Life creates, destroys and recreates itself each moment and fills all creation with a throbbing effervescence. This alone is the purpose of life. As the river flows to merge into the ocean, thus we live to connect to the source and find that purpose.

I look at the sun as it bathes me in its bright golden light, and ask: "What is the purpose of your being?" Its beaming rays throw back the question at me. "Don't you know? To give life and sustain it. I have been doing it for eons-from the beginning of creation."

The river playfully saunters along, tickling my feet. I am sucked into its playful mirth and watch it flow and flow and flow-endlessly.

The soft, gentle breeze infuses fresh life into all beings and moves on. Seeds sprout forth from the womb of mother earth, flower and die out with the rhythms of seasons.

Each night I search for newer stars in the vast skies and watch many others die out.Life creates, destroys and recreates itself each moment and fills all creation with a throbbing effervescence. This alone is the purpose of life. As the river flows to merge into the ocean, thus we live to connect to the source and find that purpose. What we do in our lifetime is merely the itinerary we draw for ourselves as we move towards our destination, towards completion.

A blade of grass delicately holding the morning dew, a freshly sprung rose, bees hovering over the flowers, ants busy building their forts, little birds foraging to feed their young, the eagle swooping down on its prey, the tiger out on the prowl? they all fulfill the role Mother Nature assigned to them. They fulfill the purpose of their life as they grow and dissolve in harmony with Nature, joyously living their part in the greater design, happy just being.

What is the purpose of human life?
The purpose of human life is to know its true self, to realize the purpose of its being, to find its source and return to it and to know that it is the soul and not the body. The only vital difference between human life and any other form of life in the universe is that the former is capable of living its life's role with acceptance and awareness, while the latter live their role with acceptance but without higher consciousness.

Both are journeying, evolving, moving to a higher state of being, towards the same destination. The more aware you become, the closer you are to the destination. Whatever we do in life, whatever the people we come across, whatever we accomplish-or do not accomplish-whichever way we choose to live are all a part of our journey.

The purpose of Mother Teresa's life was not to save millions from destitution; she was just a tool to bring smile and cheers into many a life as she moved on the journey to her Life's destination. Her aim might have been to provide for the poor of the whole world, and she could have succeeded or failed in it, but she knew that was not the 'purpose' of her life. That is why she was happy and fulfilled. She did not confuse the journey with the purpose of her life. Neither do the thousands of other aware and enlightened souls.

The purpose of each individual's life is the same. But he or she can make the journey more interesting, happier and more fulfilling. He can choose a cart or an aircraft as his vehicle, ride a horse or go bungee jumping as he journeys along. However, whatever the consequences thereafter, are the result of the choices he exercised.

If you feel you are going slow, well, you chose the cart. If you break your leg riding the horse, curse yourself. If you are ever miserable, blame yourself for the choices you made. But the clue to happiness and fulfillment in life is to accept cheerfully what comes our way, since we have caused it to happen. And in future, exercise the choices that make our journey more rewarding and satisfying, and which hasten the progress towards our destination.

The key is to joyfully accept and flow with life; flow in a manner that the swiftest currents take you fastest to the ocean. You could resist the current for some time to satisfy your ego, but flow with the current you must. When you let go, Mother Nature steps in to make the journey smoother.    Anuradha Vashisht