What is the Purpose of Life? - Sadhguru

Summary

In this profound discourse, Sadhguru challenges the conventional notion of a 'purpose' in life, suggesting that life itself is of paramount importance, not the roles or activities we engage in. He emphasizes that seeking a purpose can lead to a sense of confinement and madness, advocating instead for a life fully explored and experienced in its entirety. Sadhguru encourages finding balance and loosening the psychological structures that limit our understanding of life, ultimately living without the need for a predefined purpose.

Takeaways

• 😃 The absence of a predetermined purpose allows for a life free from the pressure to fulfill a specific destiny.
• 😔 A self-assigned or 'God-given' purpose can lead to dangerous actions, as it may devalue the sanctity of life in favor of the perceived purpose.
• 🌱 Life itself is the most important aspect, not the various roles or activities one engages in, which are merely the 'ambiance' of life.
• 🤔 The search for meaning is a reflection of our psychological need to feel connected and significant, rather than an inherent requirement of life.
• 🌌 The universe and our existence within it are intertwined, suggesting that the source of creation is within us, and we are integral to the cosmos.
• 🔍 Life is incredibly complex and offers endless opportunities for exploration and understanding, suggesting that a single purpose is unnecessary.
• 💡 The idea that life needs a purpose is a psychological construct, often used as an escape from the limitations of our own making.
• 🏠 Our psychological structures, which provide a sense of identity and security, can also become traps that restrict our experience of life.
• 🚪 The balance between security and freedom is crucial; just as walls protect but also imprison, we need doors to allow for growth and exploration.
• 🧘‍♂️ Achieving balance is essential before attempting to dismantle the psychological structures that limit us, to avoid chaos and destruction.
• 🌐 The ultimate purpose of life, as suggested by Sadhguru, is to live fully and explore every aspect of existence, experiencing life in all its dimensions.

Q & A

What does Sadhguru suggest about the concept of a purpose in life?

Sadhguru suggests that life itself does not have a pre-defined purpose. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of living life fully and experiencing it in its entirety, rather than seeking a 'God-given purpose' which can lead to a narrow and potentially harmful focus.

Why does Sadhguru consider it dangerous to believe in a God-given purpose?

Sadhguru finds it dangerous because those who believe they have a God-given purpose may end up doing cruel and horrible things, as they prioritize their purpose over the value of life itself.

What does Sadhguru mean by 'the ambiance of life'?

By 'the ambiance of life,' Sadhguru refers to the external aspects such as home, family, work, and social activities, which are often mistaken for life itself, rather than the intrinsic experience of being alive.

How does Sadhguru define 'life' in the context of his talk?

Sadhguru defines 'life' as the actual experience of being alive, the beating heart, and the existence that one knows directly, rather than the roles and activities one engages in.

What is the significance of the universe existing because 'you are', according to Sadhguru?

Sadhguru implies that one's existence is fundamental to their experience of the universe; it exists for them because they are conscious of it. Without their existence, their personal experience of the world would cease to be.

Why does Sadhguru argue that life has no meaning?

Sadhguru posits that life has no inherent meaning, and it is the human mind's tendency to seek purpose and meaning that can lead to a feeling of disconnection without it. He suggests that life's lack of meaning is its greatest aspect, allowing for a full and open experience.

What is the trap that Sadhguru refers to in the context of psychological structures?

The trap Sadhguru refers to is the limited psychological structure that individuals create, which provides a sense of identity and security but also restricts them, preventing them from fully experiencing life.

Why does Sadhguru suggest that finding a purpose in life can lead to madness?

He suggests that finding a purpose can lead to an inflated sense of self-importance and can cause individuals to become trapped in their own beliefs, potentially leading to destructive actions and a disconnect from the full experience of life.

What does Sadhguru mean by 'walls of self-preservation are also walls of self-imprisonment'?

Sadhguru is expressing the idea that the same things that protect and preserve us can also limit and confine us. The psychological structures that provide safety can also become barriers to growth and full experience.

What is the importance of balance according to Sadhguru?

Balance is crucial because it allows one to dismantle their psychological structures without losing stability. Without balance, the pursuit of freedom can lead to chaos and destruction.

What does Sadhguru propose as the purpose of life?

Sadhguru proposes that the purpose of life is to live and to live totally, exploring every aspect of existence and experiencing life in all its dimensions before one's death.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Illusion of Life's Purpose

In the first paragraph, Sadhguru challenges the notion of a predetermined purpose in life, suggesting that the absence of a fixed purpose frees individuals to live without the pressure to fulfill a divine mandate. He critiques those who claim to have a 'God-given purpose,' noting their potential to commit cruel acts due to the perceived importance of their mission over the sanctity of life itself. Sadhguru emphasizes the importance of life as it is, distinguishing between life's true essence and the 'ambiance of life,' which includes one's family, work, and social activities. He argues that life is of paramount importance because it is all we truly know and experience, and everything else is a construct of our imagination. The idea that life has no inherent meaning is presented as liberating, encouraging individuals to explore life's intricacies without the need for an externally imposed purpose.

