Jules: Can we come back to The Purpose and Meaning of Life. You once said that the Purpose and Meaning of Life is to make the world a better place and to make oneself into a better person. How do I do that?
Mr OWO: Making the world into a better place is not too difficult. Where you see pain, sorrow, sadness and unsatisfactory states, do something. Make things better for others. Make a difference to the lives of others. Of course, if you can’t do good, don’t do bad although doing this alone is not enough to say that you have managed to live a life of purpose. Man is the smartest living being on earth. We therefore have the responsibility to be mindful of our actions. That we cause no harm to others and that we use our intelligence to improve things around us.
Jules: And how about becoming a better person?
Mr OWO: That involves self transformation. To create happiness in our lives, we need a good strong and healthy mind. If your mind is good, everything you see around you will be good and you will be happy. If your mind is not good, everything will appear unfavourable, and you will be unhappy. Such is the nature of the mind and how it influences our lives.
Jules: So, how do I get to have a good mind?
Mr OWO: You will need to generate good thoughts. Our thoughts condition our speech and body actions. For instance, if we are feeling angry from the thought interpretation of a particular event, the resulting action could see us lash out in fury or even possibly commit an act of violence. In addition, our speech and body actions will influence the state of our mind. For example, if one were to cause harm and lie, one will experience a sense of guilt and remorse. One’s mind will not be at ease. So, to have a good mind, you will need to be more careful with your thoughts, speech and actions. We also need to be mindful, humble and respectful, and to be committed to developing a truly sincere and forgiving heart - to seek forgiveness for our shortcomings, to forgive others as well as forgiving ourselves of our unskillful actions and then make amends to our behavior. These are practices which we have to undertake in order to cultivate ourselves to become better people than when we each of us first set our feet on earth. So, are you clear now on The Purpose and Meaning of Life?
Jules: Yes, I see that I have to do good and to cultivate my mind in your answer to my question of The Purpose and Meaning of Life.
