What is the meaning of life to Phil Zimbardo? First, to be fully aware of the brevity of human existence, so then to live each day as if it were my last and enjoy as fully as possible every moment’s pleasures in nature, friendships, family, human creations, and […]
Life is the Breath of God breathing. As co-creators with the Creator, we experience and extend the self-givingness of that eternal pulse now, always and forever. *** ~P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D. is one of the original researchers in the field of near-death studies, having begun her work in 1978. […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Nelson, what is the meaning of life? Dr. Bradley Nelson: One of my favorite cartoons on this topic has the guru respond to the truth-seeker by saying, “You’d better have a seat – people tend to fall down the mountain when I tell them the meaning of life!” […]
Right now we are entering the most turbulent times of human history. We are about to face the most intense climate changes ever witnessed in our recorded history. Tumultuous times are getting more and more tumultuous. Wars are raging all over the world and increasing at a fast […]
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 […]
Excellence Reporter: Sensei Carl, what is the meaning of life? Sensei Carl Genjo Bachmann: Sitting quietly doing nothing spring comes and the grass grows by itself. -Basho “Sitting quietly doing nothing” refers to a mind that is still. And when the mind is still “spring comes and the […]
Finding Meaning/Making Sense I am a philosopher; I teach philosophy; So I can’t hide from the question, “What is the meaning of life?” It has a way of finding me. Fortunately, I mostly teach courses in logic, philosophy of language, and epistemology, and my pedagogy is largely informed […]
Excellence Reporter: Master Dong, what is the meaning of life? Alex Dade Dong: The meaning of life is different for each individual. The meaning of life is about the things that means the most to us. But more importantly, life should be about not creating problems, not giving […]
Excellence Reporter: Rev. Maria, what is the meaning of life? Rev. Maria Felipe: HAPPINESS! Happiness is our function. But it’s hard to keep our happy going while being attached to this world of separation, fear, lack and limitation. The good news is that you can see it another […]
Excellence Reporter: Abhijit, what is the meaning of life? Abhijit Naskar: Life finds its meaning through every single living creature. And there are around 8.7 million species of life-forms on our planet. To all those millions of species, except one, life is all about mere survival. And the […]
This is what there is: Waking in the dark and cold. No more sleep. This is what there is: Rain on the roof. Newspaper soaked and muddy. His mouth trembles as he thinks of children suffering. Autumn leaves, red yellow, suddenly changing. This is all there is: Sitting […]
Excellence Reporter: Micheline, what is the meaning of life? Micheline Nader: This is the question that we all have wrestled with throughout the ages. It remains unanswerable to many and varies during the different stages of our life. The meaning of life is subjective and personal. While life […]
Excellence Reporter: Rev. Elbert, what is the meaning of life? Rev. Meian Elbert: The meaning of life – I don’t know. Perhaps what we are really trying to ask is, What is the purpose of life? Again, if we try to answer this in universal terms (the Purpose […]
Man ponders life’s meaning endlessly This brief sojourn to the mystery Is tasted by many who engage a dance In an earthly garden of circumstance That draws us in to weave a story Engaging earth in all her glory A precious chance for ships to sail To greet […]
What is the value of human life? According to the Buddhist view it must be known that the quality of each individual’s life is actually the result of their previously accumulated karma which will be both positive and negative. If someone believes that their circumstances in life are […]
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 […]
Excellence Reporter: Solala, what is the meaning of life? Solala Towler: I believe that the meaning of life is very different for each one of us. We each of us have our own unique experience in this lifetime (or lifetimes). In the Taoist way we all walk our own […]
Finding true meaning in life seems to create a deep resonant inner contentment. So how do we get there? Ask yourself, “When I am deeply happy?” This is not just the glee and enjoyment of a beach holiday or one that comes from tasting delicious chocolate. The meaning […]
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: Gen Nyema, what is the meaning of life? Gen Kelsang Nyema: My teacher, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, opens his book Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully, with this thought-provoking paragraph: “…we have immense freedom to accomplish almost anything we want. We can become a powerful politician, a successful businessman or […]
Excellence Reporter: Jovinna, what is the meaning of life? Jovinna Chan: This question has been my guiding light in navigating the many dark times my Soul has journeyed. In Chinese characters, there are at least three ways to write Life: 生活 (shēnghuó)，生命 (shēngmìng)，人生 (rénshēng). They are similar and […]
