It can safely be said that the world is divided into three types of people – religious people, spiritual people, and atheists. Atheists don’t believe in any kind of higher power or religion. To them, life is all science and random events. A spiritual person believes in a […]
This open letter to humanity was written for inclusion in a forthcoming artbook by Aberjhani featuring literary dialogues in the form of letters, poetry, and original artwork reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a simple and absolute law that’s governing everything on this planet – it is […]
“Art has always been a weapon in the struggle of man against matter, threatening to swallow his spirit…” “Man is interesting to me for his willingness to serve something higher than oneself, and even for his inability to perceive the ordinary and the philistine moral life. I’m […]
*** ~AUGUST TURAK is a highly successful entrepreneur, award-winning author, speaker, and contributor for Forbes and the BBC. He is the founder of the educational nonprofit the Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation (SKSF). As a frequent guest, Turak has been living and working alongside the monks of Mepkin Abbey […]
“The more you know, the less you need.” “The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life. It’s so easy to make it complex. What’s important is leading an examined life. Mastery… is to work toward simplicity; replace complex technology with knowledge, hard work, and skill. […]
Excellence Reporter: Karsten, what is the meaning of life? Karsten Ramser: The meaning of life is connected to our state of consciousness, therefore it is an individual expression. There does not exist an objective meaning of life. It is senseless, useless and a waste of time to discuss […]
Excellence Reporter: Paul, what is the meaning of life? Paul Hague: The meaning of Life, in my experience, is to realize the exquisite sense of mystical Wholeness, which is the True Nature of all of us. I have come to this realization through the creative power of Life, […]
All events in life are shaped according to the divine plan. What is bound to happen will happen. What is not to happen cannot be brought about by any human effort. On this point Ramana was quite categoric. When Deva Raja Mudaliar questioned him as to whether only important […]
When we embrace the Real Beauty of relating as Man and Woman, we are invited into the natural expression of male and female. It is not an idea, that there is a Deep Fulfillment waiting to unfold in their surrender to each other – in their embrace of […]
What is the meaning of life? I silently laughed as I read the question. Where was Socrates when I needed him? But I don’t need Socrates to have an opinion, and, of course, Socrates, true to form, would expect me to answer the question myself. That’s the problem […]
From time to time, we happen upon people who own nothing, yet give everything they can. These special people possess the spiritual gift of giving. To others, this may seem like givers cannot possibly make a real living. On the contrary, those who give unselfishly create extremely meaningful […]
Excellence Reporter: Michael, what is the meaning of life? Michael Roads: In the most simple terms possible, the meaning of life for humanity is the meaning of you. Truly, that’s it . . . in a nutshell. Of course, being a complicated species this statement is far too […]
Excellence Reporter: Rev. Bill, what is the meaning of life? Rev. Bill McDonald: I have given much thought and time to contemplate that very question ever since I was a child facing death in the hospital at eight years of age. I had “died” in my hospital bed all […]
The “art of being in the world,” the art which deals with the present—ourselves. It is in us that God meets with Nature, and yesterday parts from tomorrow. The Present is the moving Infinity, the legitimate sphere of the Relative. Relativity seeks Adjustment; Adjustment is Art. The art […]
“Don’t aim at success—the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater […]
Excellence Reporter: Aberjhani, what is the meaning of life? Aberjhani: Years of meditating on that huge question have led me to believe we ourselves are the meaning of life in the sense that we are born with an innate ability to endow it, Life, with meaning. This […]
Excellence Reporter: Mira, what is the meaning of life? MiraMichelle: Life has a particular resonance that is universal for us all. We meet this resonance daily and experience what is there to be experienced. Sometimes we rejoice in that what is and sometimes we despair. Whichever way the pendulum […]
Excellence Reporter: Betsy, what is the meaning of life? Betsy Damon: If life is a miracle, then the meaning of life is to be in the miracle: Alive, awake and aware. If you see someone who needs a helping hand, help them. If you have an extra piece […]
Excellence Reporter: Marybeth, what is the meaning of life? Marybeth Holleman: I am five years old, and I am sitting in the solid branches of my dogwood tree, the one that blooms pink flowers every spring. Up here, the breeze tickling my bare arms, the sunlight warming the […]
Excellence Reporter: Shifu Jerry, what is the meaning of life? Shifu Jerry Erickson: This is a question I believe we have all contemplated on many, many times throughout our lives. As for myself, I have studied and traveled extensively to find answers about life, spirituality, comparative religion, healing […]
“I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.” “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” “God made the world for the delight of human beings.” We […]
