Meaning of Life by Bro.(Dr.) Tan Ho Soon

"Meaning of Life" - Bro.(Dr.) Tan Ho Soon, 30.10.2017 Spore as documented by Dr Henry Shirley Yeo

Learning points:

1. We all want a 'good/happy' life.
    

 However in the pursuit of a good life
 we produce more stress for ourselves.

2. How to define a 'good life'.
    

We need wisdom to understand what a 'good life' is and how to overcome the problems associated with chasing after the goals of a good life.

3. Happiness is an 'Emotion'.
    

A person having a 'poor life' (in the financial sense) can be 'happy' - enjoying moments of happiness.
    

A person having a 'rich life' (in the financial sense) can be 'sad' - there are moments of sadness.
    

Just look at famous, rich celebrities who succumbed to drugs or committ suicide.

4. There is perhaps too much emphasis in wanting happiness, pleasure, delights, comfort and wanting less pain and difficulties in life.

5. We are now in 2017 in an age of plenty and all modern technological convenience.

Compared to now, Japan immediately after WW2 was devastated and poor. However the suicide rate amongst the young is now much higher than  compared to to 1950s. The young in Japan kill themselves because they lack meaning in their lives.

Even after struggling to get through the competitive educational system they need to get a job, climb up the corporate ladder, buy a house , marry and have children. The cycle continues day after day relentlessly.

6. Walking in a HDB neighbourhood in the morning Bro.Tan noticed 3 long queues for food at the hawker centre,  for medical treatment at the medical clinic and for hope of wnning a fortune outside the Turf Club betting shop.

7. If you only look for hapiness externally it will not last as it is an emotion that comes and goes.

If you want happiness you will have to create the right conditions for it to appear.

Life is more than mere happiness

8. Immediately after the WW2, a good life just meant getting the basic necessities of living.

People now have different, higher material expectations of what a good life is. They crave for more pleasure and desires with the minimal of pain.

Even after a long holiday we need a short holiday to recover from the long holiday.

9. What we should aim for is NOT just a 'Good Life' but a 'Positive Life', a 'Meaningful Life'.
Components of a Positive Life:

  

Contentment

Hopefulness

Noble Aspirations

Usefulness/Service

  

Security - all these can be experienced in this very precious human life NOW.

What we need is 'Positivity' in the midst  of living in a rich environment.

10. A 'Meaningful Live' is one in which one is able to actualised and live up to our human potential (our Buddha Nature) and importantly contribute to the quality of life of others

11. Living a 'Meaningful Life' gives satisfaction, joy and fulfillment and can be experienced when we do Parenting well, Charity, learning and sharing the Dharma.

12. During meditation when we experience pain and numbness we see it as no problem as they will arise and definitely fade away. Similarly this how we should deal with daily emotions and problems.

13. 'Meaning of Life' has to be seen in the context of a person cultural, educational, religious, family, social background and other influences (including age of person).

14. For a Buddhist to know what is a Meaningful Life, one has to first know what is 'Life' from the Buddhist perspective. For a Buddhist 'Life' is a continuum.

"YOLO" for the Buddhist means “You Only Live On" and not you only live once.

Life is a continuum based on craving, it is due to a series of decisions and consequences (karma) both wholesome/noble and unwholesome thoughts and actions.

15. 'Karmic Ladder' - sometimes you ascent, sometimes you descent.

Our life is an aggregate of Form (nama rupa) and of Mind. Based on our actions and Mind states throughout the day we can be a 'Divine Being', a 'Hungry Ghost' or a 'Hell Being'.

16. According to Buddhist Cosmology the 'Human state' is the best possible place to be as we can use the opportunity to learn and practice the Dharma.

We should use this opportunity to be contemplative, reflective, generous, virtuous