What are the Aims of the Human Life?

 

O my heedless self! If you would like to understand to some degree the aim of your life and its nature, its apparent form and meaning, and the perfect happiness in your life, then look! The aims of your life can be summarized as the following nine articles:

The first is that you should weigh up on the scales of the senses established in your body the bounties stored up in the treasuries of the Divine Mercy, and offer general thanks on behalf of all your body.

The second is that, through the feelings, tendencies and faculties embedded in your nature, you should discover the hidden treasuries—the works and manifestations—of the Divine Sacred Names, and recognize the Most Holy One through those Names.

The third is that in this place of exhibition—the world—you should consciously display through your life before the whole creation the subtle manifestations of the Divine Names in your being [such as your senses, faculties and abilities].

The fourth is that you should proclaim your worship and servanthood to the Court of the Creator’s Lordship verbally and through the tongue of your disposition.

The fifth is that you should do like a soldier who, appearing on ceremonial occasions before the king with the decorations he has received from him, displays the marks of the king’s favor towards him.  You should consciously adorn yourself in the “jewels” of subtle human senses and faculties embedded in your being through the manifestations of the Divine Names and present yourself to the view of the Eternal Witness.

The sixth is that the main purpose for the creation of living beings is that they should worship and glorify their Creator. They fulfill this duty by submission to Him—by obeying, consciously or unconsciously, the laws He established for their lives. Thus, you should consciously observe the obedience of living beings to  their Creator—their glorification and worship of Him—and reflect on them and acknowledge them through testifying to them.

The seventh is that, through taking as units of measurement the small samples of attributes like the partial knowledge, power and will given to your life, you should recognize the absolute Attributes and sacred qualities of the Majestic Creator. For example, seeing that by using your partial knowledge, will and power, you have made a beautiful, well-ordered house for yourself , you should know that the Maker of this palace of the universe is powerful, wise and capable to the degree it is greater than your house.

The eighth is that you should understand the speech of each being  in the world in its particular tongue concerning the Oneness of the Creator, the Lordship of the Maker.

The ninth is that from your impotence and weakness, and poverty and neediness, you should infer the degrees of the manifestations of the Divine Power and the Richness of the Lord. Just as the pleasures and varieties of food are understood or distinguished in relation to the degrees of hunger and kinds of need, so too you should understand the degrees of the infinite Divine Power and Richness through your infinite impotence and poverty.

 

This article has been adapted from Risale- i Nur Collection.