Excellence Reporter: Peter, what is the meaning of life? Peter Wohl: I believe that the current interest in this question about the meaning of life reflects the deepening state of alienation that we humans are living in. I presume that our indigenous ancestors would have found this inquiry […]
Excellence Reporter: Prof. Chang, what is the meaning of life? Ruth Chang: If you ask most people on the street ‘What is the meaning of life’, they will usually end up muttering something about ‘happiness’. But the meaning of life has nothing to do with happiness. Happiness is […]
Excellence Reporter: Ven. Namgyel, what is the meaning of life? Ven. Lobsang Namgyel: For nearly thirty years I have been studying Tibetan Buddhism and during that time I have often heard one of my Gurus, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, talk about the meaning of life as caring for others, […]
Excellence Reporter: Drs. Hurtak, what is the meaning of life? J.J. Hurtak & Desiree Hurtak: The meaning of life is our quest for Unity within the pluralistic richness of humanity and the discovery of ‘Infinite Being’. We are on schoolhouse Earth to discover our inner resources that connect us with the universe […]
*** ~James H. Austin, M.D. is a neurologist, researcher, Zen practitioner, Professor Emeritus of Neurology at the Univ. of Colorado Health Sciences Center, courtesy Professor of Neurology, Univ. of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, and author of seven recent MIT Press books on Zen and the brain.www.ZenAndTheBrain.com Copyright […]
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: Angie Roshi, what is the meaning of life? Angie Boissevain Roshi: I am eighty years old and when I was 13 years old, I realized that the human brain is too limited to even begin to understand life’s meaning, or even if it has any meaning at all. Therefore, I’m […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Berzin, what is the meaning of life? Alexander Berzin: The Dalai Lama has repeatedly said that the meaning of life is the pursuit of happiness. But that doesn’t mean self-centered happiness at the expense of others. After all, everyone shares this same aim in life. […]
Excellence Reporter: Lama Gelongma, what is the meaning of life? Chöje Lama Gelongma Palmo: The meaning of life is to be happy, truly and fully happy. I don’t mean the shallow kind of happiness we are familiar with, rather a sound kind of happiness springing forth from deep within. […]
Excellence Reporter: Mukti Michael, what is the meaning of Life? Mukti Michael Buck: First of all thank you for the question. My brain goes to what is the purpose of life? and then I go to what is the purpose of purpose? I know that I’m sidestepping the […]
Excellence Reporter: Rev. Sugahara, what is the meaning of life? Rev. Yuki Sugahara: Simply saying, the meaning of life is to “realize how our lives are existed.” We often mistakenly understand our lives in selfish manner and focus on the idea of “I.” However, our lives are not […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Liu Dong, what is the meaning of life? Dr. Liu Dong: Many students have asked me what is the meaning of life? I always answer with a smile, “Life is to have an ordinary life, be an ordinary person.” Not to be attached to the color […]
Excellence Reporter: Jetsunma, what is the meaning of life? Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo: A friend told me yesterday that at the school where she used to teach in the UK, six students on the previous day had attempted suicide. In this modern world there is a pervasive sense of futility […]
Excellence Reporter: Abbot Sona, what is the meaning of life? Ajahn Sona: What is the meaning of life? I’m glad you asked. That question assumes there is a meaning. It is the beginning of a meaningful life. The question is asked sometimes from sheer desperation, and is frequently […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Jahnke, what is the meaning of life? Dr. Roger Jahnke: “Life is the local, four dimensional manifestation of mysterious aspects of ourselves that can not be described and that can not be perceived through conventionally recognized language or sensory means.” Is life biological? Or, is it […]
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 Liu, what is the meaning of life? Master Yuantong Liu: “What is the meaning of life?” it is a good question to ask ourselves and others. I had asked this question in my life before 2008. Also I had asked many other questions such as […]
Excellence Reporter: Shifu YanTuo, what is the meaning of life? Shifu Shi YanTuo: For me, the meaning of life is “To be True to oneself and Live in the Present Moment”. I was born in a Kung Fu family in China, and grew up in the Shaolin Temple, Henan […]
Excellence Reporter: Shifu Yan Gui, what is the meaning of life? Shifu Shi Yan Gui: “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” As a Buddhist I have learnt the main aim of life is to end the suffering, […]
Excellence Reporter: Leah, what is the meaning of life? Leah Pearlman: In this moment, the meaning of my life is the feeling of the keyboard under my fingertips. It’s the smell of the coffee beside me and the taste of it in my mouth. It’s the murmurs of […]
