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february / march 2018yogajournal.com.sgAS THE NEW YEAR APPROACHES,it’s a good time to ask yourself an
important question: Am I leading a well-balanced life? And while it’s easy
to get bogged down in the details—for example, you might set goals that
relate to how you think you want to look or act in this world—consider
bypassing those particulars this year. Yoga philosophy offers the key to a
deeper approach that can reshape your whole life in a positive way: the
purusharthas, or four aims of life.
The purusharthas—which includedharma(duty, ethics),artha
(prosperity, wealth),kama(pleasure, sensual gratification), andmoksha
(the pursuit of liberation)—are the blueprint for human fulfillment. You can
think of them as signposts that point us to a successful, balanced existence
in the world, and working with them can help you create a satisfying life at
the deepest and most holistic level.
“We all have a desire for a meaningful life. The purusharthas are the
means that can help us achieve it,” says Rod Stryker, founder of ParaYoga
and author of a book about the purusharthas calledThe Four Desires.
“They are, in a larger sense, what practice is really all about,” he says,
adding that the purusharthas offer a yogic perspective on how to engage
skillfully in the world.
Cosmic Clues
The purusharthas are elaborated upon extensively in the Mahabharata,
the epic Indian poem that contains the Bhagavad Gita, and are interwoven
with yogic philosophy at the deepest levels. But they have their roots in
the Rig Veda, the most ancient and revered of Hindu scriptures. “What
BAL
ANCE
in the
Seeking more equanimity and happiness
in 2018? Here’s how to tap into the
purusharthas—or yoga’s four aims of life—
to reach your goals and usher in more joy.
By Hillari Dowdle
the Rig Veda suggests is that the purusharthas are the inherent values
of the universe,” says Douglas Brooks, a tantric scholar and professor
of religion at the University of Rochester. “The cosmos is considered
a living being, and the issues of law, prosperity, desire, and freedom
belong to it. These are not just human concerns or psychological
concepts. When we engage them as human beings, we are aligning
the microcosm with the macrocosm. The cosmos is all laid out for you;
your job is to get with the program.”
To fully grasp the purusharthas, Stryker says, it pays to parse the
meaning of the word itself. Purusha means, roughly, “soul”—the
essential Self that is unchanging, that isn’t born and doesn’t die but
belongs to the universe. Artha means “the ability” or “for the purpose
of.” Taken together, Stryker explains, purushartha means “for the
purpose of the soul,” and the very concept asks that you take the
broadest view of your life. Are you managing the day-to-day in such
a way as to support your inner work?
“The purusharthas are a sophisticated way of living in balance,” says
Sally Kempton, a master teacher of meditation and tantric philosophy.
“But they demand reflection. You have to constantly ask yourself,
‘Which of these areas am I emphasizing too much? Am I having a
good time but not being as ethical as I could be? Am I a great yogi but
haven’t yet figured out how to make a living? Am I incredibly ethical
but still at the mercy of every passing feeling or thought? Am I so rigid
in my practice that if I can’t do 90 minutes my day is ruined?’ Anything
you don’t deal with will come back to bite you later,” says Kempton.
Each one of the purusharthas has many scriptures dedicated to it
(the Kama Sutra, the Dharma Shastras, and the Artha Shastras, among
others), and truly understanding all four would require a lifetime
of study. Still, learning the fundamentals is useful, especially to the
contemporary practitioner who’s looking to find more joy and meaning
in life. Here, a guide for working with the four aims: dharma, artha,
kama, and moksha. Once you have an understanding of the individual
components of each of the purusharthas, you can assess the role they
play in your life by contemplating the questions related to each one.
Then you can begin to analyze how well balanced they are in your life.