Hinduism and the Purpose of Life

Hindu philosophy subscribes to the notion that we can seek what we want, that all paths can be legitimately pursued.

At the heart of Hinduism is this idea: What you want most, you can have. In fact, not only can you have them, in a sense, they are already yours.

(Consider Siddhartha's advice to Govinda, "Perhaps you seek too much.")

Is a person just a body? a personality? Hinduism says something more - an indestructible infinite center of being that never dies and is without limits.

The infinite center of every life is the hidden self. The Atman who is no less than Brahman, the Godhead. You are all three: body, personality, Atman-Brahman.

The present condition of your soul (confusion or serenity) is a product of your past decisions. You have made yourself what you are.

Every persons gets what that person deserves--even though decisions are freely arrived at, there is no chance in the universe. Karma is the middle way between determinism and indeterminacy.

But suppose you say you don't feel particularly infinite today--where is this? It is buried and it is the task of the following lectures to show how it can be uncovered.

In this life you can seek what you want. In order to achieve meaning and significance, there are four basic ways.

It is important to realize that all persons need go through all stages, and they will be left alone if they pursue and enjoy any one of the following paths.

Buddhist Philosophy

Buddhist philosophy, or Buddhism, or Buddhist philosophy is a set of religious beliefs that are based primarily on the teachings of Siddhartha Guatama. As one of the non-theistic religions, Buddhist tenets aren't terribly concerned with the question of whether a God or Gods exist. In fact, the Buddha himself specifically disavowed any kind of divine inspiration or status, saying rather that anyone, anywhere could achieve the same degree of insight as he himself had.

Though certain sects, such as that of Tibetan Buddhism, actually do worship Gods drawn from local indigenous beliefs, Buddhism in general doesn't concern itself with the question of God.

One of the chief concepts Buddhist sects believe in is karma, something akin to a cause-and-effect relationship between all that has been done and all that will be done.

Events that occur are thought to be the direct result of previous events. One resulting effect of karma is the idea of rebirth. At death, the karma from a given life determines the nature of the next life's existence. The ultimate goal of a Buddhist practitioner is to eliminate karma (both good and bad), end the cycle of rebirth and suffering, and attain Nirvana, usually translated as awakening or enlightenment.

You can read all about Bhuddism and Bhuddist philosophy on the Eastern Philosophy and Meditation website.