Editing Meaning of life (section)

==Religious perspectives==
The religious perspectives on the meaning of life are those ideologies that explain life in terms of an implicit purpose not defined by humans. According to the [[Charter for Compassion]], signed by many of the world's leading religious and secular organizations, the core of religion is the [[golden rule]] of 'treat others as you would have them treat you'. The Charter's founder, [[Karen Armstrong]], quotes the ancient Rabbi [[Hillel the Elder|Hillel]] who suggested that 'the rest is commentary'. This is not to reduce the commentary's importance, and Armstrong considers that its study, interpretation, and ritual are the means by which religious people [[Internalisation (sociology)|internalize]] and live the golden rule.
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<!--The rise of [[universal religion]]s marks a shift from concerns about personal potential and relationships to the natural world to a focus on more profound forms of devotion and all-inclusive salvation. In the Christian, Muslim, and Sikh faiths, this manifested as subjection to God: salvation was not a personal achievement, but rather a token of God's grace to be earned by the devout. Eastern traditions like Buddhism and Hinduism, likewise, moved from their primary focus on individual liberation to more abstract ideals of liberation for all. In all, this era magnified and generalized ideals of love, compassion, and relief of human suffering that had little or no place in earlier philosophy.-->
<!--Prior to the expansion of the major [[universal religion],]s—from the 1st or 2nd centuries BCE to the 6th century CE, depending on the faith—the meaning of life was investigated in terms of human potential and the relationship of individuals to the natural world. Devotion to a god or gods was an important aspect of some traditions but was generally viewed in terms of personal development (as in the [[#Hindu views|Hindu]] relationship between ''atman'' and ''brahman'', or as a social relationship, as in the [[#jewish view|Jewish covenant]]). Other traditions relied heavily on reason, discipline, or the development of other human faculties, either as meaningful in their own right or as tools to reach other decisions.-->

===Abrahamic religions===
[[File:ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG|thumb|upright|left|Symbols of the three main Abrahamic religions – [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], and [[Islam]]]]
{{Further|Abrahamic religion}}

====Judaism====
In the [[Judaism|Judaic]] worldview, the meaning of life is to elevate the physical world ('Olam HaZeh') and prepare it for the world to come ('[[Jewish eschatology|Olam HaBa]]'), the [[Jewish messianism|messianic era]]. This is called [[Tikkun Olam]] ("Fixing the World"). Olam HaBa can also mean the spiritual afterlife, and there is debate concerning the eschatological order. However, Judaism is not focused on personal salvation, but on communal (between man and man) and individual (between man and God) spiritualised actions in this world.

Judaism's most important feature is the worship of a single, incomprehensible, [[transcendence (religion)|transcendent]], one, indivisible, [[God in Judaism|absolute Being]], who created and governs the universe. Closeness with the God of Israel is through a study of His [[Torah]], and adherence to its [[mitzvot]] (divine laws). In traditional Judaism, God established a special [[Covenant (Israel)|covenant]] with a people, the people of Israel, at [[Mount Sinai]], giving the [[613 mitzvot|Jewish commandments]]. Torah comprises the written [[Pentateuch]] and the transcribed [[Oral Torah|oral tradition]], further developed through the generations. The Jewish people are intended as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"<ref>[[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 19:6.</ref> and a "[[Light Unto the Nations|light to the Nations]]", influencing the other peoples to keep their own religio-ethical [[Seven Laws of Noah]]. The messianic era is seen as the perfection of this dual path to God.

Jewish observances involve ethical and ritual, affirmative, and prohibitive injunctions. Modern [[Jewish denominations]] differ over the nature, relevance, and emphases of mitzvot. [[Jewish philosophy]] emphasises that God is not affected or benefited, but the individual and society benefit by drawing close to God. The rationalist [[Maimonides]] sees the ethical and ritual divine commandments as a necessary, but insufficient preparation for philosophical understanding of God, with its love and awe.<ref>''Maimonides' Confrontation with Mysticism'', Menachem Kellner, Littman Library. Particularly the parable of the King's Palace in divine worship, in the [[Guide for the Perplexed]].</ref> Among fundamental [[Jewish ethics|values]] in the Torah are pursuit of justice, compassion, peace, kindness, hard work, prosperity, humility, and education.<ref name="Cohn-Sherbok">{{Cite book |author=Dan Cohn-Sherbok |title=Judaism: History, Belief, and Practice |publisher=Routledge |date=2003 |isbn=978-0-415-23661-4}}</ref><ref name="Heschel">{{Cite book |author=Abraham Joshua Heschel |title=Heavenly Torah: As Refracted Through the Generations |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |date=2005 |isbn=978-0-8264-0802-0}}</ref> The world to come,<ref name="Shuchat">{{Cite book |author=Wilfred Shuchat |title=The Garden of Eden & the Struggle to Be Human: According to the Midrash Rabbah |publisher=Devora Publishing |date=2006 |isbn=978-1-932687-31-6}}</ref> prepared in the present, elevates man to an everlasting connection with God.<ref name="Braham">{{Cite book |author=Randolph L. Braham |title=Contemporary Views on the Holocaust |publisher=Springer |date=1983 |isbn=978-0-89838-141-2}}</ref> [[Simeon the Just|Simeon the Righteous]] says, "The world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness." The [[Siddur|prayer book]] relates, "Blessed is our God who created us for his honor ... and planted within us everlasting life." Of this context, the [[Talmud]] states, "Everything that God does is for the good." including suffering.

