Living On Purpose - Why We Have Rituals !

What is the purpose of life - probably the most important, investigated and introspected question of life. It should be. For none of our actions have a meaning without knowing the answer to this question.

But it is also the most elusive question, the answer to which escapes all. The few who “realize”, as in self-realization do not tell others and to realize it is the toughest task. So we replace it with a simpler question - “what do I want now?”. This is easier to answer, easier to achieve and easier to ask again after achieving one thing we want.

But the more important question we need to ask ourselves - Are we living on purpose? Do we perform each act on purpose? The way to understand if we are is to complete the statement “I am doing this because …”. Most of the time we cannot in a meaningful way. We might say “I need to do it” or “I like doing it”. We do things mechanically and slowly turn into thinking machines.

Maybe this is why many cultures have rituals - tea rituals in Japan, religious rituals in India etc. - to make people learn to act with a purpose. So, rituals are meant to realize the purpose of life; unfortunately, we perform the same rituals mechanically and beat their purpose. I think the best way to live is to as if on purpose, doing every action as if we intended to do it. Then automatically life starts taking on a purpose.

Living on purpose leads to a purposeful life. Just a thought I had on my mind.