Transcriber: Venki R Reviewer: Peter van de Ven
Namaste.
Let us now embark on a journey
of discovering purpose in our lives,
for a purpose driven individual
is a force behind all innovation.
Let me make a distinction now
on the issue of purpose.
Oftentimes we believe
that purpose is all about our career,
while a few of us who are conscious individuals
assume that purpose is for contribution,
while a few of us who are spiritual seekers
assume that purpose is for Nirvana.
Is this perception really true?
Purpose is for every aspect of your life.
It is for the entirety of your life.
Do you have a purpose for why you are in a relationship?
Do you have a purpose for why we have children?
Do we have a purpose for why we are alive?
If not for a clear purpose,
we would probably wake up every morning around the same time,
have the same breakfast,
kiss the same byes to our loved ones,
meet the same people at work,
go to the same weekend parties,
have pretty much the same conversation with your family,
walk the dog, watch Netflix
and go to bed.
There is a semblance of order in all this,
but there is a lack of drive in all we do.
We are besieged with persistent questions:
Why is life so mechanical?
Why am I not feeling excited with my partner
on our most special days?
Why do I need to go through this stress
of being a parent?
Why did I even pick this job?
Do I see myself doing this for the next 20 or 30 years?
Why is life feeling so strenuous and difficult?
If the "Why" questions have begun in you,
please understand it is a sign.
It is a sign that you have lost purpose in your relationship,
in your career
and sometimes in your life itself.
And that is why there is an urge,
an urge to quit:
an urge to quit relationship;
an urge to quit location;
an urge to quit a career;
and at times, to quit life itself.
Let us now address three questions around the issue of purpose.
The first one:
What happens when we do not have a purpose in our life?
The second one:
How do we discover purpose?
And the third one:
What happens when we discover purpose in our lives?
Let us look at the first question.
What happens when we do not have a purpose in our lives?
When we have no purpose,
there is no meaning and zest to life.
Our gifts and talents lie submerged within ourselves.
There is no spark of creativity at work
or fulfillment at home.
If we do not have a purpose,
you drive your career from a state of anxiety,
where you experience fear of not being loved,
where you experience fear that you would be a nobody
in your own eyes as well as eyes of another.
Or you drive your career from a place of anger and comparison,
where internally you are projecting an enemy
and you are in a state of constant battle within yourself.
The third possibility:
You live living your life by practicing an ideal -
an ideal of generosity, an ideal of perfection,
an ideal of unconditional love,
an ideal of honesty.
Sounds noble, but is it truly possible?
Imagine the effort it would take
to practice an ideal of honesty or generosity
without actually being in a state of fearlessness within.
Imagine the effort it would take to practice unconditional love
when your mind is still hanging onto hurts and disappointments.
You will eventually grow tired of practicing the ideal
under the onslaught of life's innumerable challenges.
Let me now narrate to you a fable.
A sea crab gets accidently washed into a village well
where it encounters a frog
that has lived in the well all its life.
On seeing the crab, the frog asks the crab,
"Where are you from?"
The crab, realizing that the frog has never been out of the well,
said, "I am from the sea -
a water body pretty similar to this,
just that it is way bigger in size."
Immediately, the frog took one foot leap
and then looks at the crab and says,
"Is your sea one leap size?"
The crab says, "No, way bigger."
There is a suspicious look on the frog's eyes now.
The frog moves to one end of the well,
takes several leaps to the other end of the well
and then looks at the crab and says,
"Is your sea three leaps big?"
The crab says, "No, no.
Sea is a humongous waterbody.
It is big in size.
And you can never measure it by taking leaps."
Immediately, the frog looks at the crab and says,
"You are a liar.
There is nothing that can be bigger than my well
and definitely nothing that cannot be measured in leaps,"
for which all the frogs in the well noisily agreed,
that the sea crab was a liar.
Majority of human lives are lived
in painful limitations.
We live little measurable lives.
We identify ourselves with our body alone
and live in fear of old age,
of sickness or of death.
We identify ourselves with our past histories
and our past achievements alone
and live in pride or humiliation.
We attach ourselves to few people and few things,
and we live our life in fear of losing them.
We identify ourselves as belonging to one particular community,
one particular ideology or one particular race,
and we live as though the rest are our enemies.
There is no purpose that can flourish in a separation driven consciousness.
In this state of disconnection, we are more like the frog in the well:
limited but puffed up creatures.
If we have to awaken to our purpose,
we need to get out of our well of separation.
Let us look at the second question.
How do we discover purpose?
Conventionally, we are shown two paths.
One: Scan what fascinates us,
pick the one that is most feasible in that,
make that your purpose,
and work very hard on it.
There is a downside to this path.
People who go down on this line of search are paralysed at times
because they are confused,
not knowing what their real fascination is.
The second path
is to see what you are good at,
make that your purpose
and try loving it for the rest of your life.
Have you tried loving something that you do not like?
Well, here is the truth.
There is no true greatness that can be achieved
from a purpose that is contrived.
Imagine a Gandhi, a Bach, a Beethoven or an Einstein
going through any of these two paths.
It sounds ridiculous.
Every true leader in every aspect of life
has discovered a purpose only in an expanded state of connection.
In that expanded state of connection, your purpose is unveiled.
Remember this:
Discovery of a purpose is a single-step journey.
As you break free of your limiting preoccupation with yourself
and as you awaken your consciousness to an expanded state of connection,
your true purpose in life is unveiled.
So what is connection?
Connection is gratitude.
It is the awareness
that you are a result of the efforts of innumerable life forms
and people whom you may know or whom you may never know.
Connection is compassion.
It is the awareness of the oneness of human experience.
Connection is inclusivity,
where you take into consideration
your own well-being along with the well-being of the others.
Connection is sensitivity,
where you feel for the happiness and the unhappiness of the other
as if it were your own,
and you respond with love.
As you awaken yourself to an expanded state of connection,
you spontaneously tune into the innumerable unmet needs and problems
of the people around you and of the society.
Then there is an immense passion that comes from within you.
And from this passion, you want to create a difference;
and from this passion would arise
incredible creative ideas and innovation.
At other times,
an expanded state of connection
would awaken you to the true beauty of life.
And then your purpose would be to add to the joy of living.
Arts, gifts and genius
that was submerged within you
would rise to the surface.
Please remember:
Purpose is never contrived. Purpose is an emergence.
Let us look at the third question.
What happens when we discover a purpose in our lives?
You enter a different realm.
You become a part of the magical flow of life.
Synchronicities would begin to unfold
where the randomly moving universe would arrange itself into patterns
to fulfill your heart's needs, to fulfill your heart's purpose.
People and ideas and contacts would begin to flow into your life.
And the greatest of all? We are no more on the run from life.
Our heart is awakened to the richness of it.
We are present; we celebrate life.
The quest ends, and the living begins.
Let me put it in a perspective - the art of discovering purpose.
Do not go in search of purpose.
Discover an expanded state of connection.
Purpose happens.
Let us immerse our hearts into a sacred intention now.
Please close your eyes for a few moments.
(Music starts)
Have your spine straight.
Take three conscious breaths.
Allow your inhalation and exhalation to be deep and slow.
"I am not limited by my body," say within yourself.
I am not limited by my past experiences.
I am not limited by my circumstances.
An expanded state of connection is my true nature.
May I awaken to my purpose in every aspect of my life.
Bring a gentle smile to your face.
Open your eyes whenever you are ready.
(Music ends)
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Namaste.
(Applause)