The Jewish mystical [[Kabbalah]] gives complementary esoteric meanings of life. As well as Judaism providing an [[Divine immanence|immanent]] relationship with God (personal [[theism]]), in Kabbalah, the spiritual and physical creation is a paradoxical manifestation of the immanent aspects of God's Being ([[panentheism]]), related to the [[Shekhinah]] (Divine feminine). Jewish observance unites the [[sephirot]] (Divine attributes) on high, restoring harmony to creation. In [[Lurianic Kabbalah]], the meaning of life is the messianic rectification of the shattered sparks of God's persona, exiled in physical existence (the [[Kelipot]] shells), through the actions of Jewish observance.<ref>''Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction'', Joseph Dan, Oxford University Press, Chapter "Early modern era: Safed spirituality".</ref> Through this, in [[Hasidic Judaism]] the ultimate essential "desire" of God is the revelation of the Omnipresent Divine essence through materiality, achieved by a man from within his limited physical realm when the body will give life to the soul.<ref>Habad intellectual Hasidic thought: source text [[Tanya (Judaism)|Tanya]] I: 36, 49; secondary text ''Heaven on Earth'', Faitel Levin, Kehot publications.</ref>

====Christianity====

[[File:Christ the Redeemer - Cristo Redentor.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Christ the Redeemer (statue)|Christ the Redeemer]]'' statue in [[Rio de Janeiro]] is symbolic of Christianity,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/the-new-seven-wonders-of-the-world/story-s994IbVb38xNOwRFjoCr2L.html |title=The new Seven Wonders of the World |work=Hindustan Times |date=8 July 2007 |access-date=6 January 2024}}</ref> illustrating the concept of seeking [[redemption (theology)|redemption]] through [[Jesus Christ]].]]

[[Christianity]] has its roots in Judaism, and shares much of the latter faith's [[ontology]]. Its central beliefs derive from the teachings of [[Jesus Christ]] as presented in the [[New Testament]]. Life's purpose in Christianity is to seek divine [[Salvation in Christianity|salvation]] through the grace of God and intercession of Christ.<ref>[[Gospel of John|John]] 11:26.</ref> The New Testament speaks of God wanting to have a relationship with humans both in this life and the life to come, which can happen only if one's [[Atonement in Christianity|sins are forgiven]].<ref>John 3:16–21; 2 Peter 3:9.</ref>

In the Christian view, humankind was made in the [[Image of God]] and perfect, but the [[Fall of Man]] caused the progeny of the [[Adam and Eve|First Parents]] to inherit [[Original Sin]] and its consequences. Christ's [[Passion of Jesus|passion]], [[Crucifixion of Jesus|death]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]] provide the means for transcending that impure state ([[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 6:23). That this restoration from sin is possible is called the [[gospel]].

The Apostle Paul explains the meaning of life in his speech on the [[Areopagus]] in [[Athens]]: "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."<ref>[[Bible]], [[Acts]] 17:26–27, [[NKJV]].</ref>

=====Denominations=====

The specific process of appropriating salvation through Christ and maintaining a relationship with God varies between different [[List of Christian denominations|denominations]] of Christians, but all rely on faith in Christ and the gospel as the fundamental starting point. Salvation through faith in God is found in [[Epistle to the Ephesians|Ephesians]] 2:8–9<sup>[8] "</sup>For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;<sup>[9]</sup> not as a result of works, that no one should boast." ([[New American Standard Bible|NASB]]; 1973). The gospel maintains that through this belief, the barrier that sin has created between man and God is destroyed, thereby allowing believers to be [[Regeneration (theology)|regenerated]] by God and to instill in them a new heart after God's own will with the ability to live righteously before him. This is what the term [[Salvation in Christianity|saved]] almost always refer to.

