Buddhism FAQ0 >> 34.Meaning of Life and the Universe
Buddhism FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions About Buddhism)
34. So what is the meaning of life really?[]
Ans :[]
Introduction[]
The reader is free to accept or reject the ideas presented. Buddhism being an investigative path, follows a scientific method of experimentation and research of the self and its phenomenon, their inter-relations & hidden truths using first hand experience in order to reveal their true nature (beneficial or otherwise) using meditation & its techniques of equanimity while following good morality which one day leads to rapture & attainment of higher states of awareness(samadhi/trance states).
The understanding of spirituality can be considered like that of blind men trying to understand an elephant. Udana 6.4. Therefore there exists diversity of views.
The Problem of Self[]
What is self? A general observation of every common person (one not spiritually illuminated) would be that self is the body and all body organs constitute it. A religious person would also say that body has soul(Atta sans. Atma) based on one's religious belief.
Every person without first hand spiritual experience can be said to exist in delusion(moha) because of not observing & thus not being able to intervene thus practically remaining in ignorance(avijja sans. avidya). The self will be revisited again in this article.
It is said that...[]
In a religion it is said that "Initially there were all angels, then once the selfish evil angel Satan/Shaitan rebelled against the Almighty and took with him 1/3 of all angels with him in order to have its own selfish domain, its domain of evil, deception, violence & death where it could rule over other beings and to keep beings in slavery & imprisonment ...".
This is provided here only as a connect to past human sayings but seems relevant as per arguments provided below.
The Theory[]
Imagine a vastly huge benign sun (invisible) existing everywhere giving out several rays. And one of the rays is present within a person's brain & spine giving life to that person, as the hidden prime mover.
Nirvanic State Vs. Humans & Other Creatures
And other people(& creatures) also having it similarly. (The invertebrates having different mechanism). So all living beings are connected to the common source that exists within as well as without. That is why Buddha has refused to accept the existence of individual self(Atma/आत्मा) as separate disconnected entity/soul (the concept of anatta sans. anatmata अनात्मता) but rather, in several places, he has used the word paramattha sans. paramartha(परमार्थ) which means the supreme goal i.e. Nirvana/Moksha/liberation/salvation which implies that the aim is to leave behind the sense of being trapped in body (in higher samadhi state) and to realize the infinite omnipresent divine into which all liberated beings dissolve.
Discussion[]
Self & Superself[]
Self : What a person calls one's self is one's mind only. Buddha has called the mind(citta) as luminous. AN1.49-52
Superself : Also in Kevaddha Sutta at end he gives a hint of the final state of Nirvana(moksha) like the infinite sea of divine light (actually infinite , most luminous super-consciousness, free from time(change) & free from worldly features ). As a matter of simplification, it can be understood as God as defined in other religions. It can also be understood as in following examples :
Some Examples[]
(1) Different electrical gadgets such as TV,refrigerator,AC, heater, laptop (here various creatures) with different features but being run by a common electricity(here Nirvanic state).
(2) Client & server computing : Similar to that in computing paradigm, every creature is like a client to the singular server.
(3) Intranet Virtual Machine : Every creature appearing distinct & different but only a virtual machine of the singular server computing platform.
(4) Virtual reality : The process of meditation, attainment of various samadhi(trance) states and Nirvana can be considered as coming out from the common virtual reality(of world/matrix).
A Virtual Reality Headset
(similar to mind & body(NamRupa concept)).
(5) Claypots made from the same clay.
(6) Balloon animals created by twisting into various shapes.
Death then Rebirth[]
Death is only transformation then rebirth as per Buddhism for common creatures. People, animals, insects etc can transform into any later depending upon how good they were to others , in morals, and for their own development(benign meditators). Those who were harmful to others can attain bad states such as animal, ghost, demon or in hell & remain in pain & suffering. Those who do good attain good states i.e. various levels of angels and archangels with pleasant extremely large different lifespans in millions or in billions of years or more but again rebirth after that.
Only those who attain 9th samadhi/trance/zen in meditation, attain personality dissolution into the final Nirvana/moksha state, after which there is no rebirth.
