This week on the Secular Buddhism Podcast, I explore a topic that’s come up for me recently: purpose… or more accurately, the absence of it.
My son, Rajko, recently turned 16 and has started asking those big life questions: “What should I study? What career should I pursue? What’s my purpose?” And watching him wrestle with these questions reminded me just how much pressure we put on ourselves (and each other) to figure life out.
We grow up hearing it all the time:
- “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
- “What’s your five-year plan?”
- “What’s your purpose in life?”
But here’s the thing—what if the need for a fixed purpose is part of what’s keeping us from fully experiencing our lives?
In this episode, I share my thoughts on the Buddhist teaching of aimlessness, one of the Three Doors of Liberation. Aimlessness doesn’t mean apathy or drifting through life with no care. It means letting go of the idea that we always have to be striving toward some future state to be okay. It means we can stop racing and start dancing.
I reflect on the beauty of purposelessness—how birds sing, waves crash, and people dance not to get somewhere, but simply to experience being alive. I talk about how our obsession with goals and milestones can blind us to the richness of the moment we’re in. And I share what I’ve been telling my son: that maybe the most beautiful parts of life are the ones that don’t lead anywhere at all.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the pressure to have it all figured out—or if you’ve ever found joy in doing something just because—this episode might be for you.
👉 Listen to the full episode here:
A few reflective questions from this episode:
- What if you don’t need a grand purpose to live a meaningful life?
- Can you enjoy a moment without trying to make it lead to something else?
- What would it look like to approach life more like music or dance, and less like a race?
As always, thank you for being part of this journey. If the episode resonates with you, feel free to share it with someone who might need it.
Until next time—
Be curious. Be present. Be aimless. 🌱
– Noah
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