Ashley asked:

I have to put the "meaning of life" into 1500 words. Any suggestions as to where I should start?

I was thinking of approaching this from somewhat of a taoist perspective. I have this theory that all of
our souls are standing in the middle of a vast ocean and we each have a cup. It seems as though the
purpose or meaning of life is to fill our cup as full as possible, each drop of water representing
material possessions, knowledge, power, etc. but what we are failing to realize is that each drop of
water knows only how to be a part of the ocean. As we try to posses and separate each drop of water
it loses its sense of truth. So the real purpose or meaning of life is to dump out our cup, and learn how
to swim. (This of course, is the abbreviated version.) Am I headed in the right direction?

============

I think you should go with your idea. There are two fundamental ways of approaching the question of
'The Meaning of Life': from the point of view of analysing the problem, or by simply presenting a
solution. You have chosen the second alternative, and there's nothing wrong with that.

You describe your (very poetic) image as coming from a 'taoist perspective'. It would strengthen your
case enormously if you could quote from the Tao Te Chingat suitable points in the essay.

Another thing to consider might be how 'the truth is in the whole' or 'the meaning is in the whole'
connects with Absolute Idealist strands of Western philosophy (Hegel, Bradley, Royce).

The idea of connecting the idea of 'the whole' with giving up possessions is preeminently Marxian. If
you could find a way to compare Taoist ideas with the things the young Marx says about communism,
the evils of money and materialism, and the overcoming of alienation in his 1844 Manuscriptsthat
would be a brilliant coup!

Geoffrey Klempner