05:00

🧘‍♂️ Embracing Life's Absence of a Fixed Purpose

The second paragraph delves into the existential implications of life lacking a fixed purpose. Sadhguru humorously contemplates the possibility that the Creator may not be aware of an individual's existence, suggesting that seeking a divine plan or purpose is futile. He highlights the inseparable nature of creation and the Creator, with each individual being a part of and a source of creation. Sadhguru advises focusing on the process of life itself, which is so complex and engaging that it could occupy one's attention for eternity. He identifies the psychological structure as the source of the need for a purpose, which arises from being trapped within one's limited experiences and thoughts. The speaker encourages breaking free from this self-imposed trap, which provides a false sense of security and identity, and emphasizes the importance of balance in life, warning against the dangers of freedom without it.

10:02

💥 The Perils and Liberation of Dismantling Psychological Constructs

In the third paragraph, Sadhguru discusses the process of dismantling one's psychological structure, which he describes as both a trap and a source of security. He points out the paradox that while these structures provide stability, they also limit one's experience of life. Sadhguru warns against seeking a purpose in life as a means to avoid confronting this psychological trap, suggesting that those who believe they have found a purpose are, in a sense, 'mad.' He argues that true freedom comes from living without the constraints of a predefined purpose, and that the purpose of life should be to live fully and explore every aspect of existence. Sadhguru emphasizes the importance of balance in this process, as dismantling one's psychological structure without balance can lead to chaos. The ultimate goal is to experience life in its totality, exploring all dimensions of one's being before death.

Keywords

💡Purpose of Life

The concept of the 'purpose of life' is central to the video's narrative. It is defined as the reason or aim for which an individual exists or lives. In the script, Sadhguru challenges the conventional idea of having a predetermined purpose, suggesting instead that life itself is important and that the search for a purpose can lead to a disconnection from the actual experience of living. The video emphasizes that life's intricacy and depth provide endless exploration without the need for a specific purpose.

💡God-given Purpose

The term 'God-given purpose' refers to a belief that an individual's life purpose is divinely ordained. Sadhguru critiques this notion, arguing that it can lead to dangerous actions, as people may justify cruelty in the name of fulfilling what they believe to be a higher calling. The script uses this concept to illustrate the potential for misinterpretation and misuse of religious or spiritual beliefs.

💡Ambiance of Life

'Ambiance of life' is used to describe the external circumstances and environment that surround an individual, such as home, family, and work. Sadhguru differentiates between these aspects and the essence of life itself, cautioning against mistaking the ambiance for life's true substance. This keyword helps to convey the idea that life's true value lies within and around us, not merely in our social constructs.

💡Psychological Structure

The 'psychological structure' refers to the mental framework through which an individual perceives and interprets the world. In the video, it is portrayed as a double-edged sword that provides a sense of identity and security but can also become a trap, limiting one's experience of life. Sadhguru suggests that loosening this structure is necessary for a fuller experience of life, but it must be done with balance to avoid chaos.

💡Balance

Balance is presented as a crucial aspect of life in the video. It is defined as a state of equilibrium or stability, which is necessary for personal growth and the ability to navigate life's complexities. Sadhguru emphasizes that without balance, the pursuit of freedom or the dismantling of one's psychological structure can lead to destruction or anarchy.

💡Life Process

'Life process' is a term used to describe the ongoing, dynamic experience of living. Sadhguru suggests that being fully engaged in the life process, with its myriad details and complexities, is more fulfilling than seeking an external purpose. The video encourages viewers to immerse themselves in the life process rather than being preoccupied with finding a purpose.

💡Trap

In the context of the video, a 'trap' refers to the self-imposed limitations of one's psychological structure. It is used to illustrate how individuals can become ensnared by their own beliefs, desires, and fears, which can prevent them from fully experiencing life. Sadhguru discusses the difficulty of escaping these traps because they also provide a sense of security and identity.

💡Security

Security, in the video, is associated with the psychological structures that individuals build for themselves. While these structures offer a sense of safety and stability, they can also restrict one's experience of life. The term is used to highlight the paradoxical nature of seeking security, which can simultaneously imprison and protect.

💡Insanity

Insanity, as mentioned in the script, is used metaphorically to describe the state of being overly fixated on a single purpose in life. Sadhguru suggests that those who believe they have found a definitive purpose may be acting irrationally or obsessively, potentially leading to destructive behavior.

💡Totality

Totality, in the context of the video, refers to the comprehensive experience of life in all its dimensions. Sadhguru encourages the exploration of every aspect of life before death, emphasizing the importance of living fully and experiencing the entirety of one's existence, rather than focusing on a singular purpose.

