The Meaning of Life: Four Truths of the Universe

This talk explores the meaning of life by confronting the reality of death, impermanence, and human connection. Through the four truths of the universe, it encourages us to live with greater awareness, compassion, and presence, reminding us that the present moment is all we truly have.

(Reading Version)

Every day, over 150,000 people die. That’s over 6,000 people every hour, over 100 people every minute, and about two people every single second. That means since you started watching this video, about 20 people have already died. Some of these people got hit by cars, others fell off a cliff, others may have had a heart attack, and others may have simply passed away from natural causes. Death is one of those things that every single living thing on Earth has in common, and death does not discriminate against your skin color, your political beliefs, where you were born, or how much money you have. No one can escape the incurable disease that we all are blessed with from birth called life.

It’s interesting because even though we all logically know this, very few of us have really internalized it. How many of you have actually sat down with your eyes closed in an empty room and truly imagined what your funeral would look like? Who would even be there? Who would be there out of pure obligation and politeness, and who would be there because they actually wanted to be there? What would people say about you? What would they remember? It’s weird, because you would think that since we all have this terminal disease called life, we would be more sympathetic and loving with one another. This life disease really is the one thing that all human beings have in common, because in 120 years from now, every single human being on Earth will be dead, and a brand new set of humans will be alive. And then in another 120 years after that, another brand new set of people will be alive.

This is the cycle of life. It just goes on and on and on. And when you start thinking about life like this, you begin to realize how short our time here on Earth really is. You also start to realize that we are all on this journey together as one. It makes you question the way most people interact with one another. Why do so many people get so angry with each other? Why do people argue? Why do people physically harm one another? Why are there so many parents who yell at their kids, or even beat their kids?

Why do so many spouses who supposedly love each other fight all the time? Why are there siblings who don’t speak to each other to this day over some disagreement that took place years ago? Why do best friends talk badly about each other behind each other’s back? Why do human beings behave like this? I think part of it is because we really have not sat down to think about what the true meaning of life is. And I also think most people have not come to terms with the fact that they are not going to be here forever.

To be honest, I don’t really claim to know what the true meaning of life is. I think it’s something that our human brain can’t fully logically understand. It would be kind of like trying to explain consciousness to a dog or a cat. They just can’t understand it. However, what I will say is that there are some things I think everyone should know. And I think the first step to understanding a topic like the meaning of life is to align ourselves with the four truths of the universe.

The first truth is the truth of cause and effect, which means that every single thing you do or say has some kind of effect on the world around you and on yourself. For example, let’s say a number of years ago you lost your temper and got really mad at a loved one in your life. This could be a family member, a friend, or even a random person on the street. That one single incident where you lost it will have a lingering effect on that person to this day.

Now, it doesn’t have to be some huge effect. It could be mild and small. It could be buried deep within their subconscious and not necessarily visible on the exterior. But make no mistake, the effect is there, and it will always be there. There is nothing you can do to undo it. The reason most people hate hearing this is because it instantly makes them accountable for every single thing they have ever done, and being held accountable is something that most human beings hate.

To be clear, I’m not saying that we should all dwell in the past and feel sorry for ourselves. But it does mean that going forward, you should be very conscious of the things that you say and the things that you do in this world. And if you feel like you behaved in a way that hurt someone, you can always apologize to that person, because it is never too late to say, “I’m sorry.”

The second truth of the universe is the law of impermanence, which means that every single thing here on Earth is temporary. Our bodies, our minds, our relationships, even our brains, even the video that you are watching right now. This video will probably be gone one day, because the sun could explode and everything could disappear in a second.

Funny enough, this is actually a good thing, and it shouldn’t make you feel bad or sad. It’s none of those things. What it should do is make you cherish each and every moment that you have here on Earth. And to be clear, they don’t have to be big special moments. They can be any moment, like that one time you laughed so hard that tears fell from your eyes, or that time you were sitting alone, just gazing at the sunset. Because all we really have in this lifetime is the present moment. The third truth is the law of suffering and attachment. Anytime that we become attached to something or someone, you are basically making a contract with yourself to be unhappy, because as we just discussed, nothing here on Earth is permanent.

Which means that you will eventually lose that loved one, or you will eventually lose that watch, that car, that family member, even your own body. You are going to lose it. The fourth truth is that we all are going to die one day. The truth of death is typically the toughest one for most people to accept because it often makes people feel sad. But death does not have to be this horribly bad thing, or even a sad thing. Without death, the moments with our friends and our family would not be that special or deep. Without death, everything would eventually become dull and gray. There would be no incentive to love and cherish the moments we have with one another. There would be no incentive to laugh deeply, love deeply, or even to truly be present.

These are the things that make life rich and worth living. And on top of that, death is one of those things that truly connects all of us, because it makes you realize that you and the seven other billion people here on Earth are all on the same team. This is our time. This is our time to collectively live life to the fullest as one.

So the next time you feel the need to yell at a loved one, or yell at that person who cut you off in traffic, or get revenge on someone who wronged you in the past, remember that you are choosing to actively hurt your very own teammate. Make every moment count. Love deeply. Laugh deeply. And be present, because at the end of the day, all we really have in life is the present moment—so don’t let it go to waste. If you want to learn more about life and motivation, go ahead and click the video on the screen right now. I promise that you will love it. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you all very soon.