The Meaning of Life from a Buddhist Perspective

The meaning of life is deeply bound up with the religious conceptions of existence

What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Why were we born if we were to suffer and die eventually? All of us see life differently and the true meaning of life is far too complex for any human being to comprehend. It is a complex existential question. For ages, it has perplexed many spiritual leaders, philosophers and other great thinkers. Throughout history, it has also given rise to much philosophical, scientific and theological speculation

According to Buddhism, our life is characterized by dukkha (suffering). Dukkha can be anything from small irritations to intense suffering. Dukkha encompasses not only tragedies, death, and grief, but also, old age, diseases, association with the unpleasant, separation from loved ones and notions such as insubstantiality, impermanence and a lack of satisfaction. It also includes extreme poverty, hunger, starvation, and the suffering people undergo as a result of wars

“Man is born: to live, to suffer and to die, and what befalls him is a tragic lot. There is no denying this in the end”. This pithy saying of great poignancy, attributed to a great American novelist, Thomas Wolfe, sums up the lot of mankind on this earth.  It carries a profound insight and a deep philosophy of life.
In the face of this statement, the question arises. What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Why were we born if we were to suffer and die eventually? All of us see life differently and the true meaning of life is far too complex for any human being to comprehend. It is a complex existential question. For ages, it has perplexed many spiritual leaders, philosophers and other great thinkers. Throughout history, it has also given rise to much philosophical, scientific and theological speculation.
We live in a restless, competitive world, in which men find themselves directionless, uncertain and lost about the purpose of their existence. They are faced with the existential dilemma of not knowing what to do with their lives. As a result, they look for meaning and direction in life, and a quest to escape the fragility of their mortal existence and suffering. There is an inherent tendency to seek permanence and purpose.

Some believe that the purpose of life is the pursuit of happiness and pleasure.  They act under the hedonistic delusion that it is possible to lead a life bereft of pain and suffering through maximizing their happiness and minimizing suffering by amassing material wealth and possessions. While some others believe life is to fulfill a religious or spiritual destiny. Still, others look at life from a biological perspective, and for them, the purpose of life is to survive, procreate and ensure the continuation of species.
The meaning of life is deeply bound up with the religious conceptions of existence. Many monotheistic religions such as Christianity believe in an omnipotent, creator God who made us and is responsible for our existence and creation.  It is this creator God who rewards and punishes the good deeds and ill deeds of the creatures of his creation. It teaches human life has meaning only when it is lived following God’s will and commandments as God rewards with eternal bliss those who live according to his commandments. And the lives of those who act in violation of his commandments have no meaning, end in disgrace, and lead to hell. It leaves the meaning of life not to the individual but to the creator God. 
The Buddha, on the other hand, builds his discourse on the issue of human suffering and the nature of our existence.  According to Buddhism, our life is characterized by dukkha (suffering), all beings suffer in one way or another. Suffering may be physical or mental or both. Suffering is brought about by all conditioned things that depend on causes, they continue to change with the changes of causes and conditions, and they do not have a permanent form. The Mahaparinibbana Sutta states, “Impermanent are all component things, they arise and cease, that is their nature’; they come into being and pass away; release from them is bliss supreme” (“Anicca vata sankhara - uppada vaya dhammino, Uppajjitva nirujjhanti; tesam vupasamo sukko”)

