The Absurdity of Existence.

"At the very end of his long effort measured by skyless space and time without depth, the purpose is achieved. Then Sisyphus watches the stone rush down in a few moments toward that lower world whence he will have to push it up again toward the summit. He goes back down to the plain."

                                                  - Albert Camus ('The Myth of Sisyphus')

           Why are we living? Should our existence have a meaning attached to it? The purpose of life has been the question of concern in religion and philosophical studies for over millenniums. Most of the religions and their derived thoughts prescribe Mukti or Nirvana as the ultimate purpose of living. At times it gets complicated to comprehend the meaning of these terms in their entirety. Stripping ourselves of all the acquired knowledge, let us put into question what our instincts and experiences tell us. Have not we at times had the gut feeling that all that we are doing is simply meaningless when ripped bare to its essentials? In moments of insight and illumination, sometimes does strike the haunting 'Absurdity of Existence'.

        The purpose of life, we are usually taught, is to be righteous. Righteous in speech, action and all spheres of living. A great lesson indeed because righteousness leads to dispersion of peace and that shall solve a lot of issues worldwide. (The classification of righteous action itself is an issue with contradictory leanings in contemporary world!) Though righteousness is a virtue in its own right, is that all the purpose of this grand experiment of living?

    Within each of us, maybe we can recognize a Sisyphus, the Greek mythological king who was compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity. While a few of us curse ourselves for getting into the monotonous nature of the seemingly meaningless activity, there are others who enjoy it. Maybe the latter can find in them the Malayali folklore character Naranath Branthan who rolled big stones up the hill and let them roll down back, laughing thunderously on seeing this sight!

       What interests me in these characters is the seemingly absurdity of the task they carry on and their perception towards it. While to Sisyphus, it was an act of compulsion as that was his punishment; but to Naranth it was an eccentric habit and he seemed to enjoy the task! Well the interpretations on these characters is as varied as are the number of interpreters. To me, the absurdity of their tasks seems to be a point well made on the futility of human attempts to achieve permanence in light of life's transience.  There exists a grandeur in the absurdity. In Naranath Branthan,  I find the 'Absurd man' whom Camus describes thus - "He who, without negating it, does nothing for the eternal. Not that nostalgia is foreign to him. But he prefers his courage and his reasoning. The first teaches him to live without appeal and to get along with what he has; the second informs him of his limits. Assured of his temporally limited freedom, of his revolt devoid of future, and of his mortal consciousness, he lives out his adventure within the span of his lifetime."

       I do not claim to know the purpose underlying our existence nor do I know if one actually exists. But is a purpose always required to drive life? Even if a purpose is decided upon, how long do we cling to it? I have no answers but maybe I do not need the answers! I share Gibran's view on Nirvana in life - “Yes, there is Nirvana; it is in leading your sheep to a green pasture, and in putting your child to sleep, and in writing the last line of your poem.”

      Beyond the pursuit of purpose, there is a reality to life. It shall come to an end. All accomplishments shall fade out with time. Nature shall always have the last laugh. No, I am not being pessimistic. From recognizing these facts does arise an optimism - The optimism that life is not momentary existence but life is the joy of living. Thoreau did strike a chord when he coined the phrase 'to cease to exist and start to live'. Maybe existence has its absurdities, but not living!

"I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

                      - Albert Camus ('The Myth of Sisyphus')