![life](http://www.cookeq.com/img/life.jpg)
The wonder of what life is has powered philosophy since the time of the great Greek, Hindu and Chinese philosopher’s more than two millennia ago, and probably from the time when humans became aware of self, individuation.  They began to wonder if there is something in the self that is absolutely unique and some realized life is unique.  

Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha) believed in four noble truths of which one was that life is suffering.  We are all subject to physical and psychological pain.  He believed that if you attained nirvana, you could escape samsara, the cycle of reincarnation. You also stop accumulating bad karma, because you have transcended it.  Therefore you will be able to escape this life, world, and move to a higher consciousness.  You can attain nirvana by following the eight fold path which comprises of: Right view, right speech, right livelihood, right endeavor, right mindfulness, right aspiration, right conduct and right contemplation.

![buddha](http://www.cookeq.com/img/buddha.jpg)

Confucius taught a life of tradition.  Without tradition, life could not be held together.  No human creation can last beyond one or two lifetimes unless a tradition was established.  Therefore Chinese culture has heavily adopted tradition as the meaning of life.  To them, life is tradition.

The world has sprung up with many religions that try to explain what life is, and that life is a special creation put here on earth with a purpose and reason.   Our lives are all we got, and relative to the lifespan of the universe, we appear to be such a small part of it.  Perhaps the human species is interconnected with ourselves and the universe in a way where we are one dynamic life form and consciousness is the fabric of the cosmos. 
Life may have meaning, it may not but I truly believe that the meaning of life is whatever we choose it to be.  We can do anything, be anything we put our minds too.  If life has meaning to oneself, than life definitely has meaning, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, or whether we are insignificant to the enormous complexity of the universe.