Excellence Reporter: Master Liu, what is the meaning of life? Master Liu He: The meaning of life is to never stop learning. It allows you to continue growing in the right direction for your life, other’s life, and nature’s life. With this concept, we become thankful for yesterday, […]
Excellence Reporter: Ocean, what is the meaning of life? Ocean Robbins: To me, it’s about love. Love for our bodies, hearts, minds and spirits. Love for the people we cherish. Love for all life. In my work, I focus on food, and on what happens when we bring […]
Excellence Reporter: Chris, what is the meaning of life? Chris Shelton: Two words sums up the meaning of life: Love and Acceptance. I believe that Love is all there is, and that Love heals. I’m not just talking about romantic love but Universal Love. The type of Love […]
Excellence Reporter: Paul, what is the meaning of life? Paul Levy: What is the meaning of life? Is this a trick question? As the great physicist Niels Bohr said, “The meaning of life is this, that it has no meaning to say that life has no meaning.” This […]
Excellence Reporter: Shifu Wong, what is the meaning of life? Wong Kiew Kit: It is very helpful when discussing the meaning of life to appreciate the difference between facts and opinions, because much of the writing on the meaning of life concerns opinions. Earning an income from one’s […]
Excellence Reporter: Master Xing Mi, what is the meaning of life? Shi Xing Mi: For me the meaning of life is to give life meaning, to embrace this journey as an opportunity to grow, learn, feel, share ….. to use this temporary physical time as another step in our spiritual development: […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Yang, what is the meaning of life? Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming: Depending on each individual, each has his/her own definition of life’s meaning. Here, I am sharing my personal definition of the meaning of life. Definition of Life First, we have to understand the definition of […]
Excellence Reporter: Doctor Johnson, what is the meaning of life? Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson: For centuries, this unique question has been posed to special people of deep insight; who were often widely acclaimed prophets, renowned sages, and esoteric mystics of profound wisdom and intuition. Although the question is […]
The Seekers fight their way along the Path, willing even eager, to pay a terrible price to find peace, enlightenment, insight, understanding. And, when they discover that great secret, what do they find? Themselves. There is no enlightenment outside your Self. There is no great secret to take […]
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.” […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Cibik, what is the meaning of life? Ted Cibik: My teacher once told me that no two minds have ever been created the same – so many unique experiences, influences and formations as we all move towards transformation. Therefore, the meaning in life may be […]
In a word, “Love.” When you look at the science of the mind and body, at social science, economics, chaos mathematics and quantum physics, you begin to realize why the prophets of all the major religions focused on two things: 1) The state of our consciousness, and 2) […]
Excellence Reporter: Bardor Tulku, what is the meaning of life? Bardor Tulku Rinpoche: I think we should first make a distinction between worldly life and spiritual life. If we are engaging in worldly life, the things that give it meaning are the things that make it enjoyable – […]
Excellence Reporter: Shifu Yan Lei, what is the meaning of life? Shifu Yan Lei: The meaning of life is to connect our heart with our body. These days people think too much and their mind and body are out of harmony. Shaolin Qigong and Kung Fu takes us […]
Excellence Reporter: Brother Bernard, what is the meaning of life? Bernard Seif: Meaning is something we all search for, be that journey a conscious or subconscious one. Even those of us well trained in the scientific method experience meaning in a subjective or existential manner. My mother was […]
Excellence Reporter: Lama Rangbar, what is the meaning of life? Lama Rangbar: Most sane people seek to find some meaning to their lives at some stage. Especially now, the insanity and chaos of our modern times is often too much for many to bear. This forces us to […]
Excellence Reporter: John, what is the meaning of life? John Astin: Experience is simply too vast, too complex and too multidimensional to be collapsed into any interpretive framework or model. And so whenever I am asked this question, “What is the meaning of life?” I find myself coming […]
Excellence Reporter: Lama Yeshe, what is the meaning of life? Lama Yeshe Rinpoche: Buddhism provides a path of mind training, to help purify our view of reality. By means of direct experience gained through meditation, the path of Buddhism is the study of the mind itself, and is therefore […]
Excellence Reporter: Master Allan, what is the meaning of life? Master Allan Chuck: We are spiritual beings having a physical experience. Our body is a house, a temple for our spirit or soul. Our beloved soul is a light being, our golden essence, our divine spark, our best […]
Excellence Reporter: Leslie, what is the meaning of life? Leslie Cerier: The meaning of life is joy, is fun, is love, is pleasure, is being true to oneself. And of course being a chef embodying a luscious lifestyle is part of the meaning of my work and my life. It’s […]
