Philosophy of life and other essays

8/6/2019 Philosophy of life and other essays

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Self published by

B.J. GuptaEmail - [email protected]


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Table of contentsWHAT IS PHILOSOPHY........................................................

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE ..........................................

HARD WORK AND FATE ......................................................

EXISTENCE OF GOD............................................................

RELIGION ............................................................................

MORALITY ..........................................................................

PROMOTING MORALITY.....................................................

'WHY ME?'SYNDROME.................................................... 1

GOODNESS QUOTIENT ...................................................... 1

GANPATI BAPPA MORYA ................................................. 1

ANGER............................................................................... 1ARROGANCE ..................................................................... 1

PURPOSE OF LIFE.............................................................. 1

WOMENS LIBERATION.................................................... 2

LIFE OF A JEEP.................................................................. 2

MEANING OF LIFE............................................................. 2

MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE................................................. 2EPILOGUE ......................................................................... 2


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What is philosophy Inpastdeepthinkingonanysubjectwasconsideredasphilosophyandthinkerwascalledphilosopher.EventodayresearcheronanysubjectishonoredwithdegreeofPhDi.eDoctorofphilosophy.Howeverpresentlythinkerofeachandeverysubjectisnotcalledphilosopher.Thinkersonmaterialisticsubjectssuchasscience,economy,historyarecalledscientist,economist,historianetc.Thinkersonnon-materialisticsubjectsuchasknowledgeitsearecalledphilosopher


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Hard work and fateTherearetwowidelyprevailingandmutuallycontradictoryviewsonhardwork.Oneisthathoweverhardyouwork,youareonlygoingtogetwhateveristhereinyourfate.Otheroneisthat'nothingisimpossible'.Firstviewisheldbythosewhoareeitherinfluencedbyeasternreligionsorwhohaveexperiencedfailuresinspiteofhardwork.Secondviewisheldgenerallybythosewhohaveexperiencedsuccess.MyviewsonhardworkaresomewhatstatisticalTomefateisnothingbutchance.Whilepeoplesaysomebodyisborninrich


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familybyfate,Iwouldsayitissobychance.Thusitwouldbemoreappropriatetosaythat

hardworkdoesn'tguaranteesuccess,butimprovesitschance.

"All fingers are not alike.

If you stretch smaller ones to make al

equal, it is socialism.

If you cut bigger ones to make allequal, it is communism.

If you do nothing to make all equal,

it is capitalism. "


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Existence of God

AnswertothequestionwhetherGodexistsdependsuponwhatwemeanbyGod.Ifwhatwemeanby"God"isaforceor

mechanismresponsibleforcreationofworldanditscontinuousevolution,then"God"existsAllotherattributesbeingassignedtohimarematteroffaith.

In past people never questioned

existence of God, because they knew

he exists,

In future also they will not,

Because they will know he doesnt.


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MoralityMan'sactionsarebyandlargegovernedbyself-interest.Moralityisacodeofconducttoensurethatouractionsarenotjustgovernedbyselfinterest,buttheinterestofothermembersofthsocietyisalsotakenintoconsideration.Moralityhasrelevanceonlyincontextofsociety.Noactionismoralorimmoralforamanlivinginisolation.Man'sobservancetothiscodeofconduct,whichwecallmoralityorgoodness,partlycomesfromwithinhimselfandpartlyresultsfromexternalcontrols.Whereastakingcareofinterestsofneaanddearonescomesfrom


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within,externalcontrolsdetermineastowhatextentwetakeintoaccountinterestsofother

membersofsociety.

"Poor are poor ,

because

rich are rich"


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Promoting moralityFollowingaredifferentwaysofpromotingmoralityinsociety,a.Tomakepeoplegoodsothateventheconcernforothers,apartfromnearanddearones,comesfromwithin.b.Tomakethembelievethatitisintheirownultimateinteresttobegoodtoothers.Thisapproachisadoptedbymostofthereligions.c.Toestablishregulatorycontrolssothatthereisnochoicebuttoactgood.


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Inprinciplemethod'a'isthebest,ensuringthagoodnesscomesfromwithinbutinpracticeithasprovedtobemostdifficultmethod.Method'b'hasbeenthemostsuccessfultillnow,butwithdwindlingfaithinreligionandGodthis

methodmaynotworkforlong.Nowallwecanhaveismethod'c'.

