ANOTHER THOUGHT ON LIFE

So have I heard; Life has four aspects or in the common mans idea of creation, life has the following four objectives. Kaama, Artha, Dharma and Moksha. Kaama stands for desires of the mind and body. Such desires could be of various unending kinds depending on the physical and emotional needs of the person. It could range from property, physical comforts, sex, spouse, family, children, recognition, fame, respect, designation, etc. Feelings like craving for such desires and the fear of losing out on enjoying them, drives every individual in the daily rat race. Artha stands for money and wealth. Accumulation of wealth is also a major driver in life. The more one has the more one wants. However the less one has also the more one wants. There is no limitation to this wanting. Money has three outflow avenues, self consumption, donation and falling into the hands of others. While there is a limit to what one can consume, the other two roads are without limits. Most fall prey to the third road. After their death, their accumulated wealth gets transferred either through stealing or bequeathing. Dharma stands for behavior and character. Life has its own laws very natural to it. As you sow, you shall reap. You are what you think. Your thoughts, words and actions come back to you in the same form. Therefore you alone are responsible for your state of life. To overcome the uncertainties involved in this philosophy, man created religion, rituals, worships and mantra to ensure happiness rather than suffering. Moksha stands for self realization. It is the liberation from the cycle of birth and death. You fall into this vicious cycle because of your accumulated and unresolved karma or the consequence of your thoughts, words and actions.

Moving from the first to the fourth is a gradual evolution of the person. Everyone tries to make an attempt because everyone primarily wants an end to their sufferings. However one cannot move from one level to a higher level just by wishing so. One has to work hard, allow ones’ own karma to play out, not get affected or be reactive, neither like or dislike it, thus ensuring that no new karmas are created and the existing ones get eradicated. This is an uphill task, which most do not want to undertake. Never the less, one can continue to exist in the first two categories and still lead a fulfilling life provided the three broad faculties of life namely mind, body and intellect are properly balanced. While intellect is the higher faculty for most persons it becomes the least important. One has to listen to all the three, restrain from excesses and learn to be satisfied with whatever life provides.