Four Purusharthas by Pujyaswami Atmanandaji

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

Poojya Swami Atmanandaji, the founder of Vedanta Mission studied

under the guidance of Swami Chinmayanandaji and he is a great

Vedantin.Let me take this opportunity to thank Swamiji for granting

permission to post this excellent article on Four Purusharthas.

Swamiji explains the meaning and the importance of Pursharthas in very

clear terms.

(Source: http://www.vmission.org/vedanta/articles/index.htm)

 

warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

Four Purusharthas by Pujya Swami Atmanandaji

 

…….. Purusharthas means that for which a person strives for. It

implies our goals of life. It is extremely important that our goals

of life should be very very clear. Just as before starting a

journey we should be very clear about our destination, so also

before starting any worldly or spiritual effort, we should very

clear as to what we are trying to achieve, what is our goal.

The scriptures also before talking about the various

sadhana-the means, first tell us about the sadhya-the end. As

it is the lack of knowledge of goal which results in absence of

enthusiasm to take up any sadhana, so it is very important to

know our goals of life, our purusharthas.

Looking within to identify the goal :

…….. To understand our goals of life we should not look

outside, as to where the world is going, but should rather look

within, as to what do I really aspire & want. For this we should

ask ourselves a very fundamental question - What is that

attaining which I will be fully satisfied ? Dont be in a hurry, take

your own time and discover the answer to this important

question. You will find that most of our so called goals are only

means for some other end, they do not really come under the

category of goals. We find that very few people have clarity

about this fundamental thing. They may say that they are

modern educated people and do not blindly follow anyone, but

this is what they are doing, blindly following others, for the

simple reason that they themselves are not clear as to what do

they really want. They join some rat race and in the end realize

that they have been on a meaningless trip, by then it is too

late. So lets pause and try to know what is it that which I

really want, what is that attaining which I will certainly quench

my thirst. Lets look within, introspect & discover. The

knowledge of Self starts with such fundamental questions. The

scriptures do not ask us to blindly follow someone but only help

us conduct this inquiry. This is called the inquiry into

Purusharthas of life.

Artha - seeking security :

…….. The first & foremost thing which everyone is seeking is

security. Every person appears to be basically insecure, and

that is not a comfortable feeling. Whatever is understood by

each person to even remotely provide us some security

becomes our goal. Money is the most important worldly

resource to provide us some security, so thats what people

want - desperately. The amount of desperation is many a times

directly proportional to the extent of insecurity within. We cant

think of life without money. If we were not so insecure then

there would not have been any thoughtless desperation. It

would be just one important thing for which necessary

intelligent efforts are called for. Money is not only a means to

some security, but it is also a means for getting enjoyments,

comforts of life. Remember discoving security is our main

objective and as money plays an important part to play here

lets recognize it as our First Purushartha, called Artha. Money

plays a very important role in life but is never a complete

answer to the problem of providing complete security.

Nevertheless, every person must be taught the art of acquiring

money and bring about a semse of freedom & independence.

…….. The most intelligent way to acquire money is to discover

a way by which money runs after you and not vice versa. For

this it is extremely necessary to specialise in a particular field

which is compatible to your nature & capacities, and make that

specialization a means to serve the society. If you really love

your work, if you are a specialist in your field, if you have an

attitude that through your work you contribute to the society

in some positive way, then rest assured money will follow you.

In & through this pursuit it is extremely important to remember

that people with lots of money do solve some of their initial

problems, but discover new avenues of insecurities, and one of

them is how to protect this hard earned money itself.Dont

become complacent after acquiring some wealth, because the

very reason for which you have got all this itself is yet to be

really achieved. While striving to get more & more money

always ask this question to yourself - Am I fully secure now ?

Never be overwhelmed by some achievements so as to forget

your own real aspiration. Keep striving & inquiring till you

become really secure within. However, to begin with do

discover ways & means to acquire necessary wealth.

Kama - the art of enjoying pleasures :

…….. Having acquired some money, having got some security

the next step for everyone is to use this money for your

comforts, enjoyments & fulfilling your duties, desires &

responsibilities. That which we want next is the experience of

fulfillment, joy & bliss. As various sensual enjoyments are seen

to provide that experience we go for them. So fulfillment of our

desires is the second Purusharthas – called Kama. Lets

remember that we do not acquire or enjoy the objects for

objects sake but for the sake of a satisfying blissful experience.

The moment an object starts giving us the opposite we change

our paths. So even though we should & do realize that various

objects are means to some end, and not the very end itself,

still we should learn the finer secrets of making the best of our

enjoyments & experiences. Our full availability is the secret of

making the best of all our enjoyments. A person whose mind is

free from all worries, hankerings and egoistic problems alone is

available for experiences. Necessary training is required for

bringing about such a mental disposition.

