When said, Hinduism is not a religion but, a way of life., there are evidence to prove this.
Purushartha means “for the purpose of the Self.” They are the inherent values of the universe. They represent what we demand as our fulfillment. They help us create a balanced, meaningful life and at the deepest and holistic level. The original Vedic texts only suggested the three goals of Dharma, Artha, and the Kama. In the later Upanishadic era, when people began to seek higher awareness, the fourth goal of Moksha was added. Although the first three are somewhat interwoven, it is felt that the “right action” of Dharma is a requirement for Artha to be meaningful and the abundance of Artha will be needed to support Kama. The path to liberation or enlightenment of Moksha is supported by the harmonious interaction of Dharma, Artha, and Kama.
The word Dharma is closely associated with Truth which can be known by a person by himself. It provides the pretext for the sangha and binds it together. This beautiful world includes several levels of experiences, from our first moment on the path of achievement to full realization. It’s about a law or a duty to be fulfilled, it’s not a religion to be practiced rather the righteous way of living. It is intended to provide guidelines in all social interactions and to harmonize the relation between Kama and Artha.
B.G. Gokhale has written, “And if there is any one concept that has permeated Indian thinking through the ages and created a consistent pattern of thought and behavior for the large majority of the people it is that of Dharma. The term is of such wide implication that it is applied to determination and evaluation of all forms of human activities.”
In Hindu way of life, there are more than one Dharma:
· Samanya Dharma (general duty)
· Visesha Dharma (special duty)
· Varnasrama Dharma (duties of Varna)
· Yuga Dharma (duty of the Age/Era)
· Kula Dharma (duty of family)
· Manava Dharma (duty of human being)
· Purusha Dharma (duty of male)
· Stri Dharma (duty of female)
· Raja Dharma (duty of king)
· Praja Dharma (duty of subjects)
· Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law)
All the Dharmas, except the Sanatana Dharma, change depending upon time and/or society. For example:
· Dharma of a driver in India is to drive on the left side of the street while the dharma of a driver in the U.S. is to drive on the right side of the street.
· Dharma of a person in the ancient era didn’t emphasize much on the preservation of ecology as the environment was healthy. Dharma of a person in the modern era asks for the preservation of ecology as the environment is suffering.
Sanatana Dharma or the Eternal Law doesn’t depend on time and hence doesn’t influence the physical existence directly. The only way an individual can know and get intuned with the Sanatana Dharma is through becoming meditative and self-realized; not by studying scriptures or believing anything anyone says.
Artha(prosperity, economic values.)
In Hinduism, the pursuit of wealth or material advantage, one of the four traditional aims in life. The sanction for artha rests on the assumption that—with the exclusion of the exceptional few who can proceed directly to the final aim of moksha, or spiritual release from life—material well-being is a basic necessity of man and is his appropriate pursuit while a householder, that is, during the second of the four life stages. It is important to understand that healthy artha is based on harmony with nature and on truly sustainable development that benefits the entire universal community. Artha is certainly not about accumulating wealth and properties for selfish and greedy purposes, to please one's ego, and to pursue unlimited sense gratification as the purpose of life. Artha is not about being miserly and exploitative or trying to appease an inferiority complex by turning it into a superiority complex. Vedanta never says one should not earn. In fact, it encourages that one should earn as much as possible according to one’s ability. It becomes possible to earn by choosing a profession that is compatible with one’s nature and capabilities. Bhagavad-Gita calls it “Swadharma” meaning one’s nature, one’s natural strength, one’s natural interest, one’s natural ability. When one relies on Swadharma (natural strength), one can perform great feats and achieve great heights. If the work done is not illegal, morally, and ethically correct, then it is always helpful, beneficial, and serves society.
Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values):
Kama is one of the four goals of human life in Hindu traditions. It is considered an essential and healthy goal of human life when pursued without sacrificing the other three goals: Dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life), Artha (material prosperity, income security, means of life), and Moksha (liberation, release, self-actualization). Together, these four aims of life are called Purusartha. To put it simply, kama is pleasure, and it refers to the desires of the mind and the physical body. It is the human desire for passion and emotion. In other words, it's ok to love; it's ok to experience attraction and desire. In fact, the Hindus' God of love is actually named Kama. From this name comes the famous and very ancient Hindu guide to the physical expression of love known as the Kamasutra.
Although kama, or pleasure, is a permissible goal, a spiritually maturing Hindu will realize it is not the end-all to life. There is more to strive for. This brings us to our next goal
Moksha (liberation, spiritual values):
Moksha, also spelled mokṣa, also called mukti, in Hindu philosophy and religion, liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara). Derived from the Sanskrit word muc (“to free”), the term moksha means freedom from samsara. This concept of liberation or release is shared by a wide spectrum of religious traditions, including Hinduism.
Moksha is a very beautiful state. It is the ultimate goal and end result of meditation. In this state, one is very peaceful, joyous, and full of bliss. The state is known as spiritual ecstasy and the result is Liberation.
Living in it is the end of sorrow. One does have problems but he does not suffer because of the state in which he is now anchored. While after death or leaving the body, he is no more bound to have another birth. The soul merges with God who is himself love, Joy, and Happiness.
Famous People who have attained Moksha in the past-
Paramahansa Yogananda - He has been called an avatar of Love. He respected everyone and his love for people and God made him popular all over the world. He showed the world a scientific way to approach God and how to live peacefully.
Swami Vivekananda - He was the first Yogi to go to America to spread the teaching of Yoga Philosophy. He could do amazing things and perhaps it was his wisdom and love which made him famous.
After attaining Moksha people work to eradicate the suffering of the world. It is the crux of every true religion.