Why different personalities & creatures?[]
Question arises , if all are like clay pots of same clay why they are different? The creatures have different attributes/characteristics(kamma-sanharas sans. karma-sanskar कर्म-संस्कार). For example, a non-smoker may hate to smoke but after some repetitions of its consumption, one develops the taste for it & may become its addict. Some persons enjoy religion. Some enjoy intellectual work. Some enjoy physical pleasure. Some even enjoy harming others/violence/anger/deceit/jealousy etc. These all actions lead to habits then lead to formations of sanharas/attributes which remain even after death , produce desire & craving and hence bondage to material universe. The less of these attributes of worldly desires/propensities/habits/addictions one has, the more one becomes divinely illuminated & shining & if one has more of these, then the darker one becomes similar to a lamp with blackened glass.
But why material desires are bad?[]
There are 2 phenomenon in the universe, good & evil.
The good is the Nirvanic state, the divine, the singular, unseen, the holy, which gives life, it is bliss unlimited hence a person attaining it does not need any other different activity to become happy. It appears in various samadhi states of meditation.SN_36.19_Pancakanga_Sutta
The evil is based on selfishness, desire of self-preservation and desire to acquire more & more for self in order to attain apparent happiness by indulging into various activities for it, these activities(kamma sans. karma) lead to habits then desires & cravings so attributes & then character(sanharas sans. sanskar) which become bondage to material world. Why bondage, because as soon as a person tries to go higher, these ones rise to his mind create thoughts, emotions, desire & craving leading to that person commit that action then making one remain in indulgence & cloud the divine state hidden within that gives life.
Good & Evil[]
For a clarified explanation, we need to take some help from science.
At the turn of this millennium around year Y2k, a new knowledge came to the grasp of human understanding. That our material universe is only 4.6% of total and the rest is Unknown Dark Energy & Unknown Dark Matter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy
James Peebles has won the Nobel prize on this in 2019.
Here we can classify all into 2 realms :
(1) Realm of physical properties i.e.gravity,heat,fluidity & gaseous states(Unknown Dark Matter23%+Real matter4.6%)
(2) Pure energy without physical properties (Unknown Energy 72%)
Fig 1: Invisible Dark Matter(Grey & Black 23%) & visible Real Matter(Yellow 4.6% Galaxies,Stars,planets etc)[1]
An interesting feature can be read here :
https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdy8j/something-huge-and-invisible-is-making-nearby-stars-vanish-scientists-propose
Similes :
(1) Evil :The realm of gravity (material universe) consisting of invisible dark matter(23%) & real visible matter(4.6%) can be considered as the realm of death & rebirth (& sorrows), the realm of change & decay thus realm of time(aniccha sans. anitya अनित्य). Also besides the gravity(earth), its other properties(elements/dhatu) are enumerated as heat(fire/agni), water/fluidity(apo) & gas(vayu). This realm consists of all various universes in different dimensions visible and invisible containing various worlds(lokas लोक), various galaxies, stars & planets & various life forms visible and invisible. The unhappy realms are considered as the worlds of animals, of ghosts(petas sans. preta प्रेत), violence loving demons(asuras असुर who oppose devas/angels देव) and also various burning hells. Here all beings are under the cycle of sorrow, disease, misfortune, material pleasure, death & rebirth, again & again, administered by the personified evil deathlord which Buddha called as Mara(sans Mrityudeva aka Kaamdeva कामदेव ; in Buddhism, the Kaamdeva कामदेव is a separate immensely powerful evil entity which administers universes & keeps beings in cycles of deaths & rebirths). It also entices beings to fall into traps of generating evil action/karma so that they remain in cycle of rebirths hence in its control. Getting out of this trap is called Nirvana निर्वाण/Moksha मोक्ष and those who attain it while being alive (similar to Buddha & his Arahat disciples) , they (highest) are called Jivan Mukta जीवन मुक्त.