How often in tired, depressed moments we ask, what is the meaning of life? We only ask this question when we don’t feel there is any. When we are at peace, happy, connected, we forget to ask this question because we are busy doing what we were born […]
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The meaning of life is flying with birds (video)
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Excellence Reporter: Jeff, what is the meaning of life? Jeffery Olsen: I died in 1997. That’s right, I died. I left my body as a result of a horrible automobile accident which crushed both my legs, causing the amputation of my left leg above the knee, along with […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. O’Driscoll, what is the meaning of life? Jeff O’Driscoll: In life, and particularly as an emergency physician, I’ve learned that every scrap of human experience has value. Every shred of every encounter with every soul teaches me something. Each interaction yields an opportunity to connect […]
One day, guests came to the Master. They were not his disciples, but had heard a lot about his wisdom. The Master’s disciples also gathered to listen to the conversation. When everyone was conveniently located in the garden after a delicious lunch, the guests began to ask the […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Antonov, what is the meaning of life? Vladimir Antonov: For me, this question is not one which is “idle” or has “no answer”, as is sometimes said. I’m 72 now. But I had already started thinking deeply on this subject when I was just in my […]
“I believe it is impossible to live a happy life if one nourishes resentment for some harm done to oneself, or guilt or repressed anger for an error of omission or commission we caused. On the other hand, we become incapable of resentment when we have understood that […]
Number One: A true Sage avoids name and fame like the plague. If a Sage has transcended the ego why would he or she need name or fame? If a Sage claims to be enlightened why would that being want to be known? To have a following, to write books, […]
Joyce and I love watching our two-year-old grandson, Owen, just as much as we love spending time with our first grandson, almost eight-year-old Skye. When they were new babies, their dependence was obvious. Because Owen is younger, I will use him as an example. He would not have […]
“Are you a blacksmith?” The voice behind his back was heard so unexpectedly that Vasily even shuddered. Besides he didn’t hear the door of the workshop being opened and someone come in. “Did you try to knock?” he answered rudely, slightly angered at himself and at the prompt […]
Excellence Reporter: Jane, what is the meaning of life? Jane Stoller: For me the meaning of live is living with Purpose and Passion. I am lucky enough to feel purposeful everyday through my business, which is based on my passion. I feel my purpose in life is to help people and […]
The wisdom of long-livers is invaluable for those who want to live a long life. Behind every thought is a personal experience, every conclusion is time-tested. Excerpts from the book “Many Years. Blessed years. Commandments of the 104-year-old sage Andrey Vorona for a long and joyful life.” by Myroslav Dochynets (Original […]
Miracles happen all the time. You probably know someone who has had a miracle happen to them, or maybe a miracle has happened to you. I know a woman whose cancer tumor disappeared overnight after she and several others stayed up all night praying. The doctors said there was no medical explanation […]
Think of a child throwing himself on the floor, wailing in unabashed fury, pounding his hands and feet in revolt because you said ‘no’ to the candy before dinner. While his generous range of high-pitched demands may be annoying, our children are models of untainted behavior. What I’m […]
What is the meaning of life for me feels more like a question asking what is the “purpose” of life? Purpose gives us meaning and when we ask “what is the purpose of life?” we gain insights we can use to experience life more fully. Defining life’s purpose can be […]
The words we use and questions we ask ourselves often shape our lives in ways that can be insightful or hurtful. What is the meaning of life is an example of the latter. This well-meaning question allows philosophers to speculate without evidence, religious people to maintain that unsubstantiated beliefs […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Désilets: what is the meaning of life? Saida Désilets: Life is a mystery. A grand, delicious, at times horrifying, and often surprising, mystery. What meaning can we give this mystery? For me, life is less about figuring it all out and more about falling in love […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Bekoff, what is the meaning of life? Marc Bekoff: For me it all boils down to do all I can to make the world a more peaceful and compassionate place for all animals, nonhuman and human, than the moment I emerged from my loving mother’s body. I […]
Since I was a young man, I have from time to time fallen into dark spirals. Within the spiral, everything that was interesting to me the day before is as valueless and dull as used chewing gum, and every goal I set seems either empty, unreachable, or both. […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Vost, what is the meaning of life? Kevin Vost: I think we are likely to find life most meaningful when we develop and perfect the kinds of powers and abilities we all share as human beings, like the fundamental intellectual powers to grasp concepts and […]
