What is the purpose of life according to Sufism?

Beloved Osho, the sufis say that a person has a purpose in life and you need to find out what your purpose is. This question keeps coming up for me now that I am not in a commune any longer. There it did not matter; the important thing was to be with you. Does it matter what work I do? Please could you talk about this?

Eva, what the Sufis say is not what you have understood. They certainly say that every person has a purpose in life. Their meaning is that every person has a unique individuality, unique function, a unique place in existence, irreplaceable. And they say you need to find out what that purpose is. The emphasis is not exactly to find out what that purpose is; the emphasis is first to find out who you are. The moment you understand yourself, you will understand the purpose also, without any effort. Understanding your unique individuality will give you an insight into your purpose in life, but you cannot find the purpose directly without finding yourself. The purpose is secondary; you are basic. Hence, I never say find out the purpose, I say: Know thyself. Be thyself. These two sentences are enough for your whole life's philosophy. Everything else will follow on its own…

Osho, to be very frank, let me raise this question of a purposeful way of life today. To me it is not very clear: as I see, everything is in constant transformation—whether in the mineral, vegetable, or animal kingdoms, including rational beings, and in natural phenomena. I see nature ever-changing; how can our ready-made formulas serve any purpose? In fact, the purpose of life is not very clear to me. May I expect a detailed account from you on this aspect of life?

Life is its own goal, its own joy, its own meaning, its own purpose. Whoever makes life a means to something else will fall into misery. Some make life a means to money. Money can be a means for life, but life cannot be a means for money. The man who thinks that by accumulating money he has fulfilled life’s meaning is mad. Wise is the one who uses money as a companion, a support in descending into life’s depths. Life is a means neither for wealth nor for religion. There are people who make life a means for religion—worship, ritual, renunciation, austerity, sannyas—and they pour their whole life into these. They commit the same mistake the money-chaser commits. Prayer, worship, sannyas—all of these are for life. There is nothing above life—there cannot be. There is nothing for which you should be ready to lose life. Such a thing cannot…

My friend, everything existing exists through him; your own existence is a mere pretense. No more nonsense! Lose yourself, and the hell of your heart becomes a heaven. Lose yourself, and anything can be accomplished. Your selfishness is an untrained colt. You are what you are: hence your loves and hates; you are what you are: hence faith and unbelief. Hope and fear drive fortune from your door; lose yourself, and they will be no more. At his door, what is the difference between moslem and christian, virtuous and guilty? At his door all are seekers and he the sought.

GOD IS WITHOUT CAUSE: WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR CAUSES? THE SUN OF TRUTH RISES UNBIDDEN, AND WITH IT SETS THE MOON OF LEARNING. IN THIS HALT OF BUT A WEEK, TO BE IS NOT TO BE, AND TO COME IS TO GO. AND DOES THE SUN EXISTS FOR THE COCK TO CROW AT? WHAT IS IT TO HIM WHETHER YOU ARE THERE OR NOT? MANY HAVE COME, JUST LIKE YOU, TO HIS DOOR. YOU WON'T FIND YOUR WAY IN THIS STREET; IF THERE IS A WAY, IT IS ON YOUR ROAD OF SIGHS. ALL OF YOU ARE FAR FROM THE ROAD OF DEVOTION: SOMETIMES YOU ARE VIRTUOUS, SOMETIMES YOU ARE WICKED: SO YOU HOPE FOR YOURSELVES, FEAR FOR YOURSELVES; BUT WHEN YOUR MASK OF WISDOM AND FOLLY AT LAST TURNS WHITE, YOU WILL SEE THAT HOPE AND FEAR ARE ONE. Sufism is not ascetic. God wants you to celebrate.…

A ruby, there, is just a piece of stone: and spiritual excellence the height of folly. Silence is praise -- have done with speech; your chatter will only bring you harm and sorrow -- have done! Belief and unbelief both have their origin in your hypocrite's heart; the way is only long because you delay to start on it: one single step would bring you to him: become a slave, and you will be a king.

THE DUMB FIND TONGUES, WHEN THE SCENT OF LIFE REACHES THEM FROM HIS SOUL. LISTEN TRULY -- AND DON'T BE FOOLED -- THIS IS NOT FOR FOOLS: ALL THESE DIFFERENT SHADES BECOME ONE COLOR IN THE JAR OF UNITY; THE ROPE BECOMES SLENDER WHEN REDUCED TO A SINGLE STRAND. YOUR INTELLECT IS JUST A HOTCH-POTCH OF GUESSWORK AND THOUGHT, LIMPING OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH; WHEREVER THEY ARE, HE IS NOT; THEY ARE CONTAINED WITHIN HIS CREATION. MAN AND HIS REASON ARE JUST THE LATEST RIPENING PLANTS IN HIS GARDEN. WHATEVER YOU ASSERT ABOUT HIS NATURE YOU ARE BOUND TO BE OUT OF YOUR DEPTH, LIKE A BLIND MAN TRYING TO DESCRIBE THE APPEARANCE OF HIS OWN MOTHER. WHILE REASON IS STILL TRACKING DOWN THE SECRET, YOU END YOUR QUEST ON THE OPEN FIELD OF LOVE. THE PATH CONSISTS IN NEITHER WORDS NOR DEEDS: ONLY DESOLATION CAN COME FROM…

Question: BELOVED MASTER, WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE? There is no purpose. The whole idea of purpose is mundane and illogical. You will have to come to a point where you will have to say there is no purpose. Life is a perfect point. Life is an overflowing of bliss, truth, love, but not purposeful; it is not a commodity. If I speak to you, I enjoy it. If I help you, I am grateful to you that you accepted my help; you could have rejected it. As far as I am concerned, I am fulfilled, I am utterly contented. Purpose is when you are discontented, when you need something, when you want something, when you want to reach somewhere. I don't want to reach somewhere.