Question: “Can knowledge only liberate? I like reading books on spirituality, buddhism and other philosophical subject. But still i feel i am missing something in life.”
Knowledge can only do so much for us. If you’re simply reading without practicing, then you’re just a scholar; you know all the information, but you don’t really know how it works. In Buddhism, the way you liberate yourself is through practice. Regular meditation, practicing loving-compassion and loving-kindness, and using the knowledge you read will lead you to the wisdom of Enlightenment!
We already know the purpose of our life. That purpose is to get out of the cycle of birth and death! We want to stop being reborn in this cyclic existence and be free from it! To liberate ourselves from attachment, ignorance, and anger that keeps us in Samsara. In Buddhism, studying and practicing is a life-long journey. Just because you read dozens of books on different topics doesn’t mean anything if you don’t apply those topics to your everyday life. With Buddhism you never stop learning. Buddhism is so profound, so complex with so much information, it’s extremely difficult to cover all the topics in one or two years. It takes a lifetime!
So really, you’re not missing anything in life. The purpose of your life is to gain knowledge of the way to liberation. When you have that knowledge you must apply it. Whenever you read something, meditate on it afterwards and contemplate it. It is only during meditation that your contemplation can turn into wisdom, and it is only wisdom that can lead you to Enlightenment! Don’t rush. In modern society, everyone’s in a hurry, everyone’s is running and trying to stop time because they think their lives are so busy, but it’s not true. Time does not go faster when you try to rush. So just be patient and continue studying, but you must apply it! Otherwise, the backpack you carry all your books in is going to be very heavy!
Smile and be well!