💡Exploration

Exploration is presented as an essential part of living, with the video suggesting that life should be a journey of discovery and experience. It is used to convey the idea that there is always more to learn and understand about life, and that this process of exploration should be embraced rather than curtailed by a fixed purpose.

Highlights

Life has no inherent purpose, allowing individuals to live freely without the pressure to fulfill a predetermined goal.

The idea of a God-given purpose can lead to dangerous actions, as people may devalue life in pursuit of what they believe to be a higher calling.

Life itself is of paramount importance, not the various roles and activities that make up one's personal experience.

The distinction between life and the 'ambiance of life' is crucial, as many mistake their surroundings and circumstances for life itself.

The universe and one's world exist only insofar as they are experienced by the individual.

The complexity and intricacy of life mean that it cannot be fully understood or exhausted, even over an extended period of time.

The lack of inherent meaning in life is a liberating aspect, as it frees individuals from the need to find or impose meaning.

People often create false purposes in life, such as marriage or raising children, which can lead to misery and a sense of entrapment.

The concept of a God-given purpose may be misguided, as it assumes divine attention to individual lives in a vast cosmos.

Creation and the Creator are inseparable, with the source of creation residing within each individual.

Attention to the process of life can be so engrossing that it eliminates the need for an external purpose.

The need for a purpose arises from being trapped in one's psychological structure rather than in the life process itself.

The psychological structure can become a trap, providing a sense of security while also limiting one's experience of life.

Balancing one's psychological structure with a sense of stability and freedom is essential for a fulfilling life.

Dismantle the psychological structure with balance to avoid the pitfalls of freedom without stability.

The purpose of life should be to live and experience life in its totality, exploring all dimensions of one's existence.

The pursuit of a single purpose can lead to madness, as it often represents an unhealthy fixation on an idea or belief.

Engaging fully with life, rather than seeking a specific purpose, is the key to a rich and meaningful existence.

Transcripts

Questioner: What’s… what’s for me the purpose of life,

if you can give an insight on that?

Thank you.

Sadhguru: Isn't it fantastic that if there is no purpose,

you have nothing to fulfill,

you can just live?

Hmm?

No,

but you want a purpose

and not a simple purpose, you want a God-given purpose. (Laughter)

It's very dangerous.

People who think they have a God-given purpose

are doing the cruelest things on the planet.

Yes or no?

They are doing the most horrible things

and they’ve always been doing the most horrible things

because when you have a God-given purpose,

life here becomes less important than your purpose.

No,

life is important.

Life is important -

when I say life,

I am not talking about your family, your work, what you do, what you do not do, you party

I am not talking about that as life.

This is life, isn't it?

Life is within you or around you?

The… the ambiance of life

you’re mistaking the ambiance of life for life.

Your home, your family, your workspace, your party

this is all ambiance of life.

This is not life, isn't it?

Yes or no?

Participants: Yes.

Sadhguru: You’re mistaking the ambiance for the real thing.

No.

Life is important

because it's the only thing you know,

you don't know anything else.

Do you know something else?

Rest is all imagined stuff, isn't it?

The only thing is that this is beating and alive and that's all there is.

So, is this important?

It is of paramount importance.

Not you as a person, that’s not important,

but you as a piece of life

it’s very important

because that is the basis of everything.

When I say that is the basis of everything,

the universe exists for you only because you are, isn't it?

Yes or no?

The world exists for you only because you are,

otherwise it won't exist in your experience.

So, in every way this is important.

So, what is the purpose for this?

See, if you had a purpose and if you’ve fulfilled it,

after that what would you do?

After that, what would you do?

Bored, isn't it?

It is just that life is so intricate and so phenomenally intricate

that if you spend a 10,000 years looking at it carefully,

you still will not know it entirely.

If you spend a million years looking at it with absolute focus,

still you will not know it in its entirety.

That’s how it is.

There is...…Is there a meaning to it?

The greatest thing about life is that there is no meaning to it.

This is the greatest aspect of life that it has no meaning to it

and there is no need for it to have a meaning.

It is the pettiness of one’s mind that it’ll seek a meaning

because psychologically you will feel kind of unconnected with life

if you don’t have a purpose and a meaning.

People are constantly trying to create these false purposes.

Now, they were quite fine and happy.

Suddenly, they got married.

Now the purpose is the other person.

Then they have children.

Now they become miserable with each other.

Now the whole purpose that I go through all this misery is because the children.

Like this, it goes on.

These are things that you’re causing

and holding these as purposes of life

and is there a God-given purpose?

What if God does not know you exist?

No, I am just asking, by chance. (Laughter)

I am saying in this huge cosmos,

for which God is supposed to be the Creator

and the manager of these hundred billion galaxies,

in that this tiny little planet

and you

Suppose he doesn’t know that you exist, what to do?