(2) Good :The Nirvanic state can be considered as similar to Unknown Energy(72%) which is unseen major part , singular, omnipotent, omnipresent, immensely benign, pure bliss, intransient & so timeless(Nitya/Akal) also known in other religions as Almighty, God, EkOnkar, Paramatma(परमात्मा), Holy-Spirit, YHWH etc.. It can be understood as immensely blazing transcendental white light prevalent everywhere which is the essence of all life in all living beings. This nirvanic state does not have the properties of elements/dhatu such as gravity(earth/prithvi), heat(fire/agni), water/fluidity(apo) & gas(vayu). Why? Because these properties represent change with respect to space & time and the nirvanic state being intransient/unchanging, these are non-existent. Also the Mara/Kaamdeva/devil/satan cannot access nor function in this realm. As soon as a person starts experiencing samadhi states, the person is beyond the accesibility of Mara the evil one, as stated by Lord Buddha.
The pleasant worlds(lokas) are various heavens(sagga sans. swarg स्वर्ग) inhabited by angels(devas) & various upper heavens(Brahmalokas ब्रह्मलोक) inhabited by Brahmas(archangels) all these inhabitants had done good deeds and do beneficial acts. However, though they are pure , holy , blissful & full of desirables , Buddha has advised not to aspire for these too because it will lead to limiting of progress upto these worlds.
The Problem of Self-Revisited[]
So again, What is self? Buddha has refused to accept the general perception of self only as body which constitutes various organs and also self containing soul(Atta sans. Atma), why? The reason is when a person meditates & experiences different samadhi(trance) states then one would experience different levels of self :
An ordinary person who does not meditate & not experiencing the samadhi(trance) states. Un-illluminated.
(1) Savittaka Jhana-Samadhi Sans. Savitark Dhyan Samadhi or Viveka Samadhi: After practicing celibate moral life & long meditation followed by rapture a person's would find one's consciousness going within & illuminated and with bliss. Here mind is not thoughtless i.e. various thoughts do arise but the person is observing these & not getting swayed by these not-indulging.
(2) Avitakka Jhana-Samadhi Sans. Avitark Dhyan Samadhi : Same as above but mind becomes without thoughts i.e. clear mind.
(3) Piti Jhana-Samadhi Sans. Preeti Dhyan Samadhi: Same as (2) above but experiences great bliss and enjoys it.
(4) Upekkha Jhana-Samadhi Sans. Upeksha Dhyan Samadhi : Same as (2) but views meditation borne bliss with detachment & equanimity.
Samadhi-5
(5) Ananto Akaso Jhana-Samadhi Sans. Anant Akash Dhyan Samadhi : After reaching samadhi 5 one would experience one's consciousness expanding out of body & becoming i.e. universal self as if entire universe upto infinity , visible & invisible, is self & one can observe things everywhere and also different worlds(lokas).
Jhana-Samadhi-6
(6) Anant Vinnana sans. Anant Vigyan : Same as in (5) but one's consciousness also expands to infinity and gains ability to manipulate (magic) with goodwill.
(7) Akincanna Jhana-Samadhi : Nothingness , away from worlds & not interested in these. Transcendence started.
(8) Nev-sanna-na-asanna-Jhana-Samadhi sans. Nev-Sangya-Na-Asangya-Dhyan Samadhi : Same as (7) but neither having perceptive consciousness nor having non-perceptive consciousness. Being in Transcendence.
(9) After reaching full transcendence/liberation in final 9th samadhi state one experience becoming transcendental (gone totally beyond from material universe) & achieves merger with eternal state (amata sans. amrit). Similar to a drop of water meeting ocean becoming one with it and identifying itself not as drop(self/I) but the whole. Now one cannot call itself as singular self but rather omnipresent, omnipotent but unseen transcendental , the source of all life.
Therefore in meditation(jhana/samadhi) one experiences becoming & transcending from one superconscious state to another higher one , therefore Buddha did not find a fixed definition of self therefore it can be understood as mirage(papanca sans. prapanca i.e. maya).
Implications[]
So even with the experience of the slightest realization(enlightenment), one comes to understand that the same energy is giving life to all creatures, knowing this a person gives up violence, becomes friendly to all and wishes all beings happiness & well being as if to oneself. Also understands, whatever one does to others, it will come back because it affects the whole, hence it is better to give goodwill for one's own wellbeing.
Search for Truth Within Self Only,Clean Body & Mind,Meditate,Be Patient,One Day The Truth Shines
Pdf File:File:Buddhism FAQZZ Meaning of Life-saved.pdf
Pdf File:File:Editing Buddhism FAQZZ Meaning of Life-wikitext.pdf