Life is a mission in itself; a road you have to walk till you reach your final residence, whether a paradise or hell. This doesn't mean not to enjoy it, no enjoy it and live it as you like but with no harm to others; treat people as you want them to treat you. Love good for others the same way you love it for yourself. Life is not the target, it is - as I said before - a road, God destined to us to walk it and we choose our end, to be happy or sad.
If you want to know the answer, you must know at least part of it. Can express it in another way: Don't ask questions about the things, that don't exist.
So you say the meaning of life does not exist. But what part of the answer I should know at least? I don't get what you say...
The phrase is a Koan as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kōan A Koan works beyond logic mind. By using logic and discursive thinking only a 'senseless' aspect appears. When practising the other way to use the mind, which is direct awareness, its meaning unveils. You know when it starts to unveil. Something is starting to make it interesting, it sticks with your mind, you 'think about' you know there is 'something' but you cannot explain. When a Koan finally resolves it makes you smile, being fully aware of what you are. (unexplainable). Most simply remain by its senselessness and are not able to make real use of it. Koans have a very interesting tradition. Actually each 'apprentice' got a own Koan. During practising the apprentice gains wisdom, until the Koan resolves...(tradition, Zen Buddhism)...
Sory. It were two possible answers. 1. You may read short story by Robert Sheckley "Ask a Foolish Question". He writes, that one should never know the answer. Sure, one doesn't now even the part of it. 2. It comes from Buddha's teaching. The subject (noun) "the meaning of life" does not exist for him.
"something....works beyond logic mind ...is a recipe for disaster..." That is interesting! But is it really something (not a Koan only) that works beyond mind that is a recipe for disaster?...or rather the desperate attempt of the logic mind to categorize it, to 'understand' it? Most people think that an event that is beyond logic mind must be like hell. Heaven / dissolution of a Koan is situated there as well, but only if the logic mind is 'shtum'. I cannot understand why most people only use the logic / discursive thinking mind when there is a far bigger intelligence beyond it. It is really stark....the intelligence who brings up the logic mind with an ego is denied by most, because they think it is the ego itself that is intelligent. Consider there would be an intelligence which 'discovery' would mean that the ego must dissolve completely. But the one is identified with the ego and the ego has developed aeons of times its self defence mechanisms. Would that intelligence be communicable? How could it when it is the other's ego that is always responding? A 'limited' finite idea of existence, the ego? Would this intelligence be provable? Is the proof provable? Is this intelligence experience-able? And those who say yes, how should they ever communicate it? How should one talk about without to get 'spiritual'? 'Unscientific'? The meaning of life is to let unfold this intelligence. As consequence this intelligence will act through the ego and burn it. Meaning of life now means to separate being from thinking as 2 instances of intelligence. The not-manifest and the manifest. The first is space in which anything happens and the space itself, the second are the life-contents, the objects and their appearances who are tied to impermanence. If one does not separate thinking from being one is lost in the world (of appearances) and will suffer from the drama of duality. One idea will go (he dies) and the next will follow whilst that what one really is remains inexperienced. How many times one 'remembers' that one IS? I mean do you know that you exist whilst reading at MDL? Or in other words can you read here and be aware of your existence at the same moment? Or are you addicted to thinking? Are you feeling your inner body whilst reading or are you distracted of the world of forms and objects? Our thinking mind has become overpowering, the ego has taken the reins. It is quite logic and reasonable what is happening in the world. It is a drama of duality and the ego is totally involved. It is the drama of mine and yours, the drama of to get more, the drama to understand the relations of objects (Science) and the drama of to accumulate objects (Capital and technology)...the unholy alliance is based on a wrong idea of oneself.
"How many times one 'remembers' that one IS? I mean do you know that you exist whilst reading at MDL?" No offence, Yen, but it seems to me like you are struggling with ABC of Philosophy... All this discovering hot water... Sorry, I lost my appetite suddenly... Especially since you seem to be charging W. Phil. with... Ach, never mind, sorry - bigger problems here...
Oh, I didn't want to spoil your appetite. You are taking my post too serious. It is just a simple, but legitimate question I have posted. Everybody could be asked. (I have asked myself). You can judge best if I struggle with w. Philosophy, you have studied it. I agree with you here. "Do you know that you exist whilst reading at MDL?" Somebody who is aware of being 'all the time' has a mind which is creative, so to say which is 'alive'. Somebody who is unaware of being and hence lost in the thinking mind itself only uses past patterns and rearranges them any time in another way. Enthusiasm and joy are not at home in this mind. No western Philosophy, no science. Just me. I came to the conclusion that the quality of that what one is doing in life is dependent on the present grade of awareness / condition of consciousness and not on what one knows (has learned, has 'got').
For me there's none, well, not a divine one. We are little, so small beings or objects in an universal context that have lost perspective due to the vastness of the Cosmos. We are important in this Universe for the sole reason to be part of it and it¡s evolution and in evolution objects or living beings appear or extinguish through time. This demonstrate we are NOT important for the Universe per se. We are important for ourselves and that¡s it. Then, the meaning of life is... meaningless. WE make it meaningful due to our consciousness and sensible beings we are. That's it. The Universe continues it's course of evolution with or without life or us. But now we are here in our small planet is important to preserve life and BE HAPPY as much as we can. Of course, I could be wrong.
There is no point to life. It exists because it can. Everything that you think, you evolved to think. Every thought in your head is done by your brain and nothing more. If you think you are special, you are deluding yourself. Don't worry if it doesn't sit right with you. It doesn't sit right with most people. Hence why they created religion to make themselves feel better.
Simple answer: 42 Moderate answer: Life is living on this world and surviving though every thing Long answer: Life is very materialistic, Any living things could technically have life, we live and grow, went though low and high, there is literally no meaning of life, but there are reasons for life. Live your life.