| Finding one's life purpose and deepest life intentions | | | | equivalent to the Greek Eros and the Roman Cupid |
| can help one to move with greater focus and clarity | | | | Kamadeva is the Hindu deity of love. His other names |
| every day of one's life. There are many ways to find | | | | include Ragavrinta (stalk of sassion), Ananga |
| and develop life purpose and intentions. The meaning | | | | (incorporeal), Kandarpa ("inflamer even of a god"), |
| of life constitutes a philosophical question concerning | | | | Manmatha (churner of hearts), Manasija (he who is |
| the purpose and significance of human existence. The | | | | born of mind, a contraction of the Sanskrit phrase Sah |
| concept can be expressed through a variety of | | | | Manasah jata), Madana (intoxicating), Ratikanta (lord of |
| related questions, such as Why are we here?, What's | | | | Rati), Pushpavan, Pushpadhanva (one with bow of |
| life all about? and What is the meaning of it all?. It has | | | | flowers) or just Kama ("longing"). Kamadeva, is son of |
| been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and | | | | Hindu goddess Sri and, additionally, is the incarnation of |
| theological speculation throughout history and there | | | | Pradyumna, Krishna's son. In his spiritual form he is |
| have been a large number of answers from many | | | | believed to be Krishna, by Vaishnava followers in |
| different cultural and ideological backgrounds. This | | | | Hinduism. Kama-rupa is a subtle body or aura |
| suggests the meaning of life is different for each | | | | composed of desire, while Kama-loka is the realm this |
| person. Albert Camus observed, we humans are | | | | inhabits, particularly in the afterlife. |
| creatures who spend our lives trying to convince | | | | Dharma (Duty) |
| ourselves that our existence is not absurd. | | | | The term dharma is an Indian spiritual and religious |
| The meaning of life is deeply mixed with the | | | | term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous |
| philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, | | | | path in the common sense of the term. In Indian |
| consciousness, and happiness, and touches on many | | | | languages it contextually implies one's religion. |
| other issues, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, | | | | Throughout Indian philosophy, Dharma is presented as |
| value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, | | | | a central concept that is used in order to explain the |
| conceptions of God, the existence of God, the soul | | | | "higher truth" or ultimate reality of the universe. |
| and the afterlife. Scientific contributions are more | | | | The word dharma literally translates as that which |
| indirect; by describing the empirical facts about the | | | | upholds or supports, and is generally translated into |
| universe, science provides some context and sets | | | | English as law. The word "dharma" can also be |
| parameters for conversations on related topics. An | | | | translated as "the teachings of the Buddha". The |
| alternative, human-centric, and not a cosmic/religious | | | | various Indian religions and philosophy (Hinduism, |
| approach is the question "What is the meaning of my | | | | Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, among others) have all |
| life?" The value of the question pertaining to the | | | | accorded a central focus to Dharma and advocate its |
| purpose of life may be considered to be coincidental | | | | practice. Each of these religions emphasizes Dharma |
| with the achievement of ultimate reality, if that is | | | | as the correct understanding of reality in its teachings. |
| believed by one to exist. | | | | In these traditions, beings that live in accordance with |
| If we look around to seek the life's purpose or goals in | | | | Dharma proceed more quickly toward Dharma |
| the indian contexts, it would be better, we consider | | | | Yukam, Moksha or Nirvana (personal liberation). |
| Mahabharata, the great epic, as an authentic source to | | | | Dharma also refers to the teachings and doctrines of |
| know one's life purpose, considering its immense | | | | the founders of these traditions, such as those of |
| importance to culture in the Indian subcontinent. Its | | | | Gautama Buddha and Mahavira. In traditional Hindu |
| discussion of human goals or human's life purposes | | | | society with its caste structure, Dharma constituted the |
