The Biggest Myth About Life Purpose
The nine enlightened sages eliminate the illusion of finding purpose in the world.
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This article will explore the greatest teachings of the nine enlightened sages that can eliminate your illusion of seeking purpose in the world.
The nine sages are
Ramana Maharshi
Nisargdatta Maharaj
Eckhart Tolle
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Swami Vivekananda
Adi Sankaracharya
Lao Tzu
Kabir
Ramesh Balsekar
The Illusion of Purpose: Awakening to Your True Calling
From an early age, we are conditioned to seek purpose in the world. We are told that meaning comes from achievements, building a bank balance, relationships, careers, and goals. Yet, no matter what we accomplish, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction remains.
The mind asks: Is this all there is?
And so the search continues, from one pursuit to the next, one achievement to the next. But what if the true purpose isn’t something to be found? What if the search for purpose in the world prevents us from awakening to our main purpose in life?
The Ego’s Search for Meaning
The egoic mind seeks purpose because it feels incomplete and perpetually lives in fear. It believes that by doing, achieving, or accumulating, it will finally be whole. However, this is an illusion. The ego that searches for purpose is itself a temporary appearance, a fleeting identity that shines because of the light of consciousness, much like how the moon shines due to the sun's light.
Sri Ramana Maharshi points to this directly: “Your purpose is to Be, and not to be this or that.” When we recognize our true nature, we see that purpose is not something external to be attained but the very essence of Inner Being itself.
Your Main Purpose is Not Separate From You
Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle speaks of two dimensions of purpose: the inner and the outer. The inner purpose is universal—to awaken, to recognize oneself as the formless awareness in which all experiences arise. The outer purpose in the world unfolds naturally from that awakening.
Rather than trying to figure out what to do with your life, begin by discovering who or what you are. What remains when all labels, roles, identifications, and future projections are set aside?
The answer is not an idea but a direct experience of the divine within yourself.
What Happens to Action?
Many individuals are concerned that if they stop pursuing their outer purpose, they will be marginalized by society, their lives will lack significance, and they will waste their precious lives. But the opposite is true. When the need to ‘find’ purpose dissolves, life moves effortlessly. You may still teach, create, serve, or build—but now, these actions flow from a place of presence rather than egoic seeking.
Nisargadatta Maharaj said, “Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. Between the two, my life flows.” Once you realize that when you transcend both the mind and body, you embody nothingness and everythingness at the same time. You no longer act to complete yourself. You act as an expression of the wholeness you already are.
A Simple Practice
If you feel lost in the search for outer purpose, try this:
Sit quietly and ask: “Who is it that seeks purpose?” (The Mind seeks purpose)
Observe the thoughts that arise—but do not identify with them.
Notice the silence in which the question appears.
Rest in that silence. That is the source of all-purpose. That silence is the God itself.
When you realize that you are the very presence you seek, the need for external purpose dissolves. And paradoxically, only then do you begin to live fully, effortlessly aligned with the flow of life itself.
Let your outer purpose reveal itself—not through seeking but awakening to what you are. You are an eternal awareness.
If you're still NOT convinced, I suggest awakening to your True Self and then discovering your purpose in the world through the teachings of nine enlightened sages.
1. Ramana Maharshi – Purpose is Self-Realization
Ramana did not emphasize worldly purpose. He taught that the highest purpose of life is to know one’s true Self. When asked about life’s purpose, he often directed the seeker to ask, “Who am I?” rather than searching for meaning in external activities.
He said, "Your purpose is to Be and not to be this or that." True fulfillment comes from abiding in the Self, not identifying with roles or achievements. (Self = Being = Spirit = God = Kingdom of Heaven)
However, he also said that for those who are active in the world, actions will naturally align with their deeper state of being once they know the Self.
2. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj – The Illusion of Individual Purpose
Nisargadatta, like Ramana, taught that purpose is an illusion created by the ego. He said, "Find out who you are, and all else will fall into place."
He emphasized that people look for purpose because they feel incomplete, but once you realize your true nature as pure awareness, the search for meaning dissolves.
Yet, he also acknowledged that once a person awakens, they may naturally act in the world in a way that helps others, but without attachment to outcomes.
3. Eckhart Tolle – Inner and Outer Purpose
Eckhart Tolle speaks about two levels of purpose:
Inner Purpose – To awaken to the present moment and recognize your true essence.
Outer Purpose – The activities you do in the world naturally emerge from your state of presence.
He teaches that if you align with your inner purpose (being fully present and conscious), your outer purpose will take care of itself. You will be guided effortlessly toward the right actions.
4. J. Krishnamurti – Freedom from Psychological Conditioning
Krishnamurti rejected societal ideas of purpose and insisted that true purpose can only be found in a state of total freedom from mind conditioning.
He said, "It is the truth that liberates, not your effort to be free." Meaning that once you see reality as it is—without seeking external meaning—your actions become spontaneous and meaningful. (Truth = Self = Being = Spirit = God = Kingdom of Heaven)
5. Swami Vivekananda – Serving the World Through Self-Knowledge
Unlike Ramana and Nisargadatta, Vivekananda encouraged service to others (Karma Yoga) to realize one's inner purpose.
He taught that Self-knowledge leads to the highest action: "They alone live who live for others."
However, this service must come from inner realization first, not from attachment to worldly success.
6. Adi Shankaracharya – Purpose is Liberation (Enlightenment)
Adi Shankaracharya was a great spiritual teacher from India who lived over a thousand years ago. He taught that our True Self is not the body or mind but pure awareness. He traveled across India, spreading wisdom and writing books that helped people realize True Self.
Adi Shankara taught that the highest purpose of life is to recognize that we are not the body or mind but the eternal Self (Atman, Being).
He emphasized the Yoga of knowledge—the path of self-inquiry—as the means to dissolve ignorance.
His teachings remind us that any external purpose is fleeting, while the true purpose is liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
7. Laozi (Lao Tzu) – Living in Accord with the Tao
In the Tao Te Ching, Laozi describes purpose as living in harmony with the Tao—the natural flow of existence.
He says: “When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
Instead of forcing a purpose, he advises surrendering to life’s flow, allowing effortless action (wu wei).
8. Kabir – Purpose is to Dissolve in Love
The Indian mystic poet Kabir taught that the true purpose is to dissolve the illusion of separation and merge into the divine love that we already are in the form of our Inner Being.
He often spoke in paradoxes, pointing out that those who seek purpose in worldly pursuits remain lost, while those who surrender to love find everything.
His paradoxical quote: “I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty.”
9. Ramesh Balsekar – There is No Doer
A disciple of Nisargadatta Maharaj, Balsekar emphasized that all actions happen spontaneously, and the belief in an individual “doer” is an illusion.
He taught that once this inner realization dawns, one functions in the world effortlessly, without attachment.
This means that instead of trying to find a purpose, one realizes that life itself is flowing through you as a purpose.
Conclusion:
Most enlightened sages teach that your Life Purpose is not something to be found externally but rather discovered through inner awakening. Once that awakening happens, whatever actions arise from that state will be your natural purpose in the world.
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“Find out who you are, and all else will fall into place.”
this quote struck me the most at this moment. It could just be a line from a poem, simple, profound. But it will keep you busy your whole life. We have a natural tendency to be something, for ourselves in our world and for the outside world.
thank you for this post!
It all makes sense once we truly listen 🙏