Excellence Reporter: Altazar, what is the meaning of life? Altazar Rossiter: Whenever I hear this question I think of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. In his books he asked the meaning of life, the universe and everything. The answer was revealed as 42, and […]
Excellence Reporter: Mindahi, what is the meaning of life? Mindahi Bastida Muñoz: Life on Earth is possible due to the presence of the four sacred elements: fire, water, air and earth. All beings are the reflection of those elements; we, as humans, are too the reflection of those […]
Excellence Reporter: Megan, what is the meaning of life? Megan Hollingsworth: The question itself implies a mind that seeks and even requires meaning. And one who has lost a sense of meaning for it’s own life. For each is a meaning and, thus, life’s meaning in total. The […]
Excellence Reporter: Rick, what is the meaning of life? Rick Snedeker: Intrinsically speaking, life has zero “meaning.” It is incorrigibly insensate and random, despite what poetry and religion constantly labor to imply. We are but an infinitesimal wisp in an infinite enormity of emotionally dead atoms and irresistible […]
Excellence Reporter: Liz, what is the meaning of life? Liz Mitten Ryan: I must preface what I’m about to share with an introduction that it comes from source through a clear connection to animals and nature. I have lived on a 320 acre sacred land removed from radio, […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Yogendra, what is the meaning of life? Smt. Hansaji Jayadeva Yogendra: During my regular session at The Yoga Institute, one of the students was asked according to him what is the meaning of life? He answered life is B and D. Means life is “B” […]
Excellence Reporter: Master Oberon, what is the meaning of life? Oberon Zell: Cherish diversity! Find fascination in the strange and unusual. Live passionately. Explore everything, especially things forbidden, with boundless curiosity. Read voraciously. Grow a garden. Establish and maintain altars in your home. Celebrate the ever-turning Wheel of […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Fellingham, what is the meaning of life? Paula Fellingham: Life has had different meanings for me during my nearly 70 years of living. As a girl growing up in the glow of a famous parent, defining the meaning of life never crossed my mind. I laughed […]
We each enter life with desires, goals, and challenges to overcome, and we choose birth conditions that will best help us meet these objectives. Arriving with dreams from the past that are seeking fulfillment, we find meaning as we are able to satisfy these karmic imperatives from the […]
Excellence Reporter: Ms. Karpinski, what is the meaning of life? Gloria D. Karpinski: As an intuitive counselor and spiritual teacher for several decades, I can testify the number one question behind all other questions for most people is the quest for meaning. What is the mission? Why am […]
“It is our task as spiritual beings to remove the blocks that inhibit the native joy and passions of our spirit; we must delve deeply into our own mysterious being and begin to rediscover our poetic voice & soul. To become courageous spirits, we must loosen our […]
Excellence Reporter: Jennifer, what is the menial go life? Jennifer Urezzio: Well…living years of a spiritual life I want to say connection. And, today that meaning doesn’t fit. Today, I feel out of sorts and longing for something I can’t put my fingers on. Days like this, the […]
Excellence Reporter: Katalin, what is the meaning of life? Katalin Koda: Life is the opportunity to discover our true nature and gifts and offer them in service to others along the path. True meaning becomes apparent in the practice of offering, being of service, to dissolve our smaller […]
What is the meaning of life? Humans are basically dogs with thumbs. And canines – like humans – are opportunists: trundling along the path, looking for anything odd that we could possibly eat. The ‘odd’ thing: That’s the ticket. Opportunist species look for things that are out of […]
Excellence Reporter: Bayo, what is the meaning of life? Bayo Akomolafe: A few years ago I might have answered the question about the meaning of life with a lot of confidence. I might have insisted it had something to do with love, peace, free will or some other […]
Excellence Reporter: Rosalyn, what is the meaning of life? Rosalyn W. Berne: In my early childhood I encountered the spirits of people who were deceased. This taught me that there is something really special about being alive; that human life on Earth is precious, as it gives our souls […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Goldberg, what is the meaning of life? Bruce Goldberg: My approach to the meaning of life reflects upon the perfection of the soul and to eliminate the need to reincarnate. By learning our karmic lessons we can transcend this physical dimension and merge with the […]
Excellence Reporter: Tisha, what is the meaning of life? Tisha Morris: If you were to have asked me this question a few years ago, I would have said the meaning of life is for spiritual growth, evolution, or to learn lessons. But today I would say the meaning […]
Excellence Reporter: Jessica, what is the meaning of life? Jessica Graham: I believe as these impermanent human creatures, on this impermanent blue and green speck that is spinning in the midst of vast and endless mystery, the meaning of this whole life thing is to connect. Connect with […]
