Are we born to perform just our duties in this world? Should we avoid attachments?

We gain a human birth to discover the ultimate truth about “really Who am I? Why am I here and what am I really supposed to do?” Upon attaining this knowledge, we begin our spiritual journey towards ultimate liberation. So, there is definitely a greater purpose to life than just performing duties in this worldly life.

What is the ultimate truth?
The name and the body we associate ourselves with, in this materialistic world, are just for the sake of identification. This is not who we really are!
One only knows this after Self-realisation, when we experientially understand that, ‘I am pure Soul.’ To realise this real identity is the ultimate purpose of life. Therefore, all enlightened beings, in unison, urge us to seek the answer to this most important question of ‘who am I?’

The Soul within is the real Self, and its inherent nature is to always remain pure. However, due to layers and layers of karmas that have covered our Soul, the ignorance of the Self prevails in us. It is only when the obstruction of these deluding karmas is removed, that we can realise the Soul.

The Enlightened being has the divine spiritual powers through which He burns the deluding karma and sets in the right belief of “I am a pure Soul.” This leads us away from the darkness of ignorance towards the light of knowledge, thus opening the way to become free of the burden of new bondage of karma, without having to renounce the materialistic world.

Equanimity replaces attachment after Self-realisation.
Avoiding attachment is impossible because it is the driving force behind what we do. Almost everyone in this world is attached to something or the other. One fights all odds to achieve the impossible for the sake of their attachment. For instance, when one loves their work so much, one is prepared to put in any amount of effort it takes, even if it means compromising on our health or social life. Similarly, some go to great lengths and suffer enormous personal anguish, just to see their loved ones feel happy. Such is the nature of attachment!

On the other hand, one also experiences an element of burden in this attachment. It is because attachment, by its very nature, is binding rather than liberating. Furthermore, there are times when one experiences some element of abhorrence for the person they are so much attached to or towards worldly responsibility. One may not like this negative feeling, but one can see that it cannot be avoided either. The burden of abhorrence seems much more than attachment, as it burns even more than attachment.

It is only after the understanding that, ‘I’ am different from the mind, body and speech’, which makes it easy for us to navigate the tangles of everyday life with equanimity (devoid of attachment and abhorrence), ensuring that no one gets hurt in the process, thereby avoiding further karmic obligations on our Soul.

To know more: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/spiritual-science/who-am-i-realize-your-true-self/