| (ARTHA or PURPOSE, KAMA or PLEASURE, | | | | religious and moral doctrine of the rights and duties of |
| DHARMA or DUTY, and MOKSHA or LIBERATION) | | | | each individual.. Dharma in its universal meaning shares |
| takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to | | | | much in common with the way of Tao or Taoism. The |
| explain the relationship of the individual to society and | | | | antonym of dharma is adharma meaning unnatural or |
| the world (the nature of the 'Self') and the workings of | | | | immoral. |
| karma. Before we know the life's purpose we should | | | | The purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of |
| know what are the goals the human shall have to | | | | the soul with the supreme reality, it also suggests a |
| achieve the ultimate goal or the life's purpose. | | | | code of conduct that is intended to secure both |
| Since the dawn of human existence, four aims have | | | | worldly joys and supreme happiness. Rishi Kanda has |
| brought purpose and meaning to our lives. These are | | | | defined dharma in Vaisesika as "that confers worldly |
| the same aims that the poet Tulsidas wrote about in | | | | joys and leads to supreme happiness". Hinduism is the |
| the Hanuman Chalisa centuries ago when he called | | | | religion that suggests methods for the attainment of |
| them "The four-fold fruits of life." These are the four | | | | the highest ideal and eternal bliss here and now on |
| "Great Goals" or "Purusharthas" recognised by the | | | | earth and not somewhere in heaven. |
| ancient rishis and documented in the Mahabharata and | | | | Moksha (Liberation) |
| the Bhagavad-Gita. These aims are: | | | | In Indian religions, Moksha or Mukti, literally "release" |
| Artha, Kama, Dharma & Moksha | | | | (both from a root muc "to let loose, let go"), is the |
| The Hindu Sanathana dharma' outlines the four | | | | liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth |
| "Purushartha" as, Artha, Kama, Dharma and Moksha, | | | | or reincarnation and all of the suffering and limitation of |
| which stand as four major quests in everyone's life. | | | | worldly existence. In Hindu philosophy, it is seen as a |
| There are many explanations for the word 'Artha'. | | | | transcendence of phenomenal being, a state of higher |
| Artha means 'The Meaning' or 'Wealth'. Artha also | | | | consciousness, in which matter, energy, time, space, |
| means as 'The Objectives'. Life's Artha lies in "Artha", | | | | causation (karma) and the other features of empirical |
| so says a commentator. Dharma precedes Artha, in | | | | reality are understood as maya. |
| other words, the generation of wealth must abide by | | | | Liberation is experienced in this very life as a |
| the "Dharma-Way". The wealth yearned in this manner | | | | dissolution of the sense of self as an egoistic |
| will be the means for leading a healthy life in all sense. | | | | personality by which the underlying, eternal, pure spirit is |
| The word 'Abyudhaya' connotes dharma. Artha and | | | | uncovered. This desireless state concludes the yogic |
| Kama in one. The Artha earned circumventing the | | | | path through which conditioned mentality-materiality or |
| 'Dharmic Way' will create anarchy only. | | | | nama-roopa (lit. name-form) has been dissolved |
| The war on Iraq can be cited as an example. More | | | | uncovering one's eternal identity prior to the mind/spirit's |
| the wealth gathered in the wrong manner, more will be | | | | identification with material form. Liberation is achieved |
| the dominating spirit over the downtrodden. There is a | | | | by (and accompanied with) the complete stilling of all |
| story about a king, Venon, who demanded from his | | | | passions - a state of being known as Nirvana. Advaita |
| citizeneries riches for his own selfishness and the | | | | Vedantist thought differs slightly from the Buddhist |
| people were put onto untold miseries. God incarnated, | | | | reading of liberation. |
| to end Venon's regime, this time as his son in the name | | | | Anything that helps human being to reach god is |
| 'Prethu'. The new King Prethu brought about the much | | | | dharma and anything that hinders human being from |
| wanted Renaissance and today the good Earth or | | | | reaching god is adharma. For instance, in the epic |
| Prithivi has been named after the King Prethu. The | | | | Mahabharata, the Pandavas represent dharma in life |