Excellence Reporter: Manitonquat, what is the meaning of life? Manitonquat: Life has no universal or absolute meaning, the concept of meaning is a human one and there never will be universal agreement among human beings, so each person must make his own meaning, the meaning that fits his own […]
Excellence Reporter: Raymon, what is the meaning of life? Raymon Grace: It is my opinion that we arrived on planet Earth, third rock from the sun, for a reason. History shows those before us did not make the best choices to keep the earth clean and healthy. The […]
Imagine a wine tasting party. At a wine tasting, that’s what it’s all about—tasting. There may be discussion, too, because with wine there is plenty to learn and talk about. There’s no end to what can be said about wine. Yet if all learned ideas were discussed—it wouldn’t […]
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” the richest King to ever live once wrote. Surely, not everything is meaningless right? Our culture is fixated on happiness, pleasure, wealth and riches, and fame. Surely one of those has some meaning to it. What about wealth and riches? Wouldn’t life be better […]
Excellence Reporter: Emily, what is the meaning of life? Emily Esfahani Smith: Despite our culture’s obsession with happiness, we are more weighed down by despair than ever; suicide rates in the US recently hit a thirty-year high and depression has been trending upward for decades. This growing despair […]
Beggar or Treasure? There’s a story in India about the beggar who lived under a tree. When he died, villagers dug the hole for his grave right where he had sat. To their amazement, they found a trove of diamonds and gold. The beggar had been sitting on […]
Excellence Reporter: Amita, what is the meaning of life? Amita Trasi: The meaning of life is to live! I cannot find a better definition!:-) There was a time, in my late teens when I went in search for the meaning of life. I happened to choose two things: writing a journal and meditation—searching […]
Excellence Reporter: Oren, what is the meaning of life? Oren J. Sofer: There is something profound, mysterious, and sacred about being alive. The experience of being consciousness in a sensitive, vulnerable human body is so utterly unexpected, so remarkable, that we cannot help but wonder: Why we are […]
“The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent, but if we can come to terms with this indifference, then our existence as a species can have genuine meaning. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light…” […]
Life has its own intentions and purpose and when the mind is quiet one is in alignment with it, not to satisfy a self created made up purpose, but strictly for the betterment of the Universe. You do what you do because the Conditioned Mind tells you what […]
Excellence Reporter: Ash, what is the meaning of life? Ash Beckham: I think the meaning of life is authentic human connection. Our relationship with others is the one universal truth across cultures and time. We are biologically wired to be social creatures. But today we live in an […]
Excellence Reporter: Jenna, what is the meaning of life? Jenna McCarthy: The greatest minds of all time, from Albert Camus to Snoopy, have pondered this question, so it’s almost absurd to think I might have anything meaningful to add. But since you asked, I’ll tell you: it’s coffee. Wait, […]
The meaning of life is to learn to love. And this journey begins with learning to love ourselves. And yet, for most of us, self-love is a radically foreign concept. Most of us live our lives feeling the opposite of self-love — self-loathing and self-judgment. Often, we hold ourselves to unrealistic standards of perfection, and then judge ourselves when we […]
Whether it’s looking younger, losing weight, getting rich or finding the meaning of life, we’re all in love with the quick fix. Who among us doesn’t want someone else to give us the answers to life’s biggest questions and challenges in fewer words than a Twitter post? The […]
As I watch my father dying, the meaning of life is very clear to me. Sadly, he will never enjoy his favorite meal again, drink fresh clean water, make love, create to his full capacity, walk freely, breathe fully, or experience many of the other gifts that come […]
Excellence Reporter: Monk Yunrou, what is the meaning of life? Monk Yunrou: Orthodox Taoist philosophy cautions us not to ascribe too much importance either to the phenomenon of Life in general or to our individual lives. One of Taoism’s most beautiful sayings translates to “the Tao is big”, suggesting […]
Excellence Reporter: Sharmila, what is the meaning of life? Sharmila Desai: In honest humility I find the meaning of life to be a mystery. I embrace the unknown for it nurtures us all to search and to strive in the world, embarking on a lifetime devoted to the pursuit […]
Excellence Reporter: Master Johnson, what is the meaning of life? Mark J. Johnson: “Ultimately, the meaning of life is the same as the meaning of dancing… you are not on the dance floor to get somewhere, you are simply “going with the flow” in a fluid, dynamic, spontaneous, creative way.” […]
I recently asked my writing students to write their obituary. An obituary usually cites the external achievements of a life, with the implication that they amounted to the value of that individual and the source of that person’s meaning. When you write your own obituary, however, you are […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Raghunathan, what is the meaning of life? Raj Raghunathan: “What is the meaning of life?” is one of those questions that does not have a universally applicable answer. Why? Because searching for the “meaning” is a uniquely human endeavor (e.g., lions and zebras don’t seek meaning) […]
