(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
The
highest state to be achieved in Taoism is that of merging awareness
with the Tao, which represents the life flow of the universe. Once a
being is merged in this awareness, Taoists say that thoughts and
actions become spontaneous and not directed from the ego. Instead, a
being is led by the flow of the Tao, which leads to actions that have
the qualities, as the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu describes, of,
"detachment, forgetfulness of results, and abandonment of all hope of
profit." (http://www.jadedragon.com/archives/june98/tao.html)
Obviously, this idea is in stark contrast to the
western-materialistic-consumer driven idea of a life purpose that
involves accumulating goods, focusing on results, and intense
attachment to the things one has.
The
Way or Tao has its own flow that does not need to be changed or added
to. Taoists often say that the purpose of life is not to act with the
intention of doing something for yourself, but rather to let the Tao
flow through you in its own way. This flow allows a being to act
without acting, which is known as Wu Wei in Taoism.
As
we can see Buddhism, Yoga, and Taoism share similar views about life
purpose. While each is unique in its practices, a core belief in each
one is that a human being is a precious vehicle for a greater unified
force to flow through.