Life’s Purpose – Kama

Yoga’a ancient teachings clearly describe the four goals of life as its purpose. These goals are:  Dharma (fulfilling your responsibilities); Artha (creating and utilizing wealth); Kama (enjoying pleasures); an Moksha (freedom, enlightenment). All four of these goals are essential throughout your life. Without them, you will feel incomplete.

The third goal is Kama (enjoying pleasures). Everyone seeks pleasure and it is a goal of life. It is your relationship to seeking pleasure that causes problems. Looking to outside sources to make you happy is a short term solution. Once something makes you happy, it lasts a little while – then you are off looking for the next best thing to keep your happiness going. True happiness comes from being happy internally with yourself as you are.

According to my teacher, Swami Nirmalananda, the reason you pursue pleasure is so that you can experience happiness. The dictionary defines pleasure as “happiness, enjoyment and satisfaction.”  But yoga defines it differently saying that the happiness that comes from pleasure is merely a hint or taste of the bliss of your own Divine Essence. 

Swamiji summarizes the differences. Pleasure comes from the outside; bliss arises from within. Pleasure is temporary; bliss is constant. Pleasure is exhausting; bliss is enlivening. Pleasure is limited; bliss is ever expanding. Do you want happiness or do you want bliss?

[Source:  Teachings by Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati, spiritual leader and master teacher at Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram in Pennsylvania. (C) 2014, S.T.C., Inc., All right reserved. Svaroopa® is a registered service mark of S.T.C., Inc.]