Your Life Task

[Jet Gorgon]

Do you know what your life task is? If it's done, can you die content?

[Austhaied]

Do you know what your life task is? If it's done, can you die content?

Life's a journey, not a destination. Therefore my task is to live one day (or moment) at a time and be civil with my fellow creatures of this planet.

If i can reach the end of my suffering (dukkha) then i should die peacefully and content. I'm content at the present moment as well..For now.

Edited August 15, 2007 by Austhaied

[markwhite]

Life's a journey, not a destination. Therefore my task is to live one day (or moment) at a time and be civil with my fellow creatures of this planet.

WHS :-)

[chownah]

Do you know what your life task is? If it's done, can you die content?

In Buddhism if you complete your life task you don't die...you get parinibbāna and that beats even a royal flush!!!

[Austhaied]

Life's a journey, not a destination. Therefore my task is to live one day (or moment) at a time and be civil with my fellow creatures of this planet.

WHS :-)

So what does WHS mean? Workplace health and safety?

[suegha]

My life task is to praise and worship and give glory to my God (and all that this entails!). And to help others on their own path to enlightenment (and all that this entails!).

[thaicurious]

i just stopped in for a drink.

[Brucenkhamen]

Life's a journey, not a destination. Therefore my task is to live one day (or moment) at a time and be civil with my fellow creatures of this planet.

WHS :-)

So what does WHS mean? Workplace health and safety?

Women hetero sexuals.

[Austhaied]

Life's a journey, not a destination. Therefore my task is to live one day (or moment) at a time and be civil with my fellow creatures of this planet.

WHS :-)

So what does WHS mean? Workplace health and safety?

Women hetero sexuals.

I thought as much.

[markwhite]

So what does WHS mean? Workplace health and safety?

What He Said

Sort of a 'here hear!' or 'me too', but not so Commons debate or AOL as these two ;-)

[RueFang]

I don't think your life task can be done if you're still on this plain of existence. When your task is done, you leave this earthly part behind. It's a continual thing. I feel like I know my life task but just can't find the method of action...need some readjusting to these surrounds in Thailand.

[Jet Gorgon]

Thanks, All.

I believe in reincarnation, and think that each of life's journies is to master a good trait or overcome a bad one from before, while doing good things for others. Sometimes I wonder if I do well in this life, will I come back as a Bill Gates or a Calcuta beggar? I wonder who is imminently more content.

I ponder these things more now as my sis is ill. She spends her free time cleaning and throwing away old stuff. She has never been spiritual and told me recently she wished she had studied more like I have. I don't think she believes in a higher spirit at all. She always poopoos any conversation I have started about this, like it's voodoo. I wanted to buy her a book, but don't know what will help. Discovering your own spirituality type of thing. What was that Sweidsh philosophy book called about the young girl who got mystery letters in the mailbox, like "who are you?" Sophie's World? I remember seeing a young backpacker reading it on a ferry, and I asked her if she knew who she was yet. Guess not, she glared at me, got up and walked away. Children these days.

[RueFang]

It's really hard trying to talk to people who really have no concept that there's more to life than what you see. My brother died last year and while my sister (who is also spiritual) and I tried to open him up to the idea to bring him some peace before he left, he was just so resistant to it, because his whole life had just been about work and the weekend. It was something that my sis and I really struggled with because this knowing releases all the fear of death. Fear is so powerful and if you don't have faith (the knowing), it wins.

I would give her the book anyway, maybe with a few book marks in it where there's something particularly notable. You never know the key that might inspire her!

[Grover]

I believe in reincarnation, and think that each of life's journies is to master a good trait or overcome a bad one from before, while doing good things for others.

Sounds good

What was that Sweidsh philosophy book called about the young girl who got mystery letters in the mailbox, like "who are you?" Sophie's World?

Yes, Sophies world.

[suegha]

Thanks, All.

I believe in reincarnation, and think that each of life's journies is to master a good trait or overcome a bad one from before, while doing good things for others. Sometimes I wonder if I do well in this life, will I come back as a Bill Gates or a Calcuta beggar? I wonder who is imminently more content.

I ponder these things more now as my sis is ill. She spends her free time cleaning and throwing away old stuff. She has never been spiritual and told me recently she wished she had studied more like I have. I don't think she believes in a higher spirit at all. She always poopoos any conversation I have started about this, like it's voodoo. I wanted to buy her a book, but don't know what will help. Discovering your own spirituality type of thing. What was that Sweidsh philosophy book called about the young girl who got mystery letters in the mailbox, like "who are you?" Sophie's World? I remember seeing a young backpacker reading it on a ferry, and I asked her if she knew who she was yet. Guess not, she glared at me, got up and walked away. Children these days.

Give her a bible, (a modern version if she's never read before) and suggest that she reads it. If you want some bookmarks to put in, pm me for suggestions.

[endure]

Thanks, All.

I believe in reincarnation, and think that each of life's journies is to master a good trait or overcome a bad one from before, while doing good things for others. Sometimes I wonder if I do well in this life, will I come back as a Bill Gates or a Calcuta beggar? I wonder who is imminently more content.

