Wednesday, June 13, 2007

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Questions seeking answers to 'meaning of life', 'purpose of life', 'why birth if there is death anyway?' more practically, 'how to lead life in this context?' have become cliche.

Overexposure has cost it appeal if not intensity. The quest to find THE answer is perhaps as old as civilization (or even older!). At every point in the history of mankind, attempts have been made to address this topic with *contrasting* motives by religions, philosophers, scientists, rulers, politicians (and in this era, even by bloggers!). While certain principles cut across all the proposed theories, there seems to be wide disagreement amongst all school of thoughts over issues as fundamental as creation of universe, concept of soul, rebirth, post-death existence... the list can go on!

Inarguably, this is the most baffling thing ever encountered. Still, average human being goes about doing (what he thinks is) his own business, as if there exists no mystery. Society as a whole pulls blinds over our eyes defining our very emotions: enjoyment, sorrow, success, failure... It is win-win situation for everyone in society because it ensures inner comfort, that a mind so desperately seeks! Suddenly, the question in life becomes having success, measured with the barometer of society appreciation.

Before proceeding, I can't resist temptation of mentioning Douglas Adams' science-fiction comedy 'Hitch hiker's guide to galaxy". In that novel, a supercomputer "Deep Thought" armed with the best technology of the Universe spends 7.5 million years before confidently stating Answer To Life, the Universe, and Everything as "42". To the shocked and bewildered protagonists, Deep Thought tells that they never actually knew the question!

I neither have any 'realization' nor I have read enough to gain insight into what work has been done in this area. Theorizing without having sufficient data is principal mistake. However, while my approach would have its cons, I choose to be myself rather than sticking to any society defined metric. Blame it on my impatience to start may be, but I would rather base my thoughts on what I have seen/experienced/read in little over half a decade of what I would call my "thinking life".

In the midst of daily drudgery and the society defined rules of the game, I want to embark upon a journey to find the answer.. or may be the question or rather to solve this very fundamental confusion...

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"Only one in millions has the will to start such quest, only one
amongst millions who start such quest find the answer", Shrikrishna
to Arjuna in Bhagwat Gita.

4 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Shri,
You didn't post your views on this *controversial* topic. I agree with your view that theorizing without sufficient data is a principal mistake.
So, on the other side of it, do you think that there are some questions which are best to be left unanswered ? I guess this is one of them...

June 15, 2007 at 10:26 PM  
Blogger Ameya Datar said...

Good thing about this post is, it never attempted to portray anybody's views... 3 dots in the title make the intension clear.

I think the biggest question is why did we create something called as a question. and who can decide whether the ans is correct or not. every such question is correct as well as incorrect and so is every answer. reason for this confusion is that nobody wants to believe that not all answers can be verified or given proof of!

June 16, 2007 at 12:43 PM  
Blogger Kaushik said...

I agree with Vivek, some questions are best left unanswered?
There should be some mystery left in life. If all the were answered definitively, you are killing an important element of your life, curiosity. Thats why some questions should always be left unanswered.

June 17, 2007 at 10:17 PM  
Blogger Hernán Koala said...

Hello, are you the same dude from blueair.blogsource.com? If youre not, ignore this.

My name is Hernán, I'm 18 and I'm from Chile, a country in the south of America. You see, what has me writing this is the following reason: I ended up in your blog, while i was looking for a book. I could read there that you had bought it. The book I'm looking for is "El Color de las Aguas" by Enrique Barrios. I thought you had bought it in e-book format, and I was wondering if you could please send it to me. If you wonder or care about legal stuff, I won't resend it around there or share it, it's for personal use, which means only I will read it. I'll thank you very much if you do me this favor, and if it's not much to ask, if you send me other books you have from this incredible writer. In case you bought the book in paper format, let me know, 'cause I'll be waiting for your answer. Thanks in advance! Oh and by the way, you can find my email in my blog or write me to koala@atame.org

July 8, 2007 at 11:35 PM  

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