In Reformed theology, it is believed the purpose of life is to glorify God. In the ''[[Westminster Shorter Catechism]]'', an important creed for Reformed Christians,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bower |first=John |title=9 Things You Should Know About The Westminster Confession |date=25 March 2021 |url=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-westminster-confession/}}</ref> the first question is: "What is the chief end of Man?" (that is, "What is Man's main purpose?"). The answer is: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever". God requires one to obey the revealed moral law, saying: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself".<ref name="Westminster">{{cite web |title=The Westminster Shorter Catechism |url=http://www.creeds.net/reformed/Westminster/shorter_catechism.html |access-date=21 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311000717/http://www.creeds.net/reformed/Westminster/shorter_catechism.html |archive-date=11 March 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ''[[Baltimore Catechism]]'' answers the question "Why did God make you?" by saying "God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Baltimore Catechism |url= http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/balt/balt1.htm |access-date=12 June 2008}}</ref>

[[Catholicism]]'s meaning of life is explained in Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 294. The Universe exists for the manifestation and communication of God's glory, while mankind exists for the [[beatific vision]].<ref>[http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p4.htm#294 Catechism of the Catholic Church 294]</ref> Catechism of the Catholic Church 601 explains the meaning of Jesus' life: to fulfill the Scripture, in particular the plan of salvation.<ref>[http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a4p2.htm#601 Catechism of the Catholic Church 601]</ref>

[[Mormonism]] teaches that the purpose of life on Earth is to gain knowledge and experience and to have joy.<ref name="Gospel Principles">{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles?lang=eng|title=Gospel Principles|website=churchofjesuschrist.org|access-date=27 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710171937/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles?lang=eng|archive-date=10 July 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Mormons believe that humans are literally the spirit children of God the Father, and thus have the potential to progress to become like Him. Mormons teach that God provided his children the choice to come to Earth, which is considered a crucial stage in their development—wherein a mortal body, coupled with the freedom to choose, makes for an environment to learn and grow.<ref name="Gospel Principles"/> The Fall of Adam is not viewed as an unfortunate or unplanned cancellation of God's original plan for a paradise; rather, the opposition found in mortality is an essential element of God's plan because the process of enduring and overcoming challenges, difficulties, and temptations provides opportunities to gain wisdom and strength, thereby learning to appreciate and choose good and reject evil.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2 Nephi 2 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2 |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Moses 6 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/pgp/moses/6 |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}</ref> Because God is just, he allows those who were not taught the gospel during mortality to receive it after death in the spirit world,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/138?lang=eng|title=Doctrine and Covenants 138|work=churchofjesuschrist.org}}</ref> so that all of his children have the opportunity to return to live with God, and reach their full potential.

A recent alternative Christian theological discourse interprets Jesus as revealing that the purpose of life is to elevate our compassionate response to human suffering;<ref>{{cite book |last=Drake-Brockman |first=Tom |url=http://christianhumanism.webs.com/ |title=Christian Humanism: The Compassionate Theology of a Jew Called Jesus |date=2012}}</ref> nonetheless, the conventional Christian position is that people are justified by belief in the [[Propitiation|propitiatory sacrifice]] of Jesus' death on the cross.

====Islam====

[[File:Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpg|thumb|Supplicating [[Pilgrim]] at [[Masjid Al Haram]]. [[Mecca]]]]
In [[Islam]], humanity's ultimate purpose is to worship their creator, [[Allah]] ({{langx|en|The God}}), through his signs, and be grateful to him through sincere love and devotion. This is practically shown by following the divine guidelines revealed in the [[Qur'an]] and the tradition of the [[Muhammad|Prophet]] (with the exception of [[Quranism|Quranists]]). Earthly life is a test, determining one's position of closeness to [[Allah]] in the hereafter. A person will either be close to him and his love in ''[[Jannah]]'' (Paradise) or far away in ''[[Jahannam]]'' (Hell).