"Keep controlling morality of others,

yours will get automatically controlled

by others"


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'Why me?' SyndromeQuiteoftenweseebadthingshappeningtogoodpeopleandwewonderwhyitshouldhappentothem.Wewonderbecausesomewhereinourmindthereisabeliefthatonlgoodthingshappentogoodpeopleandviceversa.Thebeliefissostrongthatitdoesn'tgoinspiteofwitnessinginnumerableexamplescontradictingit.Thebeliefisoutcomeoftenetsofmostofreligions.Naturallywhenbadhappenstous,wearenotabletoseebeyondhazeofreligiousconceptionsandmisconceptionsandcan'thelpasking'Whyme?'.


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Goodness quotientMan'sgoodnesscanbedefinedsimplyashisconcernforothers.Goodnessquotientcanbedefinedasratioofhisconcernforotherstohistotalconcerns.Goodnessisrelative.Apersonisconsideredgoodifhisgoodnessishigherthanthatofanaveragepersoninthesociety.Nobodyis100%good.Canwealsosaythatnobodyis0%good?

"Mahatma is one whose soul doesn't

rest in peace till

there are tears even in a single eye ."


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Ganpati Bappa MoryaGaneshChaturthiisafestival,celebratedinIndia.OnthisdayidolsofGaneshareinstalledathomesandpublicplaceswithgaiety.IdolsofGaneshareboughtinprocessions.Ononesuchoccasion,man,women,girlsandboysweredancingonthetuneoftheirfavoritemusicalbumsshoutingslogans'GanpatiBappaMorya'inpraiseofGanesha.Processionafterprocessionwaspassingthroughastreet.Therewerealsostrayanimalsonthestreetwitnessingthescene.Perhapstheywerewonderingwhathashappenedtoman?


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AngerWegetangrywheneverwefindsomebodyactingagainstourowninterestandweareunabletorestrainhim.Maybethatalthoughthatpersonsactionsareagainstourinterest,theyareperfectlyservinghisowninterests.Ihavemyselfgonethroughsuchsituationsseveraltimes.InthesesituationsalthoughIcontinuetorestrainotherpersontobestofmyabilities,whatcontrolsmyangerismybeliefthaatthecoreeverybodyisselfishincludingmyselfThusIseemyselfandtheotherpersoninsameboat.FurtherIbelievethatitismybadluckdu

towhichIamsufferingfromthatperson.Thusdonotholdhimfullyresponsibleformyfate.


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ArroganceArroganceresultsfromtwothings.First

fromcapabilityofsuccessfullymanagingone'soccupation.Secondlyfromtakingfullcreditforthesuccess.

Ofcourseindividualcompetenceisnecessaryforsuccessbutdoesitaccountforeverything?Ifwethinkso,perhapsweareunderestimatingcontributionofsocietyandourluckfactorforwhatweare.

Man is a social animal.Without society he is nothing but

animal.

Yet many behave as if they are

self made.


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Purpose of lifePurposeoflifeistolivepurposefullife.

Butwhatispurposefullife?Forthosewhoarereligious,religiouslifeispurposefullife.ForthosewhobelieveinuniversalreligionanduniversalGod,spirituallifeispurposefullife.

AccordingtoChristianity,thisworldistemporary.Allpains,pleasuresandworldlypurposeinthisworldaretemporary.ThisworldisgoingtoendandthereafterGodwillcreateanewworld,whichwillbepermanent.Allthoselivingwilldie.ThoselivingforChristwillfindplaceinthenewworldandwillliveforever.Thusforthempurposeoflifeistofindplaceinnewpermanentworld.

AccordingtoHinduismoneofthefourpurposesoflifeisMoksha,i.e.freedomfromcycleoflifeanddeathitself.


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Accordingtosomethinkersthisworldisanillusion.Forthemrealityisnothingand

nothingisreality.Alongwiththeworld,thelife,andpurposeoflifeareillusory.Whentheygothroughpersonaltragedies,sometimesevenhardcoreillusionistsmindmaybetakenoverbyemotionsandillusoryworldmayappeartobe

toorealtobeunreal.Purposeoflifemayalsokeeponchangin

aswemoveoninlife.Forsomeitchangesfromworldlytooutworldly,forothersitmayremainworldlythroughoutthelife.Thosewhoare

neitherawareofanyoutworldlypurposenorhaveanysignificantworldlypurposelefttobeachieved,lifebecomespurposeless.

