Title: The Purpose of Life

The Purpose of Life

A Story

In a small village nestled between green hills, lived a young man named Iqbal. He was intelligent and hardworking, but one question always haunted him: “What is the purpose of life?”

When he was a child, people would say, “Become something when you grow up — that’s the purpose of life.”

When he grew older, his teachers told him, “Get good grades, find a job, be successful — that’s the purpose.”

And when he moved to the city, got a job, earned a salary, and saw the world, the question returned, louder than before: “Is this really all there is?”

One day, overwhelmed by the mechanical life of the city, Iqbal left everything behind and returned to his village. People were surprised. Some mocked him, others were concerned, but Iqbal’s heart was searching for something deeper — a meaning that neither wealth nor titles could give him.

He spent his days wandering the hills surrounding the village, sitting under old trees, watching the river flow, and thinking. He was trying to listen — not to the noise of the world, but to the voice within.

One day, by the riverbank, he met an old sage — a wandering dervish. The dervish had kind eyes and a peaceful presence. Iqbal hesitated at first but then asked:

“Baba ji, can you tell me… what is the purpose of life?”

The dervish smiled gently.

“This question visits every heart at least once,” he said. “But the answer… is different for everyone.”

Iqbal frowned. “How can that be? Shouldn’t the purpose be the same for all?”

The dervish looked up at the sky. “Life is like a river. Some people cross it, some sail on it, and some sit quietly by its edge and admire its beauty. Everyone’s journey is different, but the essence is the same.”

Iqbal asked softly, “And what is that essence?”

The dervish pointed to Iqbal’s chest and said, “The essence is to discover yourself — to light the lamp within you — and to share that light with the world. That is the real purpose.”

This touched Iqbal’s heart. But he was still confused.

“What does it mean to light the lamp within?” he asked.

A few days later, the dervish gave Iqbal a sack filled with stones.

“Each day, carry this sack to the top of that hill, and bring it back by evening,” he instructed.

Iqbal obeyed. For several days, he hauled the heavy sack up and down the hill. He sweated, stumbled, and grew exhausted. Finally, he grew irritated.

“Baba ji, what is the point of this struggle?” he asked one evening.

The dervish chuckled.

“You’ve felt how heavy this burden is,” he said. “But have you ever thought about the invisible sacks we all carry — the burden of others’ expectations, the fear of failure, the constant need for approval, the race to prove ourselves?”

Iqbal fell silent.

“When you start recognizing these burdens,” the dervish continued, “you can begin to set them down. And only when you’re free of that weight, can your inner light shine.”

Now Iqbal began a different journey — an inward one. He asked himself, What brings me joy? What did I love as a child?

He remembered how he used to gather the neighborhood kids, tell them stories, teach them letters, and draw smiles on their faces. That had once made him truly happy.

Within weeks, Iqbal started a small school in the village. He cleaned out an old, abandoned hut. He built benches out of wood and invited the village children to come learn. At first, only five children came. But slowly, word spread.

People were puzzled. “A highly educated city man… teaching children for free in a village?”

But Iqbal no longer needed their approval. He had found peace.

Every time a child learned to read their first word, or asked a thoughtful question, Iqbal felt something light up inside him. The flickering lamp the dervish had spoken of — it now burned bright within him.

Years passed. That small school became an institution. Some of his students grew up to be teachers themselves, some went to universities, and some returned to help their own communities. The dervish had long passed away, but his wisdom lived on in Iqbal’s heart.

One day, a young traveler came to the village. Curious about the respected teacher, he asked Iqbal:

“Sir, can you tell me… what is the purpose of life?”

Iqbal smiled — the same gentle, knowing smile the dervish once gave him — and said:

“The purpose of life isn’t to change the whole world. It is to understand who you are, to nurture your inner light, and to let it shine in your small corner of the world. That’s enough. When many such lights shine, the world begins to glow on its own.”

---

Moral of the Story:

The purpose of life may appear different for every individual, but at its core, it is the same: to understand yourself, to live with meaning, and to give to others from your truth. It is not about winning a race or gathering applause. It is about finding inner peace and becoming a source of light for those around you.

Life is not just about achieving — it is about becoming.