The Meaning of Life

The word Soteriology is the study or science of liberation; what you need to do to become free. Sometimes people refer to this as the meaning or purpose of life according to a particular faith. Buddhist Soteriology says that our present state or condition is that of Samsara. In Samsara we are subjected to the effects of impermanence, old age, disease and death, and that we are conditioned; that means that we are never truly free but are affected by all of the circumstances of life, our environment, our past actions etc. The aim of the Buddhist is to achieve liberation or Nirvana, or Bodhi (wisdom) or insight. This means that we can escape our conditioning and become free. The means by which someone can achieve this is by the practice of Dharma.