One concept that comes from yoga philosophy is the purusharthas, or 4 aims of human life. Several have termed them the “blueprint for human fulfillment.” So what exactly are these aims? How do we attain them?
The first is dharma. This is our true purpose or duty. It answers the question “Why am I here?” When we live in accordance with our dharma, we are connected to who we really are, we are of service to others. It has been said that the overlap between what we are good at and what we enjoy doing can give us clues to our dharma. It may be realted to our job, a generational pattern we break, etc. It doesn’t have to be just one thing.
Nataraja Kallio says “it is our offering of self to the world that no other person can express in quite the same way.” One trap we can fall into is pursuing someone else’s dharma. The Bhagavad Gita says “Better your own dharma, though imperfect, than the dharma of another done perfectly.”
The second aim is artha, or our material means, possessions, or wealth. This answers the question “What do I need?” To be considered artha, these needs support and are in service to our dharma. It can include things like knowledge, friendships, love, our skills, or good health.
The trick with artha is to be content with what you have, to know when you have enough without being greedy. Balance is important. Our possessions are not a source of fulfillment for us, nor is our identity formed by them. Detachment is key.
Check out part 2 to find out the remaining purusharthas.