Goal of Life

The answer to this question is, simply put, perfection. I was, in all honesty, surprised by this answer. How is this related? Let us ponder into the details -

As an individual, what is that one single aspect of our lives? Every one of us tries to do whatever we do perfectly. And, I agree the word tries is abused much more than what we perceive. But, as we lead our day to day lives, we demonstrate that unsaid, unknown urge to perform every action/job of ours perfectly.

Now, one needs to ask, were we ever told to be this way? The answer is a No. We just felt like doing it that way as we feel that is right or because that would make us happy. The task in itself becomes immaterial - whether it is a bank robber trying to de-code a money vault or an altruist trying to work out ways of disbursing his wealth for different social causes. Note - I would not want to differentiate between what is ethically right or wrong. That is in itself a different topic, but, the under-tone to this discussion is to high-light the inherent objective. This means, even if one is blotched/confused with his/her understanding of what is one's goal in life, we can safely say it is perfection.

And then, the naive I raise an eye brow to question, what about those of us who claim to be doing things for happiness. Pat comes the explanation, "that is only answering the question why. But, the real question we need to look into here is how. This has a simple answer – one tries to be perfect in whatever way one wants to do something".

That then settles the deal. The goal of my life is perfection. Yippee! All those intellectual ones were thinking too much and giving all those complicated answers -

• To be one with God;
• To realize one-self;
• and many many more
  

Again, tatayya gives that oh, you are so blind kind of laughter. I realize I am again missing something. The ugly head looks up again - the all so familiar, yet puzzling question - who/what/where is God?

I shrug my shoulders, knowing deep inside that my attempts at answering this question would anyway be in vain. “Well”, says tatayya, “that uncertainty itself tells it all. This inexplicable, attribute less being is nothing but God! In other words, that perfect being is God!”

“An interesting example to this is in our own backyard – Ramayana. Lord Rama was in all essence the very definition of perfection. Whether Ramayana was a fact or a fiction, the point to note is the message it conveys. God, through the avataara of Rama, lived an entire life on the face of this earth as an ordinary human being, not once letting the people around him know/realize his true self, BUT at the same time leading a perfect life. Towards the end, when he realizes that he has fulfilled his purpose, he leaves, but not without giving ample evidence of why he was there and what was his agenda.”

As tatayya waits patiently with his customary smile (this time of a teacher hoping to see his ward apply his mind), I try to put two and two together and realize what he was driving at. That perfect being which is God has to be achieved and can be achieved by doing what we are all trying to do in life. Rama showed it and the rest of the world realized later that he is God. What does this imply? Essentially,

• If we whole heartedly lead a life with single minded devotion on being dedicated to being right and perfect, one can actually be one with God, and;
• Which would mean one would realize one-self

And as we petered into other mundane worldly matters, I was left wondering how much one can learn just listening to tatayya...