The Purushartha Journey
The yoga journey begins, like most other journeys, with questions of purpose, method and destination. The purusharthas are Vedic texts chronicling the pathway to the discovery of our purpose as human beings and can be viewed as yogic signposts to assist us on our journey to find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in our lives.
The first signpost is Dharma or duty and dharma is about establishing a framework of purpose and order in our lives. Dharma is about stepping up to our responsibilities to ourselves, our families and society. Dharma is governed by ethics, enabling us to act and behave responsibly. At the time the purusharthas were written, one’s role in society was determined by caste, meaning you were born into the role of water-carrier or scholar. Modern education has enabled many people to determine their own dharma.
The second purushartha is Artha – translating into what do I need materially in order to maintain myself? This is an interesting question, given the times in which we are living where many people are confronting economic hardship and are having to do with less. It is a time when we all have to reflect on the material choices we make and the impact those choices have on human dignity, independence and freedom, as well as the impact on the environment.
Kama is the thirdpurushartha – What do I want? The “Kama Sutra”, an ancient Sanskrit text, defines kama as pleasure experienced by the senses while in harmony with the mind and soul. On a yogic path, the pleasure-oriented desires of kama should be acknowledged and fulfilled in a balanced way so that the yogi can move toward freedom from desire, rather than getting caught up in the cycle of overindulgence and greed.
Moksha, the fourth purushartha is centered around spiritual realization and freedom. It is achieved by relinquishing our attachment to ego, desire and ignorance in order to focus on our spiritual reality. A regular meditation practice will help us to gain insight into our inner world and discern what is distraction and what is truth.
Not I, nor anyone else, can travel that road for you.
You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know.
Perhaps it is everywhere—on water and land.
—Walt Whitman
A Story About Finding Your Purpose in Life
A young man, confused about his purpose in life, consulted a wise village elder on how he was to find his path. The elder instructed the lad to follow him to a river where several prospectors were panning for gold. The elder explained that there were three types of prospectors at the river: the first are those who find gold almost immediately, cash in their fortune and live the remainder of their lives in comfort. The second type of prospector tries for years, believing that gold will some day be found through persistence. The third type give up their search in frustration after a relatively short time.
Noticing the young man’s furrowed brow, the sage went on to explain that some people find their purpose in life at a young age, industriously pursuing their clear goal with energy and enthusiasm. Others have to search harder and longer, finding eventual reward through their diligence and patience. The final group of purpose seekers become frustrated and impatient and quickly give up their search, leaving them to a life of searching and discontent.
In conclusion, the wise elder counselled the young man to live his life with passion, make the world a better place and practice gratitude and, in so doing, find his purpose.