Excellence Reporter: J. Ivy, what is the meaning of life? J. Ivy: Immediately when I hear this question lifelong thoughts fire off. I find myself soul searching, thinking of those moments when I discovered myself, my purpose, my mission and those later moments in life when discovery occurred […]
Excellence Reporter: Angela, what is the meaning of life? Angela Farmer: At the age of three or four years, I knew without a doubt that I came from the sun and that all I had to do was shine! Each night at bed-time my brother and I knelt […]
Excellence Reporter: Mr. van Kooten, what is the meaning of life? Victor van Kooten: This is a dangerous question to ask! If you were siting on your nice carpet, it has now been pulled away from under you! This question is often used to stop anyone in their tracks and when […]
The meaning of life to me can be answered with 4 questions. What do you believe in? What is love to you? What are your hopes? What is sacred to you? What do you believe in? I believe that we are here in this world to learn how to […]
Excellence Reporter: Jon, what is the meaning of life? Jon Turk: It’s all about ecstasy. No. No, I don’t mean the party drug — dancing all night and joining sweaty bodies in the wee hours of the morning. The word ecstasy is derived, in part, from the Latin […]
Excellence Reporter: Anita, what is the meaning of life? Anita Moorjani: The meaning of life? In other words, “Why are we here”? To eat chocolate, of course! Why else? 😀 I know you think I’m kidding, but I’m actually not. Well…..ok, we’re also here to watch glorious sunsets, […]
Elucidating the “Meaning of Life” can best be approached through application of the ancient directive: “Know yourself.” To fathom the depths of this suggestion, it helps to view the boundaries of self as false and misleading. The physical universe is a small subset of the much grander aspects […]
Excellence Reporter: Mr. Quinn, what is the meaning of life? Daniel Quinn: What is the meaning of life to me? To begin, recognize that humans aren’t something special, aren’t privileged beings, exceptions to the laws that bind all other species to the community of life. If you could […]
Everybody’s heard, because every tradition has them, the stories of the one who’s hungry for truth, usually a boy, who goes to ask the famous sage, usually a solitary old man, to tell him the meaning of life. The answer is never just around the corner. It’s always […]
Excellence Reporter: Sophia, what is the meaning of life? Sophia Wise One: The part I love most about this question is that the answer is only as valuable as it is liberating. We could discuss this from many points of view, for instance a large concept place or […]
Excellence Reporter: Jamie, what is the meaning of life? Jamie Cat Callan: The meaning of life is love. And the key to finding your path to love and your very own meaning to life is: to listen to the thrum of your own heart. Pay attention to what brings […]
Excellence Reporter: Jan, what it the meaning of life? Jan Reynolds: “The meaning of life is to EXPLORE everything, yourself, the world, relationships, actions, intentions, emotions, you name it…. but ALL under the umbrella of service. We are here to be kind, to love and to serve, to […]
Standing at the peak of a snow covered mountain. Her eyes were witnessing the beauty of nature for which she craved for her whole life. Snow was roofed on long pine trees while crepuscular rays shined through them. She could listen to the wild bird chirping. A cool […]
Excellence Reporter: Professor Csikszentmihalyi, what is the meaning of life? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: No one can give you an answer to the question:”what is the meaning of life?” If you want your life to have meaning, you have to give it one yourself. For some people, meaning comes from the wonderful […]
Excellence Reporter: Istvan, what is the meaning of life? Istvan Sky: My blessed service that I got from God or the Universe as a gift is to sing from the heart and heal through the universal cosmic voice. The secret of life is nothing else but this: what […]
Excellence Reporter: Morris, what is the meaning of life? Morris Goodman: This is a question that has been asked, meditated upon, thought about, and discussed since Adam and Eve. And there are probably as many answer as there are people on the earth. Why did God put us […]
Excellence Reporter: Mr. Sivaraksa, what is the meaning of life? Sulak Sivaraksa: The meaning of my life is to breathe properly, in order to synchronize my head with my heart, to transform greed, hatred, and delusion in myself to be generosity, loving kindness and wisdom. Buddhism teaches us […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Sahtouris, what is the meaning of life? Elisabet Sahtouris: The meaning of life to me is whatever we humans, in such a diverse mix of cultures, feel it, proclaim it, to be. That is the beauty, opportunity and responsibility of being human — that we are free […]
What is the meaning of life? We often think of “meaning” as having to do with understanding. Although we live and move and have our being in mystery, ego wants to catch the symbolism of a word or a phrase or an event so as to feel it […]
What is the meaning of life? In the words of T.K.V. Desikachar, “The World Exists to Set us Free” The meaning of life is to live a life full of meaning, and it is up to each individual to align with truth to acheive this clarity, not to […]
Excellence Reporter 