14/03/2025
The idea that life is about having a purpose—a big reason for being that gives our actions meaning—has been around since we were kids.
People romanticise that finding a greater purpose is the most essential thing in life. In the name of "purpose," people choose careers, look for relationships, and enjoy important events.
But what if this never-ending search for meaning is what makes us suffer?
What If Purpose Is Just an Illusion? — The Gita on Why Seeking Leads to Suffering
The soul is neither born nor does it ever die, nor, having once existed, does it cease to be. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and ancient. It is not slain when the body is slain. — Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 20
The Illusion of Purpose: Why Are We Seeking?
Since childhood, we've been told that life is about finding a purpose—a grand reason for existence that gives meaning to our actions. Society romanticises the idea of discovering a higher purpose as the ultimate goal of life. Careers are chosen, relationships are pursued, and milestones are celebrated—all in the name of 'purpose.' But what if this relentless chase for meaning is the very source of our suffering?
The Bhagavad Gita presents a radical perspective: the problem isn't the absence of purpose — it's the attachment to the idea that purpose is necessary for fulfilment.
Let's explore how the Gita dismantles the myth of purpose and why detachment might be the key to inner peace.
1. Seeking Is Rooted in Attachment — And Attachment Breeds Suffering
His wisdom becomes steady when one withdraws the senses from sense objects, like a tortoise drawing in its limbs. — Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 58
The search for purpose often stems from a craving for identity and control. If we have a purpose, life will feel more meaningful, and our existence will be justified. This attachment to purpose creates a cycle of expectation and disappointment. When outcomes don't meet expectations, suffering arises. Krishna teaches that attachment to outcomes — success, recognition, or validation — binds us to suffering. According to the Gita, fulfilment comes from detachment — from performing actions without obsessing over their results.
2. Purpose Is Fleeting — Dharma Is Eternal
It is better to perish in one's dharma than to follow the path of another. — Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 35
Purpose is often tied to external validation — career success, relationships, or legacy. But the Gita proposes that what truly matters is not chasing a grand purpose but fulfilling one's dharma — the inner duty aligned with one's true nature. Purpose is influenced by societal norms and personal ambition, which can change over time. Dharma, however, is stable and eternal because it reflects one's true self.
3. The Ego Fuels the Illusion of Purpose
Overcome by ego, strength, arrogance, lust, and anger, they despise Me in their bodies and others. — Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 18
The ego thrives on the idea of being unique and significant. It convinces us that we need a grand purpose to justify our existence. This leads to a constant seeking of recognition, significance, and permanence. But Krishna teaches that the ego is the root of suffering, as it creates separation between you and the present moment. The ego makes purpose about personal achievement rather than collective harmony. The more you attach yourself to this illusion of significance, the more you suffer when reality doesn't align with those expectations. The Gita advises dissolving the ego by shifting focus from outcomes to actions.
4. Fulfillment Comes from Action, Not Outcome
Perform your duty, O Arjuna, abandoning attachment and remaining indifferent to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga. — Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 48
Krishna emphasises that real peace comes not from achieving a goal but from the state of mind while pursuing it. Fulfilment comes from being present in the process, not achieving an outcome. Pursuing purpose often creates anxiety because it ties happiness to a future event. When that future event is delayed, or unattained, dissatisfaction follows.
5. Let Go of the Illusion — Freedom Lies in Surrender
Therefore, always remember Me and fight. You will surely come to Me with your mind and intellect surrendered to Me. — Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8, Verse 7
The need for purpose is rooted in the desire for control. We seek purpose because we want life to follow a predictable and meaningful path. But Krishna's teachings suggest that true freedom comes from surrender — not passive resignation, but trust in the unfolding of life. When you surrender to the flow of existence, you become free from the bo***ge of expectations. Surrender doesn't mean giving up; it means trusting that your actions, when performed with sincerity and detachment, will lead to peace regardless of the outcome.
Purpose or Presence?
The Bhagavad Gita doesn't deny the importance of action — it questions the need for a rigid, pre-defined purpose behind it. Purpose creates attachment, and attachment breeds suffering. Krishna's teaching isn't about abandoning life — it's about living fully without the burden of expectation.
Purpose, as we often define it, is an illusion created by the mind's need for control and identity. True peace lies not in discovering a grand reason for existence but in the freedom that comes from detachment.
Maybe the purpose was never about finding something. Perhaps it was about being fully alive in the search itself.
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