The Meaning of Life

I was just browsing over at Wordpress and saw a funny little intro to one of the blogs.

Writer: seeks meaning of life and possibly cheese. Will settle for baby bell, cheddar and moments of minor epiphany.

 Cute.

So I thought I'd share a little story I made up -- kind of a metaphysical joke.

Once there was a wealthy man who had lived his life so far quite well, had all his material needs satisfied, his health, a beautiful wife and successful kids, and yet he began to feel restless and empty.  He found himself staring at the ceiling at night, wondering, "Is this all there is?"

So he set off to find that "something more."  Years went by as he traveled the world, never finding anything that completely satisfied that emptiness inside, until he came to a little village in the wilds of Tibet.  There, he mentioned his quest to a shopkeeper, and was told that there was a wise man who lived up on the mountain who could help him.  But, he was cautioned, the wise man valued his silence and his solitude, and would only speak once. 

So the wealthy seeker set off up the mountain, struggling through wind and snow, and after several days trek, he made it to the summit.  There the air was still and clear and the wise man sat in silence.

The wealthy man bowed before the wise man and posed his question.  "What is the meaning of life?"

The wise man looked at him and smiled. 

"Mine or yours?" he said, and turned back to his contemplation.