For Allah's satisfaction, via the Qur'an, all Muslims must believe in God, his revelations, his [[Angels in Islam|angels]], his [[Prophets in Islam|messengers]], and in the "[[Qiyamah|Day of Judgment]]".<ref>{{qref|2|4|b=y}}, {{qref|2|285|b=y}}, {{qref|4|136|b=y}}.</ref> The Qur'an describes the purpose of creation as follows: "Blessed be he in whose hand is the kingdom, he is powerful over all things, who created death and life that he might examine which of you is best in deeds, and he is the almighty, the forgiving." (Qur'an 67:1–2) and "And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should be obedient (to Allah)." (Qur'an 51:56). Obedience testifies to the [[Tawhid|oneness of God]] in his lordship, his names, and his attributes. Terrenal life is a test; how one ''acts'' (behaves) determines whether one's soul goes to Jannat (Heaven) or to Jahannam (Hell).<ref>In most English translations of Qur'an 51:56 translates the last word to "worship", but any Arabic (and Urdu) speaking person can confirm that "ABADON" means to follow the Will of Allah (NOT worship). This is relevant because the Will of Allah is not just to worship HIM; to be just and good with humanity is equally important.</ref>{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} However, on the day of Judgement the final decision is of Allah alone.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://iqra.net/Hadith/judgement.php |title=The Day of Judgement |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530225629/http://iqra.net/Hadith/judgement.php |archive-date=30 May 2013 |work=Iqra.net |access-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>

The [[Five Pillars of Islam]] are duties incumbent to every Muslim; they are: [[Shahada]]h (profession of faith); [[Salah|Salat]] (ritual prayer); [[Zakat]] (charity); [[Sawm]] (fasting during [[Ramadan]]), and [[Hajj]] (pilgrimage to [[Mecca]]).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Pillars of Islam |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295625/Pillars-of-Islam |access-date=2 May 2007}}</ref> They derive from the [[Hadith]] works, notably of [[Sahih Al-Bukhari]] and [[Sahih Muslim]]. The five pillars are not mentioned directly in the Quran.

Beliefs differ among the [[Kalam]]. The [[Sunni]] and the [[Ahmadiyya]] concept of pre-destination is [[Qadr (doctrine)|divine decree]];<ref>{{hadith-usc|usc=yes|Muslim|1|1}}.</ref> the [[Shi'a]] concept of pre-destination is [[Adalah (Islam)|divine justice]]; in the [[esoteric]] view of the [[Sufi]]s, the universe exists only for God's pleasure; Creation is a grand game, wherein Allah is the greatest prize.

The Sufi view of the meaning of life stems from the [[hadith qudsi]] that states "I (God) was [[a Hidden Treasure]] and loved to be known. Therefore I created the Creation that I might be known." One possible interpretation of this view is that the meaning of life for an individual is to know the nature of God, and the purpose of all of creation is to reveal that nature and to prove its value as the ultimate treasure, that is God. However, this hadith is stated in various forms and interpreted in various ways by people, such, as [['Abdu'l-Bahá]] of the [[Baháʼí Faith]],<ref name='Commentary on the Islamic Tradition "I Was a Hidden Treasure ..."'>{{cite web|last=Bahá|first=Abdu'l|title=Commentary on the Islamic Tradition "I Was a Hidden Treasure ..."|url=http://bahai-library.com/abdulbaha_kuntu_kanzan_makhfiyyan|work=Baháʼí Studies Bulletin|access-date=3 August 2013}}</ref> and in [[Ibn Arabi|Ibn'Arabī]]'s Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam.<ref name="SUMMARY OF THE FUSÛS">{{cite web|last=Chittick|first=William C.|title=The Imprint of the Bezels of the Wisdom|url=http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/articlespdf/naqshalfusus.pdf|work=Ibn 'Arabi's Own Summary of the Fusûs|access-date=3 August 2013}}</ref> According to Shaykh [[Ibrahim Niass]], worship of God is closely linked to [[ma'rifa]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wright |first=Zachary Valentine |title=Living knowledge in West African Islam: the sufi community of Ibrahim Niasse |date=2015 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-28807-2 |series=Islam in Africa |location=Leiden ; Boston |page=133}}</ref> therefore the perfection of the aspirant's knowledge of God is conditional upon his attainment of ma'rifa.

