The Upanishads state that the prime objective of the human race is to become one with God. To do this we must not get caught in the web of temporary finite sensual pleasu
The objective of human life according to the Upanishads is to become one with God. This objective has been put to question because of its paradoxical nature. The Upanishads on the on hand claim that the entire universe and all the humans in it are nothing but a manifestation of God. Then how can some entity that is already God become one with God. While reading the Upanishads, and much of Hindu scriptures, one has to realize that language is an inadequate tool to describe religious experiences and one necessarily has to read beyond the words into the intent. The monism of the Upanishads does not negate the plurality that we see around us nor does it negate the pairs of opposites that we experience. The plurality is a finite and destructible manifestation of the infinite and eternal. Of the several species of living things in the universe only humans have the capacity to realize this truth. Hence it becomes the objective of humans to transcend the limits of the finite and become one with God or the infinite.
According to the Upanishads ethical objectives are subordinate to the overall objective of becoming one with God. Ethical objectives are meaningful only if they assist in fulfilling the overall objective. God or Brahm is present in humans as a potential or an aspiration. Ethical endeavor is the means to bring the potential to fruition. The endeavor is not simple because there is a struggle between enjoying the finite and reaching out to the finite. Our senses and instincts draw us to the immediate pleasures that are on offer. These pleasures are of two types. One type is that causes harm to components of the universe including other humans and ourselves. These should be avoided not only in deed but also in thought. To covet is as much of a sin as to steal. The other type of pleasure does not cause harm but prevents us from progressing to our true goal. If we reason correctly we would realize that when so much pleasure can be derived from the finite, how much more pleasure can be derived from the infinite. The prescription according to the Upanishads is not to shun pleasures that are unselfish but to enjoy them with detachment. This implies that we must not let these finite pleasures obstruct our quest of becoming one with God and realizing the infinite pleasure.
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