No matter how great a man can avoid death, what's the point of living?

-The last purpose of life

In that era when politics was everything, a university professor gave out decadent ideas. He said, "What's the point of living?" Therefore, they are classified as Rightists. What he means is that he doesn't feel any interest in living. But this sentence also contains a bigger question, the most fundamental question in life. What do people live for? What is the purpose of life?

In an earlier era, Hu Shi wrote Hu Cun. In the first episode, there is an article "What is the Purpose of Life", which says: Hu Shi has a friend named Chen Ziping who likes to get to the bottom of it. The biggest question in his heart is, why on earth are people alive? What is the purpose of life? He was puzzled and forgot to eat and sleep, almost to the point of madness. He claimed that everyone called him "crazy". He wanted to get an answer from the master's bachelor, so he went to the contemporary philosopher Dr. Hu Shi to get a satisfactory answer. Unexpectedly, the doctor gave him a disappointed answer and said, "I don't know why people are alive." There is no article below, I don't know where Teacher Chen is.

The basic question of what is the purpose of life will happen in the mind of every thoughtful person, especially those who have experienced vicissitudes, seen the world and are old. The phrase "What's the point of living" can be heard everywhere. But you may say, I think many people lead interesting lives. They are happy and energetic, and are not bothered by this idea. But if you analyze it carefully, judging from their motives, there are only a few people: young and ignorant, inexperienced, not yet seen the world, unaware of the mountains and waters ahead, and having the illusion of an infinitely bright future. They just instinctively obeyed their desire for survival and did not put the purpose of life on the agenda. Some people are intoxicated and paralyzed in life for a while, only care about eating, drinking and having fun in front of them, saying, "If you drink today, you will be drunk tomorrow." This kind of person has no ambition, is happy for a while, and has no time to look back. Others, blinded by fame and fortune, either want to get rich or live forever. There are also people who are driven by interests, and some scientists who have no deep ideas mostly belong to this category. However, no matter what happens, when they are frustrated, they always think of this question: "What's the point of living?"

Don't envy those who get promoted and get rich, have a good life and have a good time. In fact, they are empty and absent-minded, just fooling around. What will happen to them? Please read some famous sayings left by people: "The Water Margin" quoted an idiom: "Success in the world will inevitably lead to failure, and prosperity of people will inevitably lead to decline"; "people are not good for a thousand days, and flowers are not red for a hundred days"; "If you have too many refreshing things, you will eventually get sick. If you worry too much, you will suffer." "The Scholars" also said: "The wind and cloud have passed away, and only then is it empty." And it is often "joy begets sorrow", which we often experience. This proverb is not only found in China, but also in foreign countries. As the French proverb says, "He who laughs in the morning cries at night". The title of Psalm 73 is: "Their laughter will turn into crying, and their joy will turn into sorrow." Sometimes the reality is that happiness is actually a curse. Laozi said: "Misfortune depends on happiness, and happiness lies in misfortune." "Wu Yue Chun Qiu" also said: "The auspicious door is fierce." "Zi Tong Zhi Jian" quoted Cui Qifu as saying: "Don't call me expensive, heaven will destroy me; Not as good as usual, there is more color; Don't be lucky, you will be late. " Historical records say: "wine chaos, happiness and sorrow, everything is natural." What's more, the good times don't last long. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once lamented: "There are many joys and sorrows, and young people can't be old!" (autumn wind) And "where are those perfect eyes and those pearly teeth?" ? "(Du Fu's poems); "Didn't you see that Yuhuan Yan Fei (two beautiful women) are all dust" (Xin Qiji's words); "Come like a spring dream, go like a cloud and find nowhere" (Bai Juyi's poem).

Human happiness does not lie in physical happiness. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, "If happiness lies in physical pleasure, then it should be said that cows are happy to find grass to eat." Cicero, an ancient Roman bachelor, said, "You need to eat to live, but you don't live to eat." If people live to eat, aren't they just like pigs and dogs?

In fact, if you cut open the skin of those who enjoy themselves, their bones are full of troubles and pains. Just from the point of "hungry snakes swallow elephants", they are not satisfied. If you expect something from dragons, you will push your luck and never be satisfied. What's more, suffering is innate, and suffering is innate. "He who has no long-term worries will have near worries." People can't live without suffering. Liang Qichao once said: "Things are always unsatisfactory." (nine times out of ten). Du Fu has a poem: "When a teenager is young, there must be helplessness, and there are always many joys and sorrows." . (The compound word "funeral music" is biased, but in fact it only refers to funeral music. ) Li Bai even said, "Since the world can't answer our desire, it's even sadder. Let's raise our glasses." . In the early Qing Dynasty, Nalan Xingde, an official family, enjoyed all the splendor, but he said, "Floating life is always like water." Sartre, a modern French writer, was successful all his life. He got the happiness of love and the success of his career that ordinary people expected. But in his later years, he said, "Life gave me what I wanted, and it also made me realize that it was not very interesting." Li Yu, queen of the Southern Tang Dynasty, summed up a sentence in words: "It's just that I hate water for a long time."

