27 Feb 2004
The Second Question

What is the purpose of my life?

As with our first query, this one leads to a bit of a contradiction. The mere fact that we can question "purpose" shows one: a purpose of discovery.

To a large extent, life is it's own purpose. Here is where we are, and here is where we belong. Most folks, regardles of religious predilection, accept this, despite the pleas of some faiths (not Heathenry) that this world is naught but a "sad vale of tears" through which we must suffer and pass to arrive in "glory" after death.

But what is really most interesting to me about the whole concept of "purpose in life" is the underlying idea that, whatever our individual take on this is, we want it to be noticed and remembered. For indeed, without memory, without communication, the achievement of any goal or purpose becomes moot.

Cattle die kinsmen die
one day you yourself will die.
I know on thing that never dies:
Fair fame fairly earned.
                        --Havamal 76

This idea of of gaining "fair fame" - of living fully and fairly to be remembered well, is one of the cornerstones of Heathenry. Life may be a challange at time, but "grabbing the bull by the horns" is the only rational path to take, always with an eye towards your legacy.

Remembering always that we are the sum of our ancestors beings, we should strive to add to that goodly total, rather than wasting opportunity and advantage and puttering away our days.

Being one of the branches, along with Hinduism, of the original Indo-European mother faith, Heathenry has a concept akin to the more familiar "karma" of our Indian cousins. This is called wyrd, and it is often visualized as a great well, in which our deeds are cast. These deeds (Old Norse orlög - or primal law) are continually recirculated in the well, bubbling up to our aid or detriment. Thus is it incumbent on us to be fair and good: not only for the sake of our legacy, but also for the sake of our immediate and furture well being here on Earth.

Good deeds laid into the well also build one's luck - not exactly the casino kind, but if you consider this kind of "luck" can span generations, you're on the right track. This does not mean that we are in any way responsible for the deeds of our ancestors, only that we sometimes must accept their consequences, good and bad. Another reason to live an honest life, lest our line have it's luck diminished (and our memory get roundly cursed as a result).

Being the middle question, this has been of necessity more ambigious than either of it's neighbors - some of the reasons why we're so concerned about our legacy and memory will become apparent when I tackle number 3, tomorrow.

(original post)

00:00 /Asatru | 0 comments | permanent link