What is the purpose of human life?

Many religious texts dwell around this question. Many people also think about this question, after all, what is the purpose of human life? How are we different compared to other animals? Why do humans control most of the things on this planet? How do they get this superiority, is there some special reason for it? Is there any special reason for the presence of humans on this planet? Different texts take somewhat different approaches to this question, but if we read religious texts most of them say that the ultimate purpose of human life or birth is to serve the supreme entity, God. Some even go to the extent that we all are born to entertain that superpower! Many offer different rewards or explanations for why one should serve God, some say we have to liberate ourselves from the cycle of life and death, and some say we need to do this to go to some higher planet where life is better than what we get on this planet that is without old age, disease, miseries, and death. Some say to achieve liberation from human sufferings. There are many explanations for why we have to indulge in the service of that superpower. There are many ways or methods recommended for that service. We can't see that superpower in person so there are many indirect ways recommended to fulfill our service requirement, some say by serving its creation (humans, we are believed to be created) we can serve God. We can engage in prayers or worship imagining God in some form or in a formless way to achieve that goal and I think this is the most popular way (praying in temples, Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, Gurudwaras or any other place).

So, what is the purpose of human life? We don't see many people following whatever is recommended in those books of various organized religions. Many people who claim or seem to be following that path are also filled with tremendous hatred about people who are not from their camp and their only purpose seems to bring more and more people into their camp so that it becomes bigger and bigger. Their ultimate aim seems to conquer the whole world and make it mono-religious. Are we supposed to be camp followers?  There are so many camps, which camp to follow? If the whole purpose is to serve God why don't we start doing it since our childhood and leave all other distractions aside (like family, school, job, etc.)? Are we missing something?

Human beings have more developed brain compared to other animals on this planet, capabilities of our brain has allowed us to conquer many of our physical limitations. We can do many things easily for which our body is not designed, other animals can't do it because their brain is not developed like ours. Our universe functions based on some laws or principles, some we know, and many we are still trying to understand. We now know more about the origin of life on this planet, the process of evolution, the reasons for many diseases, and their possible treatments. Science and technology have helped us to solve many mysteries. Can it help us to solve this one??

According to me, there is no universal purpose of human life, all of us are different and unique. We are social beings and have some social responsibility and role to play but apart from that we all are different. Everyone has to find their own purpose in life, Michael Jackson was born to dance, Sachin was born to bat, Lata Mangeshkar was born to sing, Michael Jordan to play basketball, and Pele to play football (soccer), they were lucky to discover the purpose of their life. Somehow we have attached a very grand meaning to the phrase 'purpose of life', most of us think that the purpose of life has to be something grand, big, and spectacular. I think it's not necessary, one can have very simple aims in life and still live a very happy and successful life. Money, fame, or social status, cannot be the only criteria to judge a successful or happy person. A housewife who takes care of her family and plays a major role in the upbringing of her kids or teachers who train future citizens of this world are equally successful people like any other entrepreneur or celebrity. I hope we all can discover our purpose in life and work towards it. We all serve humanity by discovering the purpose of our own life.

Thanks for reading and please share your comments.

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing at vvt1974@gmail.com)