“What is the meaning of life?”
In my entire week with the Dalai Lama, every conceivable question had been asked—except this one. People had been afraid to ask the one—the really big—question. There was a brief, stunned silence at the table.
The Dalai Lama answered immediately. “The meaning of life is happiness.” He raised his finger, leaning forward, focusing on her as if she were the only person in the world. “Hard question is not, ‘What is meaning of life?’ That is easy question to answer! No, hard question is what make happiness. Money? Big house? Accomplishment? Friends? Or …” He paused. “Compassion and good heart? This is question all human beings must try to answer: What make true happiness?” He gave this last question a peculiar emphasis and then fell silent, gazing at her with a smile.
The Dalai Lama answered immediately. “The meaning of life is happiness.” He raised his finger, leaning forward, focusing on her as if she were the only person in the world. “Hard question is not, ‘What is meaning of life?’ That is easy question to answer! No, hard question is what make happiness. Money? Big house? Accomplishment? Friends? Or …” He paused. “Compassion and good heart? This is question all human beings must try to answer: What make true happiness?” He gave this last question a peculiar emphasis and then fell silent, gazing at her with a smile.
Whenever anyone asks me what the meaning
of life is, I reply with "Life itself", and then there’s usually a
long statement from the other person telling me how that is not an answer. And I
then go on to ask them what the meaning of life is some say some philosophical
answer that they read somewhere and others just say they don't know. I usually
never get a chance to explain what I mean by my answer. In my opinion the
purpose of life is to live life, now whatever meaning and whatever we choose to
do with our life is up to us. No two people have the same life, it is
impossible because each of our decisions have slightly different outcomes. And I
agree with the Dalai Lama when he says that the hard question isn't what the
meaning of life is. Because we have the answer, but the only difference would
be what that word life means to us. When we specify the question to what is the
meaning to life to you and only you then I believe the question gets harder.
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