

 

this basic principle GOD also follows

In Ramavatar , he showed how a human being should be devoted to the service

of Parents

How a king should be & rule

Sita showed how a woman should lead her life

Hanuman showed How a real devotee should be

same is the case with Sri Ram's brothers too....

 

and finally

 

The Hindu does not worship the image as God, but he worships God through an

image.

To worship an image as God is idolatry, but to worship God through an image

is a valid form of worship.

 

 

Best Regards,

Nihar

 

On 3/21/06, imranhasan <Indiadivine (AT) indiadivine (DOT) org> wrote:

>

>

> Greetings to all,

>

> During my initial exposure of Hindu theology, I have come accross the

> thought that during various times, God incarnated himself in various

> physical entities and that the idols worshiped by the Hindus are, in

> fact, images of these physical incarnations of God. Is this true? Is

> the idea of physical incarnations of God an essential belief of

> Hinduism?

>

> My question with respect to the incarnations of God is: why did God

> need to incarnate himself in a limited physical being at any given

> time?

>

> Thank you.

>

>

> --

> imranhasan

>