| Sanathana Dharma quotes that the Almighty can | | | | and the Kauravas represent adharma or we can say, |
| become the wealth of living beings when they lead a | | | | the winning of good over evil. It is believed that |
| spiritual life. | | | | Yudhistira, the elder pandava was the personification |
| Artha (Purpose) | | | | of Dharma (he often referred as Dharmaraja), who is |
| Artha is a Sanskrit term meaning "purpose, cause, | | | | not able to divert from the dharma or truth. |
| motive, meaning, notion". It refers to the idea of material | | | | While these truths are identified directly in Hindu texts, |
| prosperity. In Hinduism, artha is one of the four goals of | | | | they are quite universal. A Hindu becomes a better |
| life, known as purusharthas. It is considered to be a | | | | Hindu by learning about these truths, but a Christian |
| noble goal as long as it follows the dictates of Vedic | | | | becomes a better Christian by living life in awareness |
| morality. The concept includes achieving widespread | | | | of the right of each one of us to enjoy pleasure and |
| fame, garnering wealth and having an elevated social | | | | earn success within the framework of virtue and duty. |
| standing. It is the second lowest rung on the ladder of | | | | A Buddhist will recognise many of the facets of the |
| purusharthas, above kama (physical or emotional | | | | Eight-Fold interweave with the study of the |
| pleasure) but below dharma (righteousness) and | | | | purusharthas. A Moslem might be liberated in |
| moksha (liberation). Artha is one of the dharmas | | | | communion and submission to Allah, knowing that |
| (duties) of a person in the third stage of life, the | | | | pleasure, success and even everyday duty pale in |
| householder (Grihastha - The ideal householder life is | | | | comparision to a living relationship with the supreme |
| spent in selflessly carrying out one's duties to family | | | | divinity. |
| and society, serving the saints, and gainful labor.) stage, | | | | One can start to find and develop his own purpose |
| and during this period a person must accumulate as | | | | and intentions by stopping for a moment and asking to |
| much wealth as possible, without being greedy, to help | | | | self two questions: "What is most important to me in |
| and support his family. | | | | my life? What are my deepest values and beliefs?" |
| Conversely, Artha (wealth) stands for the means by | | | | Consider inviting divine guidance and one's own inner |
| which one's life may be maintained, in the lower sense, | | | | wisdom to help him with this. Give time to explore |
| food, drink, money, house, land, and other property; and | | | | these questions and notice what comes up that |
| in the higher sense the means by which effect may | | | | touches and inspires one most deeply. Once one has |
| be given to the higher desires, such as that of worship, | | | | some answers to these questions, use the answers to |
| for which artha may be necessary, aid given to others, | | | | develop your life purpose and intentions. |
| and so forth. In short, it is all the necessary means by | | | | Once he find and develop his life purpose and |
| which all right desire, whether of the lower or higher | | | | intentions, he should consider finding a good place to |
| kinds, may be fulfilled. As the desire must be a right | | | | keep them and review them frequently upon rising in |
| desire, for man is subject to dharma, which regulates | | | | the morning to help one to move more effectively and |
| them, so also must be the means sought, which are | | | | powerfully through the days. In difficult situations, it can |
| equally so governed. | | | | also be checked to see the life purpose or one of his |
| Kama (Pleasure) | | | | intentions, or we can say goals, so that it can give him |
| Kama is pleasure, pleasure of the senses, desire, eros, | | | | direction to navigate through the stormy waters and |
| the aesthetic enjoyment of life in Sanskrit. In Hinduism, | | | | difficult situations. By frequently reminding self about |
| kama is regarded as one of the four goals of life | | | | one's purpose and intentions, one becomes more |
| (purusharthas): the others are worldly status (artha), | | | | focused and effective in building a brighter future for |
| duty (dharma) and inner freedom (moksha), | | | | himself and those near and around him. |
| Kama-deva is the personification of this, a god | | | | |