Know the goal of life instead of making one

New Year time is the time of year when we make new resolutions and new goals of life. But the wise ones advise to know the true goal of life instead of making one. Whatever new resolution, new goal you will make will be related to your material body and this seemingly real world. But, the true seeker needs to perform Self-analysis to gain understanding of the true goal of life. Under the influence of materialism, very often we muddle up our worldly desires to be our goal in life.

First of all, one needs a clear understanding of the true goal of life – is it just to fulfill material aspirations or desires? Or is there some higher purpose for human life? One should devote some time to investigate the subtle difference between the goal or objective or purpose of life and the aspirations or desires or wishes of life. Unless one realizes the subtle difference between the pious goal and the worldly desires, all the accumulations, accomplishments and knowledge remain fruitless. Unless your worldly accumulations bring you long lasting happiness, unless your knowledge takes you towards eternal blissfulness, unless your friends take you towards eternal peace, it is all useless.

If you ask a student, then his desire might be to graduate the College, but the ultimate goal is long lasting happiness. In day to day life, contemporary man makes many plans and act in various manners – be it to get an executive job, to get married, to get divorce, to gather a huge bank balance or plan vacations – but all for the purpose of achieving long lasting peace and happiness; all for the purpose of relieving worries, tensions and stress. But is the modern man succeeding in his goal?

The only way to be free of all the worries, apprehensions and restlessness in life is to realize the oneness with the Omnipresent, eternal, conscious blissful (Sat-Chit-Anand) Truth, the God. To remain dipped in the inner peace and inner happiness is the true goal of human life. To be rich or to renounce everything is not the aim, to have a huge family or to remain alone is not the goal, to gain all the fame or to remain in seclusion is not the aim, but the ultimate aim of human life is to realize the ever lasting peace and blissfulness within; the ultimate goal is to realize the Truth- the Truth about the Self and about the Supreme.  

All the planning, all the actions, all the discipline in life should be motivated to achieve the real goal of realizing the Truth about our own Self, and to achieve true inner peace and eternal blissfulness. All the thoughts and actions of a true seeker remain focused on such a pious goal of life. Otherwise, there are a lot of worldly beings around us who remain ignorant of any such goal in life and then one day such beings leave the world in a restless and unfulfilled state of mind.

The journey to realize the true goal of life is free of hardships, calm, peaceful, slow and full of true happiness; whereas the journey to realize worldly desires is full of tensions, relentless and worrisome. Exploitation of others is only dues to worldly desires, whereas there is absence of exploitation and presence of nourishment of others in the journey of pious goal of life. It is unfortunate that contemporary man has forgotten the real goal of life. Leave apart his daily actions, even his religious actions of visiting a temple, a church or a holy place is only for the fulfillment of worldly desires instead of praying for the inner happiness.  

The difference between an angel and a devil is not in the physical appearance, but it is in their mental outlook. A pious soul leads the life with a purpose of realizing the true spiritual goal of life, whereas a devil spirit lead the life only for the fulfillment of material desires in order to gain momentary pleasures. The life of Sri Rama was led with a pious goal whereas the life of Ravana was led by material aspirations. The life of Pandvas, under the guidance of Sri Krishna, was led with a holy goal whereas the life of Kauravas was led by material desires.

From appearance or from outer way of living, one cannot tell how the person is leading a life. Sukdevji, son of Rishi Vyasa, completely renounced the worldly life. He never used to care even for his physical appearance. However, he made King Janak as his Guru and then realized the true goal of life. From outer appearance King Janak used to live a life of King, full of material luxuries, but from within, all of his thoughts and actions were focused only on the pious spiritual goal of life.

One who has realized the supreme goal of life and remains entranced in the supreme blissfulness is a true master, an angel, a Saint. And the one who remain focused on such a supreme goal of life and continue their seeking is a true seeker.