====Baháʼí Faith====

The [[Baháʼí Faith]] emphasizes the unity of humanity.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bahaism |title="Bahaism." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language |date=2007 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |edition=Fourth |volume=}}</ref> To Baháʼís, the purpose of life is focused on spiritual growth and service to humanity. Human beings are viewed as intrinsically spiritual beings. People's lives in this material world provide extended opportunities to grow, to develop divine qualities and virtues, and the [[Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith)|prophets]] were sent by God to facilitate this.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=P. |date=1999 |title=A Concise Encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith |publisher=Oneworld Publications |location=Oxford |pages=[https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/325 325–328] |isbn=978-1-85168-184-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/325 }}</ref><ref>For a more detailed Baháʼí perspective, see {{cite web |title={{-'}}The Purpose of Life' Baháʼí Topics An Information Resource of the Baháʼí International Community |url=http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-6.html |access-date=13 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829233333/http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-6.html |archive-date=29 August 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===South Asian religions===
{{Further|Indian religions|Indian philosophy}}

====Hindu philosophies====
{{Further|Hinduism|Hindu philosophy|Dharma}}
[[File:Golden Aum.png|thumb|upright|left|A golden [[Om|Aum]] written in [[Devanagari]]. The Aum is sacred in [[Hinduism|Hindu]], [[Jainism|Jain]] and [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] religions.]]

[[Hinduism]] is a religious category including many beliefs and traditions. Since Hinduism was the way of expressing meaningful living for a long time before there was a need for naming it as a separate religion, Hindu doctrines are supplementary and complementary in nature, generally non-exclusive, suggestive, and tolerant in content.<ref name="weightman">{{Cite book |author=Simon Weightman |date=1998 |title=The new Penguin handbook of living religions |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780140514070 |url-access=registration |editor=Hinnells, John |publisher=[[Penguin books]] |chapter=Hinduism |isbn=978-0-14-051480-3}}</ref> Most believe that the [[Ātman (Hinduism)|ātman]] (spirit, soul)—the person's true ''self''—is eternal.<ref name="monierwilliams">{{Cite book |author=Monier Monier-Williams |author-link=Monier Monier-Williams |date=1974 |title=Brahmanism and Hinduism: Or, Religious Thought and Life in India, as Based on the Veda and Other Sacred Books of the Hindus |publisher=Adamant Media Corporation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U5IBXA4UpT0C |access-date= 8 July 2007 |series=Elibron Classics |isbn=978-1-4212-6531-5}}</ref> In part, this stems from Hindu beliefs that spiritual development occurs across many lifetimes, and goals should match the state of development of the individual. There are four possible aims to human life, known as the ''[[purusharthas]]'' (ordered from least to greatest): (i) ''[[Kāma]]'' (wish, desire, love and sensual pleasure), (ii) ''[[Artha]]'' (wealth, prosperity, glory), (iii) ''[[Dharma]]'' (righteousness, duty, morality, [[virtue]], [[ethics]]), encompassing notions such as ''[[ahimsa]]'' (non-violence) and [[satya]] (truth) and (iv) ''[[Moksha]]'' (liberation, i.e. liberation from [[Saṃsāra]], the cycle of [[reincarnation]]).<ref>For dharma, artha, and kama as "brahmanic householder values" see: Flood (1996), p. 17.</ref><ref>For the ''Dharma Śāstras'' as discussing the "four main goals of life" (dharma, artha, kama, and moksha) see: Hopkins, p. 78.</ref><ref>For definition of the term पुरुष-अर्थ ({{IAST|puruṣa-artha}}) as "any of the four principal objects of human life, i.e. {{lang|sa|धर्म}}, {{lang|sa|अर्थ}}, {{lang|sa|काम}}, and {{lang|sa|मोक्ष}}" see: Apte, p. 626, Middle column, Compound #1.</ref>

In all schools of Hinduism, the meaning of life is tied up in the concepts of [[karma]] (causal action), [[sansara]] (the cycle of birth and rebirth), and [[moksha]] (liberation). Existence is conceived as the progression of the ātman (similar to the western concept of a [[Soul (spirit)|soul]]) across numerous lifetimes, and its ultimate progression towards liberation from karma. Particular goals for life are generally subsumed under broader [[yoga]]s (practices) or [[dharma]] (correct living) which are intended to create more favorable reincarnations, though they are generally positive acts in this life as well. Traditional schools of Hinduism often worship [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] which are manifestations of [[Ishvara]] (a personal or chosen God); these Devas are taken as ideal forms to be identified with, as a form of spiritual improvement.

In short, the goal is to realize the fundamental truth about oneself. This thought is conveyed in the [[Mahāvākyas]] ("[[Tat Tvam Asi]]" (thou art that), "Aham Brahmāsmi", "Prajñānam Brahma" and "Ayam Ātmā Brahma" (This Ātman is Brahman)).