Excellence Reporter: Eiman, what is the meaning of life? Eiman Al Zaabi: The answer to this question comes from life itself. As I contemplate a tree that is casting its shade on the street, I watch its pale leaves falling to the ground and I wonder: Are we […]
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 […]
I have a running to-do list, which has anywhere from 3 to 30 items on it. I do not have a fancy app or calendar, just a notebook or piece of paper. Full disclosure, I don’t even have an efficient system for getting these things done, I just […]
Excellence Reporter: Diana, what is the meaning of life? Diana Winston: I have two intertwined responses to the meaning of life question: To awaken To help others awaken Let’s start with Part 1. The human capacity to awaken is vast. But what actually does awakening mean? For me it’s […]
The purpose of life is to open our hearts so that we may realize that we are all interconnected and that global peace is only a byproduct of inner, individual peace. More than ever, people are searching for ways to cultivate balance and equilibrium in their minds and […]
This is Thoth and the Council of Light that are being Divinely Transmitted (channeled) by Danielle Rama Hoffman in response to this most delicious question, “What is the meaning of life?” We would begin by saying that there is no one response, for the meaning of life is […]
Excellence Reporter: Prof. Tartaglia, what is the meaning of life? James Tartaglia: Life is meaningless and that is neither a good nor a bad thing. The meaninglessness of life is a very philosophically interesting fact about the human situation, but to state this fact is not to evaluate life; it is […]
Excellence Reporter: Khenpo Rinpoche, what is the meaning of life? Khenpo Sodargye Rinpoche: For each of us, no matter where we are from or what kind of background we are raised in, we all need to have an unbiased attitude, an open mind, and a logical way of thinking. In this […]
Excellence Reporter: Sandra, what is the meaning of life? Sandra Joseph: Maybe we can never understand the meaning of life, but we can feel into the experience of being alive and, in this way, inhabit meaning. We have all experienced those rare moments of pure being, when time […]
Excellence Reporter: Father Thomas, what is the meaning of life? Fr. Thomas Keating: The meaning of life is sacrifice. This is really a biblical revelation. In the Christian perspective the three relationships within the Holy Trinity are continually giving away all that they are to each other within […]
Excellence Reporter: Irini, what is the meaning of life? Irini Rockwell: The profundity of life’s meaning comes about when we bring out our best to serve others. This happens through wisdom and love: only when we can truly love ourselves, can we be available to others offering them […]
Meaning and life – two rather potent and I believe rather ineffable words in the English language. The feelings, thoughts and sentiments involved in the experience behind and involved in both of these words is dependent upon who you ask, and even then the responses can evolve over […]
Excellence Reporter: Cate, what is the meaning of life? Cate Montana: There are two distinctly different answers to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” And perhaps the best way to illustrate both is by using the following analogy. Each piece of furniture, every painting, all the […]
The answer to this question can be discovered through any portal, in any moment. Embracing the Medicine presenting itself in service of your Becoming, is the ever present pathway into the Truth that underlies every problem and every solution. It is tempting to allow ourselves to be sidelined […]
Excellence Reporter: Ms. Broom, what is the meaning of life? Maria Broom: Compiling and sifting through all of the readings, teachings, intuitive thoughts, feelings and even off-planet transmissions… I make this attempt to express what resonates in my heart as the meaning of life. I believe that we […]
Excellence Reporter: David, what is the meaning of life? David Newman: Living is the Meaning of Life! We are here to be present and to embody Love. This is expressed in many unique ways through each of us. Life is meant to be an experience, and in order […]
Excellence Reporter: Gwen, what is the meaning of life? Gwen Olsen: For me the meaning of life is to establish spiritual sovereignty over one’s physical being and experience, while recognizing our infinite connection to God through love. When we are born into a human body in this 3D reality, […]
Excellence Reporter: Greg, what is the meaning of life? Greg McKeown: The meaning in life becomes clear when we admit that there are only two kinds of people in the world: people who are lost; and people who know they are lost. To be in the second category […]
Excellence Reporter: Evelyn, what is the meaning of life? Evelyn C. Rysdyk: It is a scientific truth that we are inexorably connected to the entirety of life on Earth. For instance, every human alive today is a descendant of one particular woman who lived in Africa about 200,000 years […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Mehl-Madrona, what is the meaning of life? Lewis Mehl-Madrona: I suspect that life has no intrinsic meaning and that we are free to make meaning as we wish. This seems to me to be the project of humanity – to take that which may be random […]