I ponder these things more now as my sis is ill. She spends her free time cleaning and throwing away old stuff. She has never been spiritual and told me recently she wished she had studied more like I have. I don't think she believes in a higher spirit at all. She always poopoos any conversation I have started about this, like it's voodoo. I wanted to buy her a book, but don't know what will help. Discovering your own spirituality type of thing. What was that Sweidsh philosophy book called about the young girl who got mystery letters in the mailbox, like "who are you?" Sophie's World? I remember seeing a young backpacker reading it on a ferry, and I asked her if she knew who she was yet. Guess not, she glared at me, got up and walked away. Children these days.

http://www.serve.com/cmtan/Dhammapada/

[geriatrickid]

It's really hard trying to talk to people who really have no concept that there's more to life than what you see. My brother died last year and while my sister (who is also spiritual) and I tried to open him up to the idea to bring him some peace before he left, he was just so resistant to it, because his whole life had just been about work and the weekend. It was something that my sis and I really struggled with because this knowing releases all the fear of death. Fear is so powerful and if you don't have faith (the knowing), it wins.

I would give her the book anyway, maybe with a few book marks in it where there's something particularly notable. You never know the key that might inspire her!

Have you considered that perhaps your brother was correct in his beliefs? Maybe you had the fear and he didn't. All I know is that if I was dying, the last think I would want is my family pestering me with THEIR beliefs. I am like your brother and I am living a life that fits best with my personality. My brother and his family are devout bhuddists. They are most perturbed when I tell them that when I die, I will be dead period. No reincarnation, no spirit floating about. No heaven. No hel_l. But I will live on as the earth will recycle my body and organisms will derive nourishment from my rotting flesh. People may not remember me but they will enjoy the trees I planted and the research I assisted with that might just improve the quality of their lives. Perhaps your brother had the joy and satisfaction of his accomplishments that sustained him during his dying days. Maybe your brother undertook charitable activities that he never told anyone about. The first rule of charity is to do it sight unseen. He might have very well been quite happy inside and not in need of any spiritual assistance.

[RueFang]

I don't really think of beliefs as correct or incorrect. Each to their own, whatever works for you. It would be impossible to explain to anyone outside the situation the conversations that went on in that time but my brother did have a fear of death because of the unknown factor. Although he believed that when you die, that's it (which is fine by me), he still had a fear of death because he had no experience of it, obviously. I had an out of body experience many years ago which took me from being a selfish, depressed teenager to more aware and unable to ever feel depression again because of the experience. It also completely removed any doubt about what happens when your body dies. I never try to convert anyone to my way of thinking because you can't convert someone just with words unless they experience it first hand. We never tried to "convert" my brother, just open his mind a bit to new ideas that he'd never considered..there was no pressure or pestering as you suggest...when someone's dying it's natural for them to want to discuss different ideas about what happens after.

[Khnom]

For those of you who know what your life's purposes are, would you mind sharing how you found out? How can you be sure that they are truly your life's purposes, and not merely something you think you should be doing, which could vary from day to day.

I read a good book on reincarnation written by Brian Weiss, MD. It is a personal account of his encounter with reincarnation of a patient. That experience has transformed him from a skeptic to a believer of reincarnation (he wrote many books of the same theme, but the 2 others I've read were not very good).

[phibunmike]

For those of you who know what your life's purposes are, would you mind sharing how you found out? How can you be sure that they are truly your life's purposes, and not merely something you think you should be doing, which could vary from day to day.

You can not know, there is no absolute purpose in your life, only what you make it - and that can, and will, change as you live and have new experiences. Life is what we make of it, there is no job description.

[Brucenkhamen]

You can not know, there is no absolute purpose in your life, only what you make it - and that can, and will, change as you live and have new experiences. Life is what we make of it, there is no job description.

True, life is it's own purpose.

The notion that there must be more to life than this is what leads to dukkha, I think there is actually less to life than this and that it's all the ideals we add to life that causes suffering, the here and now is where it's at.

[TheAceFace]

I'd like to think there is something else, I will carry on enjoying my family and take each day as it comes. "Lifes just like a box of chocolates", as Forest said

[Khnom]

Sure, life is what we make of it, but doesn't what we make out of life our purposes? If "purpose" sounds too absolute, perhaps charter is a better word.

Since one has an infinite number of choices at any moment, how does one know what one's life should be about?

My sister said she from the time she was 6-7 years old what exactly she wanted to do with her life, her profession, where she'd like to live, etc. So far she hits almost all of them, and said she would do it all the same if given another chance depite knowing full well all the drawbacks of her choices now that she lives them. Somehow she knew...

[Jet Gorgon]

^ that's lucky. Never knew exactly what I wanted to do. But I made out OK. Sure, I need my work to sustain life, but the spiritual side is different. And when I feel that sunshine, it brings me great happiness for the day.

[rychrde]

i just stopped in for a drink.

I was pushed.

"Life, loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it." Marvin, HGTTU

[meadish_sweetball]

What was that Sweidsh philosophy book called about the young girl who got mystery letters in the mailbox, like "who are you?" Sophie's World? I remember seeing a young backpacker reading it on a ferry, and I asked her if she knew who she was yet. Guess not, she glared at me, got up and walked away. Children these days.

Norwegian, but still very decent. Jostein Gaarder is the name of the author.