The Four Goals of Human Life

We all have goals, desires and dreams. The yogic philosophy teaches us that there are 4 desires that propel us towards a fulfilling life.

A human being is meant to do more achieve more than just survive. We all seek for material security and happiness, but our Soul, our Spirit longs for something so much more than temporal worldly pleasure and a mere survival can provide.

In the oldest text known to humanity, The Vedas, these desires and goals of ur Soul are called Purushartas.

The Purusharthas are the blueprint for human fulfilment. Working with them can help you create a satisfyingly balanced, meaningful life at the deepest and most holistic level. They offer a way to evaluating your life and making good decisions.

Are you managing your life in such a way as to support your spiritual growth?

These four goals of human life are our Souls desires. And yes our Soul does have desires.

Vedas teach us that our Soul has two aspects - it is eternal, changeless and permanently in touch with the Absolute, and at the same time it has a longing to fully express itself and it’s divine nature in the world.

The Higher Soul that is our infinite essence that is changeless and eternal, is called Paramatman.

The individual Soul, that is like a thumbprint that makes you uniquely you, is called Jivatman.

Paramatman is identical to the infinite being, but the Jivatman came into this world with a unique purpose and is compelled to fulfil that.

So what are these four desires?

Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

Dharma is the longing for purpose, the yearning to be and become who you were meant to be.

Simply put, it is your longing to fulfil your potential, as it is the deep desire of every human being to thrive in life and add their unique flavour to the world.

Dharma can be translated and described as your career, life path or work, your unique way to contribute into the world and serve the Universe.

But in essence Dharma is not just what you do for living but rather it’s about discovering your Souls innate and unique mission & purpose.

That larger sense of Dharma is in the heart of the Souls longing to fulfil it’s individual potential. That inherent desire for Dharma is to fully realise everything that it's are capable of and in s doing positively affect the world.

LOOK WITHIN and ask yourself - What do I really really want on the level of the Soul?

Artha is the desire for means necessary to accomplish your Dharma. It is security, to have the material comfort to live in the world with ease. On the most basic level, we can look at Artha has the resources like money, food, shelter, physical-wellbeing, as without these, fulfilling your Dharma would be very difficult, if not impossible.

However Artha is not confined to material wealth and abundance.

The desire for Artha includes all the means necessary to fulfil your Souls destiny. The desire for Artha and the financial means need to serve our duty and our purpose - our Dharma.

Kama is the desire for pleasure. Not just sensuality or lust, but desire for all kind of pleasure, including closeness and intimacy, beauty, family, art, friendships, as well as sex.

In spiritual circles this desire is often labeled as sinful, but consider that none of us would exist if there was no desire for pleasure and sex.

The desire for pleasure is the motivation behind all action in this world. It drives the human behaviour. Anything and everything aspired to or achieved produces a feeling of pleasure. Life without pleasure and enjoyment is hollow and empty.

The right kinds of pleasure will lead you towards your Dharma and help you to fulfil it with passion.

As is your desire so is your will, as is your will so is your deed, as is your deed so is your destiny - Upanishad

You are what your deep driving desire is.

Moksha is the longing for liberation, for true freedom. A desire to reach a state that is free from all boundaries and also free from the other three desires.

This desire has been the driving force behind all worlds spiritual traditions.  It is the longing to know the Eternal, that which is beyond all limitations and beyond the five senses and even death.

It is the desire and impulse that guides us to seek for prayer, meditation, contemplation and surrender.

The desire for Moksha is the longing to be completely free, for lasting peace and being completely unburdened.

Moksha is the true nature, it is who you really are

Liberation comes from a life lived with inner purity, alert mind, led by reason, intelligence and realisation of the Higher Self, your True Self that dwells in all beings.

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment

- Lao Tzu

At various stages of life a particular desire becomes more prominent, something we need to focus on, give our full attention and fulfil.

Which desire is most prominent for you in this season of your life?