Possible or no?

I am sorry, I am saying such sacrilegious things

but is it possible or no?

What if he doesn’t know that you exist?

What if he doesn’t have a plan for you? (Laughter)

Suppose, he doesn’t have a plan for

an individual plan for you,

don’t look for such things.

The thing is the creation is made in such a way that

Creation and Creator cannot be separated.

Here you are a piece of creation.

At the same time, the source of creation is throbbing within you.

If you pay little attention to this process of life,

you would not need any purpose.

It’ll keep you engaged for a million years if you want.

There is so much happening

so much means so much unbelievable things are happening right here.

If you pay enough attention,

a million years of existence, it’ll keep you busy or more.

Right now, the need for purpose has come

because you’re trapped in your psychological structure,

not in your life process.

Psychologically your

your psychological structure functions from the limited data that it has gathered.

Within that it rolls and right now,

your thought and emotion has become far more important than your life. Isn't it so?

Isn't it so?

So, because of this you’re seeking a purpose as an escape from the trap

that you have set for yourself.

It is a trap set by you.

You can easily come out of it.

If the trap was set for you by somebody else,

difficult to come out

because they’ll set the trap in such a way that you cannot come out, isn't it?

I am… I am talking about life not marriage,

that’s what I mean. (Laughter)

That’s what. (Laughs)

So this is a trap set by you.

This is easy to come out,

but that is the whole thing.

Why it is so difficult is

now you’re identified with the trap,

you like it.

You like it because it gives you a certain sense of

safety and security and protection and individual identity.

If you build a cocoon around yourself,

it gives you safety,

but it also imprisons you.

Walls of self-preservation are also walls of self-imprisonment.

When it protects you, you like it.

When it restricts you, you do not like it.

That is why we have doors.

We like the walls because it's protecting us,

but we have doors so that we can open it and get out when we want to.

It doesn’t matter how nice it is, we still want to go out, isn't it?

So that is how it is with every trap that you set.

It doesn’t matter how nice it is, you still want to go out.

So, the psychological wall that you’ve built,

which gives you some sense of identity,

which gives you some sense of being a person

an individual person and which gives you security

beginning to experience it like a trap;

somewhere you want to break it.

So, one way of not breaking it is to find a purpose.

Those who find a purpose in their life,

they become so conceited.

They will live within their own trap forever

thinking that they’re doing the most fantastic thing.

First thing you need is balance.

If you have balance, then you can climb.

If you don’t have balance, it's better you stay on the ground”, isn't it?

It's not safe for somebody who is not balanced to climb high.

It's best you stay close to the ground.

You should not climb.

So, first thing is to establish a balance,

then you loosen your psychological structure,

then it's a wonderful thing.

If you are loosening your psychological structure without balance,

which lot of people are doing today

see, why does somebody want to drink alcohol or take a drug

because it loosens your psychological structure and makes you feel liberated for a moment

but without the necessary balance

you have not worked for the balance, but you got freedom.

Freedom without balance is destruction, anarchy, isn't it?

So, first thing is to work for balance,

an enormous sense of balance

where even if you dismantle your psychological structure,

you can simply live here.

Dismantling your psychological structure is an important process

because that is your trap,

that is your security,

that is your stability

at the same time, that’s your trap

because the walls are set, you feel secured, but that’s also your trap.

If you dismantle your trap,

you also dismantle your security, isn't it?

You also dismantle your sense of purpose.

You also dismantle everything that matters to you.

So, that will need balance.

Without balance, if you dismantle you’ll go crazy.

But, don’t look for a purpose

because if you look for a purpose, you are seeking madness.

If you find one, you are sure mad.

Yes. (Laughter)

If you think you’ve found a purpose in life,

you still… you’re for sure gone crazy

because only the insane people have purpose

or people who have a purpose are insane in many ways.

These are things that you create in your mind

and believe it's true, isn't it?

Right now - ‘fighting for my country is my purpose’

right now if it's necessary, I’ll fight knowing fully well it's an unnecessary bloody fight.

Yes.

Then you’ll fight only to the extent it's necessary.

If you think this is your purpose,

you would want to destroy the whole world for what nonsense you believe in, isn't it?

If something is needed, we will do it

with… with absolute involvement.

There’s no other purpose.

The purpose of life is to live and to live totally.

To live totally does not mean party every night. (Laughter)

To live totally means

before you fall dead, every aspect of life has been explored

nothing has been left unexplored.

Yes?

Before you fall dead, even if you do not explore the cosmos,

at least this piece of life (Referring to oneself) you must know it in its entirety.

That much you must do to yourself, isn't it?

That’s living totally that you experience the whole of this,

all dimensions of what this is. (Gestures)

You did not live anything untouched.

You just do that.

That will take a long time.

That’s …good enough purpose for you. (Laughs)