Dharma – conscientious living :

…….. The third purushartha is called Dharma. Dharma is always

mentioned first whenever the scriptures talk about the four

purusharthas - Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha. This is because

of its all-round & far reaching benefits to help bring about an

ideal disposition which facilitates attainment of all other

purusharthas. The word Dharma has wide implications, and no

english word does full justice to it, yet in the context of our

discussion we can say that Dharma implies a conscientious,

orderly & holistic living. Man is a social being, he lives amongst

his own kind, in group, and every person has to attain his or

her purusharthas of artha & kama. This being the case it is

necessary to frame some ground rules in the spirit of live & let

live. That's the spirit behind Dharma. It makes us sensitive to

others, makes us care for others, it brings necessary

magnanimity to look at others as part of one whole. It helps us

to expand our family, brings about a holistic vision. The moment

we see the whole world as one great whole, we also become

sensitive to a supreme intelligence, who has not only created

this beautiful world & cosmos, but is also running the show. As

no effect is possible without a cause, we infer the existence of

a creator when we see this beautiful creation. If creation is so

beautiful, how will the creator be. Dharma thus wakes us up to

the existence of God. Dharma does not make us afraid of God,

but rather shows that he is someone who deserves our

greatest love & reverence. We are his creation, act as per his

dictates, will live as long as he likes and will leave when he so

wishes. We cannot influence his wishes but should know his

ways & means and live accordingly, in a spirit of surrender &

love.

…….. The basic spirit of science is to conquer nature while

dharma motivates us to respect it and live in tune with it.

Science, even though says that there can be no effect without

a cause yet does not accept any intelligent cause of the

creation. They prefer to say it was all an accident, a big bang

that started this whole process. Dharma on the other hand

says that the creation is so orderly, beautiful & purposeful that

we cannot in our wildest dreams think that this is all a product

of an accident. We are simple minded people, who on seeing a

creation believe in the presence of a creator, and plan out our

lives accordingly by keeping him into account, always. We look

upon the whole creation as a great, grand orchestra which is

already presenting a beautiful music, we have just joined the

orchestra and should be sensitive to the harmony and tune

ourselves to it. Just as only that person can enjoy the music

who becomes sensitive to it, so also only that person can

enjoy the holistic living who sees a basic harmony & order

around.

…….. The benefits of turning our attention on God, being

sensitive to his ways & means, the order & harmony etc. are so

great that even if God was not there we would have loved to

invent him. But as he is very much there so the question also

does not arise. When we accept the existence of someone who

is an embodiment of knowledge, power, love, compassion &

holistic vision, then anyone who loves & reveres such a being

will not only be free from various self imposed problems, but will

also start being an embodiment of all what God represents. The

train is already moving we unload ourselves and live life fully,

without worries. Acceptance of God is the essence of Dharma.

This not only helps us become a better person here but also

helps us to attain our Artha & Kama in a better way too. Not

only this but acceptance of God prepares us for our real goal of

life, called Moksha.

Moksha - freedom from all limitations :

…….. The fourth Purushartha is called Moksha, literally it

means liberation. Liberation is not some posthumous state to

be attained later after death, but is a state to be attained

right here in this very life. Lets see this also in the context of

our discussion. Until now we have seen that every person

wants security & happiness, and thus should learn the secrets

of Artha & Kama, which are the means to acquire relative

security & pleasure here in this life. This journey should be a

very conscientious one too, we should be sensitive to others

and thereafter live our lives. Now, presuming that there is a

person who has learned the art of acquiring wealth, enjoys the

various pleasures nicely, and also cares for his brethren around,

what more does one want. He appears to be an ideal person,

what bondage does that person have. What is that from which

he needs to be liberated from ? Well, the great thinkers of

Vedic times want us to see this more deeply ? Has a person

who wanted security and acquired enough wealth become

really secure ? As long as we have to depend on anything

whatsoever reveal a state wherein there is no insecurity

whatsoever ? Doesnt the very necessity to hangon to some

crutch show some lack, some weakness within ? Fine, we have

various worldly pleasures at our disposal, but doesn't the very

necessity to get more & better pleasures show that our cup

within is yet to be full ?

Real security within will be revealed only when the very

desire to get security becomes redundant. So also the dawn of

real happiness will be inferred only when there are no

self-centered desires any more. Not that such a person will be

averse to prosperity or comforts, but is not averse to absence

of these too. Motivations at such levels disappear, such a

person is at home every where. Such a state of existence

alone is real freedom, that's liberation. Liberation is freedom

from a sense of lack, a sense of insecurity & fear. This is

possible when a person discovers that he or she is free from all

limitations of time & space, that one is really the

transcendental reality itself. The taking of ourselves as a

limited being is an erroneous conclusion of our mind. This is not

true. If there is one basic reality in the world then that reality

should be the basic essence of all. That is what the Upanishads

are thundering - you are that. Turning our minds from all other

preoccupation's and starting a process of deep introspection to

realize our basic essence is what Moksha is all about. It is not

turning away from life all together, but till you discover your

true Self. Having known your true being live like a a truly

healthy man, this is how all avatars and saints lived. A life that

leaves your footprints even on the sand of time.