Excellence Reporter: Lauren, what is the meaning of life? Lauren Singer: “To me the meaning of life is very, very simple: I hope to create and inspire positive environmental change. That is what drives me every single day.“ *** Lauren Singer – Zero Waste Lifewww.TrashIsForTossers.com Copyright © 2016 Excellence Reporter
Each of us, in our search for happiness or fulfillment, seems to be, either consciously or unconsciously, involved in an ever-evolving odyssey of meaning. Life itself and the human experience are “of a piece,” like water and wetness, or fire and heat. It appears as well that, also […]
Excellence Reporter: Tehya, what is the meaning of life? Tehya Sky: I don’t know that it could ever be said better than the way Alan Watts put it, but I will try. The meaning of life is simply to be alive. We get so subjective about the whole […]
Excellence Reporter: Teri, what is the meaning of life? Teri Degler: Many years ago I saw a brilliantly colored poster emblazoned with a quote by Tolstoy: “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” This saying moved me profoundly, but even in those days – heady, idealistic, […]
What is the meaning of life? Why is it full of strife, when we all crave peace and love? Is there a God above, that cares for you and for me and hears us when we plea, protect us from all evil and the one called, devil. Is […]
We are all a part of the greater Evolution called the Big Bang that created the whole universe as we know it and have a role in the Evolution process. We are individually a little piece of the matrix of Karma and Evolution. It is important to know […]
Excellence Reporter: KJ, what is the meaning of life? KJ Denhert: I really do not think I can answer whether life has a singular definable meaning. I perceive life’s meaning to be a fleeting feeling that I only think I know, as I recall a few magical moments. I […]
Excellence Reporter: Rose, what is the meaning of life? Rose Caiola: I believe the meaning of life is to feel good about yourself, by doing what makes you happy and fills your heart. It means accepting where you are and being grateful for what you have even when […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Hanson, what is the meaning of life? Jesse Hanson: The meaning of life can be summed up in one simple word: connection. There is one specific memory that remains imprinted deeply into my brain and onto my heart. I was at the wonderful age of 19 […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Teitelbaum, what is the meaning of life? Jacob Teitelbaum: As Eleanor Roosevelt put it so simply “The purpose of life – is to live it!” Imho, the purpose of life is to explore, experience and become who we are. We do not do this by following […]
Excellence Reporter: Sadhviji, what’s the meaning of life? Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji: This is such a beautiful question and a question that resonates deeply with us all. Growing up in Los Angeles and being a psychology major, I was always cognizant of this question, but for me, it was […]
The Taxonomy of life has been verified from many asserted tones, to the most probable from efforts. It is not in the maquillage of Homo Sapiens to not know. From inception as a species, 80,000 years ago, the last of hominids from the “Homo Groups”, even today refuse […]
Hello friends…. We all know that our human God-given mind is a very important and unique dignitary in the great palace that we call our human incarnation. But in Bhakti we discover that the mind, sometimes agitated and sometimes tranquil, is but a simple servant to the ever […]
I love hot chocolate, especially because it allows me to pause and be present… Pause and be present for what? Pause to remind me that we have been gifted with so much, the ability to taste wonderful things, to be present on Earth to “live”. Life has so […]
Excellence Reporter: Gary, what is the meaning of life? Gary Kraftsow: What could be a bigger question than, “What is the meaning of life?” I begin an answer by reflecting on the meaning of the word meaning itself. Synonyms of the word meaning include words like significance or […]
Excellence Reporter: Zuleikha, what is the meaning of life? Zuleikha: In the way of the world, these days, when shootings and bombings and all types of violence are inflicted on people, plants and planet, this is a question I don’t really think about. However, I can say that for […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Walker, what it the meaning of life? Lesa R. Walker: With all humility, I believe that we, as human beings, are not able to answer the question of the meaning of life. We cannot even fathom the universe. We experience fleeting moments in the vast […]
Excellence Reporter: Dr. Bassman, what is the meaning of life? Ron Bassman: Locked in the seclusion room of the mental hospital, secured in restraints with mind-numbing psychiatric drugs coursing through my body, my spirit found a safe hiding place where it could hibernate. Such was the major crisis that […]
Excellence Reporter: Mark, what is the meaning of life? Mark Summer: Responding to the query “what is the meaning of life?” is an extremely thought provoking question. First of all, it can be debated as to whether life has any meaning at all, or just “is.” It seems […]