Is there happiness when people have power and status? In the history of China, we often see emperors with superb martial arts come to a tragic end; Qi Huangong, the first overlord of the five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period, swaggered all his life, but was abandoned on his deathbed and died of hunger and cold in the cold palace. Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty was forced to hang Meishan; Shunzhi, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty, was so sad that he wanted to become a monk because he lost Dong Fei. Charles V, the emperor of the Western Holy Roman Empire, entered the monastery because of frustration; Napoleon, a powerful monster, died of depression on St. Helena; His predecessor Louis XVI was guillotined. Historical tragedies abound at all times and in all countries. And it will make you happy for life, which is just a "past tense like a storm lantern" (Su Shi's poem). This brings people back to the most fundamental question in life: "What's the point of living?"

Now science is extremely developed, and some people say that science can solve any problem. So can science give a satisfactory answer to the purpose of life? We quote the representative work Science as saying: "No scientist gives an answer to those who pursue' why' they (scientists) should follow the scientific method and devote themselves to revealing the laws of nature." That is: people have not defined the ultimate goal of scientific research, let alone the ultimate goal of life. In fact, the problem of life is not within the scope of natural science, it is a philosophical problem, as Professor Huxley said: "Science is neutral to morality". A scientist, if he is not a philosopher at the same time, can't and won't give a correct answer to the purpose of life. Yes, scientists can infer from the order of the universe that God created it, but here it is sublimated into a philosophical problem and scientists are promoted to philosophers. In fact, many profound great scientists and philosophers, such as Descartes, Pascal, Blaise, Einstein and Planck, are all scientists and philosophers. So what is the purpose of life and what is the meaning of life? Where can I find it? The answer is: "truth" gives you "answer". If I want to find the real answer in a few minutes, I can simplify it into a truth formula:

Science → Philosophy → Natural Theology → Religion

Explain a little: it can be inferred from the harmonious order of the universe (science) that the universe must have a master (philosophy) who creates it and manages it; This master must have personality (that is, reason and will), and he has infinite truth, goodness and beauty. At the same time, he is a great parent of human beings (natural theology). Since man is his people, he should know him, love him and serve him (religious life). It is the bounden duty of human beings to ask God for help. God is the source of self-reverence and the master of the universe.

It turns out that religion is just an appropriate communication between man and his origin (God who created him). Just like the relationship between children and parents, God is the source of all things, infinite existence, absolute existence and absolute master, and the root of all goodness and beauty. The great parents of mankind, all the benefits that human beings have and enjoy come from this heavenly father. It is natural for human beings to thank, worship, respect and serve him based on their conscience. As long as people are not completely virtuous, they will naturally feel this unshirkable responsibility of people. Mencius was not a religious scholar, but he once said, "Keep your heart and nourish your nature, so it is natural to do things." (See "Dedicated" article). The Book of Rites quoted Confucius as saying: "Benevolence is like heaven, and heaven is like heaven." This is a natural expression of gratitude and love for God and the discovery of kindness. Lu Jiuyuan, a Confucian scholar in the Song Dynasty, once said, "Born in heaven and earth, I do my duty." Things like blind date are humane. Besides, a wise man demands spiritual life, otherwise his position will be lowered. Only by associating with God and taking God's will as the will is the highest spiritual life.

Children who honor their parents must try to please their parents and try to understand their wishes. A person who respects and loves God also needs to know more about God's affairs and his wishes. In this way, when he carefully explores the history of human religious thought, he will find that the relationship between God and man does not stay in a loose relationship (the so-called natural religious state), but there is a more intimate direct communication, which is apocalyptic religion. Direct revelation and direct leadership from God are beneficial, appropriate and necessary for people. It enables us to have a door to enter, a road to follow, detailed creeds and precepts to abide by, and a correct cult to enter, raising a loose natural religion to a cult dedicated to worshiping and serving God. This is the reason why Catholicism exists-a comprehensive entity of reason and belief.

God taught you to point out the ultimate goal of life, the highest goal of life, the meaning of this life and the eternal happiness in the afterlife. Only serving the infinitely great and eternal God, and therefore serving the people he loves, is the highest and most glorious behavior with eternal value. In this way, we found the ultimate goal, which also gave us endless hope. The meaning of life lies in hope. Dante said: "Our only sorrow is to live in hopeless hope." People who have no hope will become dead! Let every action and every job have permanent value and significance. In this way, under any circumstances, we will not fall into pessimism and disappointment. Even the elderly who have an incurable disease and lost all their abilities can still do valuable things and still have unlimited hope. This can be called real and practical optimism! This kind of life is meaningful!