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"One without purpose yet without purposelessness". --

The mind as trained by today’s cultures often relies on purposes. It considers them important, and when told that there is no purpose to life, depression or angry denial and defiance usually results. But there is another way to live life that consists neither of reliance upon purpose nor reaction to being purposeless.

This way of living is expressed by the Tao Te Ching:

The Master's power is like this.
He lets all things come and go
effortlessly, without desire.
He never expects results;
thus he is never disappointed.
He is never disappointed;
thus his spirit never grows old.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

What is life without purpose, then? Does one just go with the flow? Take the path of least resistance? Give up on doing anything and lay in bed?

Not quite. Life without purpose is life without illusion. It can still be lived; not as a purpose but rather as an option. One can live in and appreciate the flow of cascading cause-and-effect, realizing that one is but a mere puppet of the Unknown and Unknowable universe, one without purpose yet without purposelessness; living as a window of consciousness for all-that-is.
(Borrowed from internet)

So, how do you view THE "Purpose"? Do you feel purposeless? Is there a need for purposefulness for you? I try not to rely too much.. And enjoy the beautiful pictures I have taken this Sunday morning. The beauty in the nature keeps me smiling anyway.

AnandaKhan 6 May 20
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4 comments

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1

I learned a long time ago to not try to push the river but instead to ride the current. It doesn't mean my life isn't busy but I'm a recovering workaholic now and good with that.

0

I create my own purpose(s).
They vary daily.

0

I have a book about this subject... I ultimately rejected Taoism.

What do you offer in your book instead?

@AnandaKhan

I lost interest in Taoism because its principles seem to defined by accepting everything in a passive way, and indirectly this can become selfishness..

I have 'Tao Te Ching' - Lao Tzu

@Ellatynemouth I am not a taoist. I don't blindly believe in any ism. Ism doesn't matter, but that does not mean that there can not be good findings or teachings in every "isms". So, I am not following a Tao or that "ism". Rather I follow what makes sense. I actually don't know anything about Taoism or most of the isms. But what I can accept is "what makes sense". I hope that makes sense. I am open to anything that is true. And there's many path towards certain truth. And may be you are absolutely right about directness or indirectness in Taoism. 🙂

1

Life without purpose is simply a life that can be assigned any purpose one wishes to assign it. Idleness is not doing nothing, it is being in a position to ANYTHING.

I don't think you properly understood. You absolutely can, and that is an illusion created by you. You don't require to assign any purpose to live. "You can live without a purpose without the sense of purposelessness" - that's the point.

@AnandaKhan "You can live without a purpose without the sense of purposelessness". Yes and that is the purpose you have assigned for yourself.

@jlynn37 Haha. Okay, I get your point. But.. I don't think that's the correct characterization. It's like saying atheism is also a religion.

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