=====Advaita and Dvaita Hinduism=====
{{Further|Advaita Vedanta|Dvaita Vedanta}}
Later schools reinterpreted the [[vedas]] to focus on [[Brahman]], "The One Without a Second",<ref name="bhaskaranandaessential">{{Cite book |last=Bhaskarananda |first=Swami |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781884852022 |title=The Essentials of Hinduism: A Comprehensive Overview of the World's Oldest Religion |date=1994 |publisher=Viveka Press |isbn=978-1-884852-02-2 |place=Seattle, WA}}</ref> as a central God-like figure.

In [[monist]] Advaita Vedanta, ātman is ultimately indistinguishable from Brahman, and the goal of life is to know or realize that one's [[Ātman (Hinduism)|Ātman]] (soul) is identical to [[Brahman]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vivekananda |first=Swami |author-link=Swami Vivekananda |date=1987 |title=Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda |place=Calcutta |publisher=Advaita Ashrama |isbn=978-81-85301-75-4}}</ref> To the [[Upanishads]], whoever becomes fully aware of the Ātman, as one's core of self, realizes identity with Brahman, and, thereby, achieves [[Moksha]] (liberation, freedom).<ref name="monierwilliams"/><ref name="werner">{{Cite book |last=Werner |first=Karel |date=1994 |title=A Popular Dictionary of Hinduism |place=Richmond, Surrey |editor=Hinnells, John |publisher=Curzon Press |chapter=Hinduism |isbn=978-0-7007-0279-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/populardictionar0000wern }}</ref><ref>See also the Vedic statement "Ayam Ātmā Brahma" (This [[Ātman (Hinduism)|Ātman]] is [[Brahman]]).</ref>

Dvaita Vedanta and other [[bhakti]] schools have a [[Theistic dualism|dualist]] interpretation. [[Brahman]] is seen as a supreme being with a personality and manifest qualities. The Ātman depends upon Brahman for its existence; the meaning of life is achieving Moksha through the love of God and upon His grace.<ref name="werner"/>

=====Vaishnavism=====
[[Vaishnavism]] is a branch of Hinduism in which the principal belief is the identification of [[Vishnu]] or [[Narayana]] as the one supreme God. This belief contrasts with the [[Krishnaism|Krishna-centered]] traditions, such as [[Vallabha]], [[Nimbaraka]] and [[Gaudiya]], in which [[Krishna]] is considered to be the One and only Supreme God and the [[Svayam Bhagavan|source of all avataras]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Gupta |first=Ravi M. |title=The Chaitanya Vaishnava Vedanta of Jiva Gosvami When Knowledge Meets Devotion |date=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-40548-5 |editor1=Gavin Flood |editor2=University of Stirling}}</ref>

Vaishnava theology includes the central beliefs of Hinduism such as [[monotheism]], [[reincarnation]], [[samsara]], [[karma]], and the various [[Yoga]] systems, but with a particular emphasis on devotion ([[bhakti]]) to Vishnu through the process of [[Bhakti yoga]], often including singing Vishnu's name's ([[bhajan]]), meditating upon his form ([[dharana]]) and performing [[deity]] worship ([[puja (Hinduism)|puja]]). The practices of deity worship are primarily based on texts such as [[Pañcaratra]] and various [[Samhita]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tantric Literature And Gaudiya Vaishnavism |url=http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9901/ET05-2795.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525061446/http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9901/ET05-2795.html |archive-date=25 May 2011 }}</ref>

One popular school of thought, [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism]], teaches the concept of [[Achintya Bheda Abheda]]. In this, Krishna is worshipped as the single true God, and all living entities are eternal parts and the Supreme Personality of the Godhead Krishna. Thus the constitutional position of a living entity is to serve the Lord with love and devotion. The purpose of human life especially is to think beyond the animalistic way of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending and engage the higher intelligence to revive the lost relationship with Krishna.

====Jainism====

{{Further|Jainism|Jain philosophy}}

[[Jainism]] is a religion originating in [[Iron Age India|ancient India]], its ethical system promotes self-discipline above all else. Through following the [[asceticism|ascetic]] teachings of [[Tirthankara|Jina]], a [[human]] achieves [[Moksa (Jainism)|enlightenment (perfect knowledge)]]. Jainism divides the universe into living and non-living beings. Only when the living becomes attached to the non-living does suffering result. Therefore, happiness is the result of self-conquest and freedom from external objects. The meaning of life may then be said to be to use the physical body to achieve self-realization and bliss.<ref>Shah, Natubhai. ''Jainism: The World of Conquerors.'' Sussex Academic Press, 1998.</ref>

Jains believe that every human is responsible for his or her actions and all living beings have an eternal [[Soul (spirit)|soul]], ''[[jiva]]''. Jains believe all souls are equal because they all possess the potential of being liberated and attaining [[Moksa (Jainism)|Moksha]]. The [[Karma in Jainism|Jain view of karma]] is that every action, every word, every thought has effect on the soul.