The essence of The Buddha’s teaching is contained in his four noble truths. They are the truth of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering - the path that leads to the cessation of suffering, and the final liberation from suffering (Nirvana). 
The first noble truth expounds that human life is pervaded by dukkha (Suffering). Life has pleasant phases and happy moments but the sense of frustration, emptiness and suffering pervades the lives of all people. Human life is inherently frustrating and pervaded by a sense of suffering. Dukkha can be anything from small irritations to intense suffering. Dukkha encompasses not only tragedies, death, and grief, but also, old age, diseases, association with the unpleasant, separation from loved ones and notions such as insubstantiality, impermanence and a lack of satisfaction. It also includes extreme poverty, hunger, starvation, and the suffering people undergo as a result of wars. 
Most of the suffering people are subject to is self-created. It is how we react to it that determines whether or not we suffer.  In Buddhism, there is a cause and solution for our suffering. The solution cannot be found by placing any reliance on an omnipotent divine being, praying or worshiping any deity. It is by training our minds to see the reality as it is. 
According to Buddhism, Human life has no absolute and inherent meaning. Life is a self-created illusion without any meaning, and the world as it presents itself to us does not make much sense. According to Buddhism, it is we who give meaning to life by our interpretation of it. It is we who define the real purpose and worth of life. Life is what you make of it. 
People are suffering and discontent because they are unwilling to comprehend the fragility and transitory nature of their existence.  It was the great Greek philosopher, Heraclitus who once declared that all things are in a state of flux and that change is the essential nature of reality. Everything, whether in the realm of natural phenomena or human affairs changes continuously from moment to moment. All is in a whirl; nothing escapes this inexorable, unceasing change. Nothing remains in the same state even for the briefest instant. 
The transitory and fluid nature of everything constitutes basic features of Buddhist teachings. The same applies to the human body. It constantly changes from conception to birth. People often fail to recognize or appreciate the impermanence of all conditioned things. They do not even like to acknowledge their mortality, and avoid discussing the subject of death, considering it as depressing and morbid. But the brutal fact remains: we die sooner or later. Death hovers over all of us. It is the universal law: all animate and inanimate things eventually come to an end. It is an uncomfortable truth every human being has to face one day. The time of death is uncertain and unpredictable, but the truth of death is not. It is part of the human cycle. Awareness of death makes people perceive the ultimate futility of worldly concerns and pleasures. Death weighs heavily on the human mind, as an inescapable reminder of the finite nature of our existence. Focusing on the truth of our mortality, acts as a powerful catalyst for living a meaningful life. 

Buddhism teaches us that it is our insatiable desires that bring about our dukkha (suffering). People’s aspirations and desires are infinite, although their lives are finite. Despite everything being transient and ephemeral, people develop attachments and clutch at material things, as if they are eternal and permanent. People waste their lives in the pursuit of empty dreams. They frantically run after transitory pleasures and material objects, foolishly believing that wealth, power and material possessions will bring lasting happiness.
They act under the delusion that the acquisition of more and more material things leads to happier and more contented fulfilled lives. They entertain the notion that happiness is proportional to the quantity and monetary value of their possessions. But if we deeply examine the lives of people engaged in the pursuit of world pleasure, we would find that in their hearts, they have very little real happiness and contentment. Happiness is not determined by our material wealth and worldly success, but by our inner qualities of mind and heart; not by what we have, but by what we are. Their attempt to satisfy their insatiable desires can be likened to an attempt to slake their thirst by drinking salt water, as drinking salt water, far from quenching their thirst will increase it. A person enveloped in delusion (avijja) falls prey to craving wealth, power and status, bringing suffering not only upon himself but to others as well. Life’s greatest sorrows and pain come from attachment. 
Therefore, the goal of Buddhists should be to seek enlightenment by cultivating a deeper understanding of the nature of existence, to escape sansara, which is a cycle of birth, suffering and death. Buddhists are expected to strive for wisdom and inner peace by practicing meditation and ending the cycle. The Buddha preached to the world Four Noble Truths that enable one to put an end to the cycle of suffering, and attain the ultimate bliss of Nirvana.
Buddhism emphasizes adherence to moral and ethical practices in our daily life. In Buddhism, ethics and morality play a crucial role in guiding people to live a harmonious life, and how to interact with each other. Buddhism upholds lofty and demanding moral and ethical values in many of its scriptures and codes of conduct. The Buddha declared in many discourses that true happiness could only be realized by leading a life of moral rectitude and virtue. Both ethics and morality help us to abandon the distorted projections that our thoughts and emotions create, and also to promote collaboration and community existence. Moral and ethical values are standards by which we distinguish between right and wrong. According to Buddhism, all actions motivated by greed, hatred and delusion are unwholesome, and they are called “akusalakarma”. All actions that are rooted in the virtues of generosity, love and wisdom are wholesome, and they are called “kusalakarma”. The ultimate goal in Buddhism is to end the cycle of suffering and the cycle of repeated death and rebirth, by eliminating three defilements: greed, hatred and delusion.

When we look at the world around us, we can see that many find themselves suffering in unprecedented ways. Extending our attention with sympathy and compassion in their direction would bring them a great deal of solace. By choosing to lead an ethical life, we contribute to a more compassionate, just and harmonious world. Buddhism provides people with a way to deal with life’s challenges when they are confronted with the reality of existence. By incorporating Buddhist values into our daily lives we navigate many challenges.
The moral and ethical conduct that a Buddhist should observe can be summed up in one stanza: “Sabba papassa akaranam. Kusalassa upasampada. Sacittapariyodapanam etam Buddhana sasanam”, which means the avoidance of evil, the cultivation of the good, and the purifying of one’s mind.