The true meaning of life...

New entry (31 Jan 2011):

Since reading and understanding some of the teachings of Buddha, I realized that I no longer need to find the true meaning of life, instead strive to live a more meaningful life. In order to achieve that, all I hv to do is to focus on being mindful, ie. mindful of the way I think and live ~ to avoid accumulating bad karma; to increase good karma. Being mindful allow me to be more compassionate towards others, thus creating positive interactions and good relationships with others.

Entry posted on 24 March 2010:

Three months ago when I created this blog, I had asked myself, why authentic living? Now, reflecting on the first question that I posted on this blog, "have I found the meaning of life?" (Jan 4, 2010), I realise that the "true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche" (Viktor Frankl, 1959).

In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl explained that being human always point, and is directed, to something or ...

... someone other than oneself, ie. be it a meaning to fulfil or another human being to encounter. According to him, we can discover our true meaning of life in three different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing something or encountering someone (ie. loving someone); and (3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering - happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.

The more one forgets himself (by giving himself to a cause to serve another) the more human he is and the more he actualises himself. A similar explanation was given by Ekhart Tolle (in his book, A New Earth), ie. one has to make dynamic goals in life instead of static ones in order to be in full alignment with the universe - fulfillment of a purpose? (read my post on 18 Mar 2010).

Reading Frankl and Tolle's books made me search for the path that I need to take to live authentically. Although in the path that I decided to take entails suffering or pain: I can respond by being responsible and be worthy of my suffering. Frankl wrote, "without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete. The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity (even under the most difficult circumstances) to add a deeper meaning to his life."