Jainism includes strict adherence to [[Ahimsa in Jainism|ahimsa]] (or ''ahinsā''), a form of [[nonviolence]] that goes far beyond [[vegetarianism]]. Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. Many practice a lifestyle similar to [[veganism]] due to the violence of modern dairy farms, and others exclude [[root vegetable]]s from their diets in order to preserve the lives of the plants from which they eat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Viren, Jain |url=http://www.retoday.org.uk/pdfs/dre/viren.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614110256/http://www.retoday.org.uk/pdfs/dre/viren.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2007 |access-date=14 June 2007 |publisher=RE Today}}</ref>

====Buddhism====

===== Early Buddhism =====

[[File:Tian Tan Buddha by Beria.jpg|thumb|Statue of [[Gautama Buddha]]]]
Buddhists practice embracing mindfulness, the ill-being (suffering) and well-being that is present in life. Buddhists practice seeing the causes of ill-being and well-being in life. For example, one of the causes of suffering is an unhealthy attachment to objects material or non-material. The Buddhist [[sūtras]] and [[Tantras (Buddhism)|tantras]] do not speak about "the meaning of life" or "the purpose of life", but about the potential of human life to end suffering, for example through embracing (not suppressing or denying) cravings and conceptual attachments. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of [[Nirvana]]. Nirvana means freedom from both [[Dukkha|suffering]] and [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Four Noble Truths |url=http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.html |publisher=Thebigview.com |access-date=6 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091111202249/http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.html |archive-date=11 November 2009}}</ref>

[[Theravada|Theravada Buddhism]] is generally considered to be close to the early Buddhist practice. It promotes the concept of [[Vibhajjavada]] ([[Pāli|Pali]]), literally "Teaching of Analysis", which says that insight must come from the aspirant's experience, critical investigation, and reasoning instead of by blind faith. However, the Theravadin tradition also emphasizes heeding the advice of the wise, considering such advice and evaluation of one's own experiences to be the two tests by which practices should be judged. The Theravadin goal is liberation (or freedom) from suffering, according to the [[Four Noble Truths]]. This is attained in the achievement of [[Nirvana]], or Unbinding which also ends the [[reincarnation|repeated cycle]] of birth, old age, sickness, and death. The way to attain Nirvana is by following and practicing the [[Noble Eightfold Path]].

=====Mahayana Buddhism=====
{{Further|Mahayana}}
Mahayana Buddhist schools de-emphasize the traditional view (still practiced in [[Theravada]]) of the release from individual Suffering ([[Duḥkha|Duhkha]]) and attainment of Awakening ([[Nirvana]]). In Mahayana, the Buddha is seen as an eternal, immutable, inconceivable, [[omnipresent]] being. The fundamental principles of Mahayana doctrine are based on the possibility of universal liberation from suffering for all beings, and the existence of the transcendent [[Buddha-nature]], which is the eternal Buddha essence present, but hidden and unrecognised, in all living beings.<ref>{{cite web |last1=University |first1=© Stanford |title="The Chief Characteristics and Doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism" |url=https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/chief-characteristics-and-doctrines-mahayana-buddhism |website=The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute |access-date=7 March 2023 |language=en |date=17 February 2015}}</ref>

Philosophical schools of Mahayana Buddhism, such as [[zen|Chan/Zen]] and the [[Vajrayana]] Tibetan and Shingon schools, explicitly teach that [[Bodhisattva]] should refrain from full liberation, allowing themselves to be reincarnated into the world until all beings achieve enlightenment. Devotional schools such as [[Pure Land Buddhism]] seek the aid of celestial buddhas—individuals who have spent lifetimes accumulating positive karma, and use that accumulation to aid all.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Arana |first1=Juan Hincapié |title=A SEED IN AMITABHA'S HAND- Pure Land Buddhism's path to peace in this life and the next by Juan Hincapie Arana |url=https://www.academia.edu/52849607 |website=Amazon KDP |access-date=7 March 2023 |date=1 January 2021}}</ref>

====Sikhism====

The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten [[Sikh Gurus]], or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the ''[[Gurū Granth Sāhib]]'', which includes selected works of many philosophers from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds.