Somepeoplefinditdifficulttoadmitthalifecouldalsobepurposeless.Accordingto

them,sinceGodhascreatedlife,itcantbepurposeless,especiallyifitishumanlife.


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Therearemillionsandmillionswhoarenotabletomanagebasicnecessitiesoflifesuch

asfoodandshelter.Cantheythinkofanypurposeinlife?Forthemistherepurposeinlivingorlivingistheonlypurpose?Istheneedforpurposeisahigherneedafterbasicneedshavebeenmetwith?

Whataretheoptionsiftoyouyourlifeseemstobepurposeless?Ifyoufindyourlifepurposeless,mostprobablyyouareeitheratheisoragnostic.Inthatcasetoyouthelifeofeverybodyelsealsomayalsoseemtobepurposeless.

Youmaytakesolaceinthefactthatyouarenotaloneingoingthroughapurposelesslife.Eventhelifeofthoselivingapparentlypurposefullifemayappeartoyouaspurposelessasyoufindtheirpurposespurposeless.Toyouperhapslife

isnothingmorethanachemicalprocess.Youdnotworryaboutafterlife.Toyoulifeislikean


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onion.Peelitofflayerbylayerattheendyoufindnothingorlifeislikeabrokenpencil,itis

pointless.

In life if you keep complaining about

your fate,

Life may in go in just complaining


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Life of a jeepQuiteoftenIthinkourlifeislikelifeofajeepwhosedriverdoesn'tknowfromwherehehascomeandtowardswhatheisheading.Disappointments,frustrations,failures,illnessetcinourlifearesimilartoroadblocks,bumps,twistsandturnsinpathofjeep.Jeephastobephysicallyruggedifithastocontinuetomove.Unlikejeepwehavetobenoonlyphysicallybutalsoemotionallyrugged.Asruggedjeeponlycantakecareofitspassengers,wecantakecareofourdependents.

"Earn but dont burn"


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Meaning of life

Alotofthingshavebeensaidandwrittenaboutthemeaningoflifespeciallybythemwhosethinkinghasbeencloudedbyreligiousconceptions.Therearenorainbowsinclearskies.Answertothequestionwhatismeaningoflife?dependsonwhoselifeandmeaningtowhomwearetalkingabout.Normallywetalkabouthumanlifeonly.

Whatmeaningcanbethoughtoflifeofplantandanimalswhichareslaughtereddailyinmillionsandtrillionstoprovidefoodvaluetohumanlife?Sowethinkonlyhumanlifecanhavesomemeaning.


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Yes,ourlifedoeshavelotofmeaningfor

eachother,becauseourlifedependssomuchoneachother.Butwhataboutmeaningofourlifetouniverseasawhole.Goingbyourlatestscientificknowledgeofuniverse,outofallstarsandplanets,lifeexistsonlyonearth.Onearth

toolifewasneithertheresinceitsbeginning,normaylasttillitsend.Ithinknothingmoreneedtobesaidaboutmeaningofourlifetouniverse.

High thinking and high living

are poles apart


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My philosophy of lifeAtheoryisconsideredscientificallycorrectifreallifeobservationswhenviewedthroughthattheory,validatethetheoryratherthanleavingbelieversoftheoryconfusedandsurprised.Samistruewiththephilosophy.Ibelievethatmostofwhatwegetinlifeisamatterofchance.SoIdon'tgetsurprisedbyevenandoddsinmyandeverybodyelse'slife.Idonotdenyfreewill,buthowmuchfreeis'freewill'?Foranaverageperson,ifyoucomparethingswithinhiscontroltothethings

whicharebeyondcontrol,youmayfindthatthingsbeyondcontrolconsiderablyoutweighthingswithincontrol.Youhavelittlecontrolon


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thesocietyandfamilyinwhichyouareborn.Ndoubtthereareexamplesof'ragstoriches'and

viceversa,butthesearemoreofexceptionsthanrule.

"If good can happen, even if we do

bad, why bad can't happen even if we

do good?"


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Epilogue

Thisbookletisoutcomeofmyreflection

onvariousissuespertainingtolifeingeneral.

Severalunresolvedquestionsstillcontinuetohauntmymindandmyefforttoresolvethemcontinues.

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Philosophy of life and other essays