The Sikh Gurus say that salvation can be obtained by following various spiritual paths, so Sikhs do not have a monopoly on salvation: "The Lord dwells in every heart, and every heart has its own way to reach Him."<ref name="Singh">{{Cite book |author=Daljeet Singh |title=Guru Tegh Bahadur |date=1971 |publisher= |location=Punjab}}</ref> Sikhs believe that all people are equally important before [[Waheguru|God]].<ref name="Mayled">{{Cite book |author=Jon Mayled |title=Modern World Religions: Sikhism |publisher=Harcourt Heinemann |date=2002 |isbn=978-0-435-33626-4}}</ref> Sikhs balance their moral and spiritual values with the quest for knowledge, and they aim to promote a life of peace and equality but also of positive action.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sikhcoalition.org|title=The Sikh Coalition|work=sikhcoalition.org|access-date=30 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701031219/https://www.sikhcoalition.org/|archive-date=1 July 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-[[Anthropomorphism#In religion and mythology|anthropomorphic]] concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the [[Universe]] itself ([[pantheism]]). Sikhism thus sees life as an opportunity to understand this God as well as to discover the divinity which lies in each individual. While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings,<ref name="p252">{{Cite book |last=Parrinder |first=Geoffrey |author-link=Geoffrey Parrinder |date=1971 |title=World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present |publisher=Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited |location=United States |isbn=978-0-87196-129-7}}</ref> [[Guru Nanak Dev|Nanak]] described God as not wholly unknowable, and stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must [[meditate]] to progress towards enlightenment and the ultimate destination of a Sikh is to lose the ego completely in the love of the lord and finally merge into the almighty creator. Nanak emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.<ref name="p252"/>

===East Asian religions===

====Taoism====

[[Taoist]] [[cosmogony]] emphasizes the need for all sentient beings and all men to return to the ''primordial'' or to rejoin with the ''Oneness'' of the Universe by way of self-cultivation and self-realization. All adherents should understand and be in tune with the ultimate truth.

Taoists believe all things were originally from [[Taiji (philosophy)|Taiji]] and [[Tao]], and the meaning in life for the adherents is to realize the temporal nature of the existence. "Only introspection can then help us to find our innermost reasons for living ... the simple answer is here within ourselves."<ref name="Ming-Dao">{{Cite book |author=Ming-Dao Deng |title=Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life |publisher=HarperCollins |date=1990 |isbn=978-0-06-250232-2}}</ref>

====Shinto====

[[Shinto]] is the native religion of Japan. Shinto means "the path of the [[kami]]", but more specifically, it can be taken to mean "the divine crossroad where the kami chooses his way". The "divine" crossroad signifies that all the universe is divine spirit. This foundation of [[free will]], choosing one's way, means that life is a creative process.

Shinto wants life to live, not to die. Shinto sees death as pollution and regards life as the realm where the divine spirit seeks to purify itself by rightful self-development. Shinto wants individual human life to be prolonged forever on earth as a victory of the divine spirit in preserving its objective personality in its highest forms. The presence of evil in the world, as conceived by Shinto, does not stultify the divine nature by imposing on divinity responsibility for being able to relieve human suffering while refusing to do so. The sufferings of life are the sufferings of the divine spirit in search of progress in the objective world.<ref name="Mason">{{Cite book |author=J.W.T. Mason |title=The Meaning of Shinto |publisher=Trafford Publishing |date=2002 |isbn=978-1-4122-4551-7}}</ref>

====New religions====
There are many [[new religious movements]] in East Asia, and some with millions of followers: [[Chondogyo]], [[Tenrikyo]], [[Cao Đài]], and [[Seicho-No-Ie]]. New religions typically have unique explanations for the meaning of life. For example, in Tenrikyo, one is expected to live a [[Joyous Life]] by participating in practices that create happiness for oneself and others.

===Iranian religions===
{{Further|Iranian philosophy}}

====Zoroastrianism====
Zoroastrians believe in a universe created by a transcendent God, [[Ahura Mazda]], to whom all worship is ultimately directed. Ahura Mazda's creation is ''[[asha]]'', truth and order, and it is in conflict with its [[antithesis]], ''druj'', falsehood and disorder.<ref>See also: [[Zoroastrian eschatology]].</ref>

Since humanity possesses [[free will]], people must be responsible for their moral choices. By using free will, people must take an active role in the universal conflict, with good thoughts, good words and good deeds to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.