The rishis of ancient India prescribed a fourfold goal of achievement for a successful human life. We should try to fulfill these four goals. They are dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Dharma means moral righteous living, artha means financial and social security, kama means enjoyment and pleasure in life, and moksha is liberation. Everyone needs these four.
Dharma - is moral righteous living with a disciplined life style in order to know your own nature. The inner nature is different for everyone. First know what your nature is and modify it with a moral and righteous attitude, to lead a life of values. As children, we were taught by our parents and elders to speak the truth, be honest and not hurt others. We are aware of many ethical and moral codes. All these come under the category of dharma.
Artha - is financial security. Our ancient sages did not say money was bad. Money is essential for a comfortable living. But the value of money depends on how it is used. It is like a pair of shoes. If a pair of shoes is smaller than the size of your foot, it is painful and uncomfortable. If the pair of shoes is bigger than your foot, then the shoes are still uncomfortable. If there is more money than what we need, we may get into many bad habits. So know your needs, have enough money for some social and financial security. Use money in the right way.
Kama - is pleasure or enjoyment or fulfillment of desires. We create desire in the mind of the child from an early age, and we ourselves have many desires. Even if some desires are fulfilled, there are always so many more new desires. Through a disciplined regulated lifestyle, fulfill your desires. If you are hungry, you need some food. Food is not bad. But if I eat more food than what I need, it will create trouble for my health. Similarly in family life – a husband and wife living together involves passion or kama. The simple meaning of kama is fulfillment of desires for some pleasure.
Moksha - means liberation from unhappiness, liberation from problems, liberation from limitations, and shortcomings. The first three, dharma, artha and kama, should end in the fourth goal, which is moksha. So be free from all these in moksha.
Each of these goals should be obtained by following the right path.
The paths to liberation are karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga and dhyana yoga. Karma is right action, Jnana is applied knowledge, Bhakti is love or devotion, Dhyana is meditation or union
When the four goals are combined with the four paths, we have a sure method for spiritual success. The goal of Dharma combined with the path of Karma translates as a self-disciplined, moral and righteous life through every activity. Action should be regulated by dharma.
Jnana or knowledge should be applied in acquiring material possessions or artha. Artha is financial security. The more the possessions, the more the problems. There was a monk in India. He was living in a big hall. His bed was a blanket and a pillow. One westerner came to visit him. He saw that the monk had only one room, which had to be used as a bedroom, living room, meditation room, lecture room and library. The western visitor asked him, " Swami, is this all you have?" The monk said, "What else do I need?" He asked the visitor, "What do you have?" The visitor replied," I have a nice house and so many other things" and started describing all his possessions. The monk asked, "Why did you not bring all of those to India?" The visitor said, "I am only a tourist here who has to go back in a few weeks. So I only brought two suitcases." The monk then replied "Though your house is full of so many things, you brought only two suitcases for a comfortable journey as a tourist. I am also a tourist on this planet Earth and need only so much for a comfortable living. Why should I carry more than what I need?" Let there be knowledge of how much one needs.
The third goal of kama - passion, desires, enjoyment of food, drink and sex should be combined with bhakti. God created male and female. God did not create only monks to meditate. Why? Monks do not come from heaven. Monks also come from a mother's womb. So man and woman should live together with love and maintain love for the almighty.
Moksha should be combined with yoga. Yoga does not mean exercise. Yoga is the constant perception of unity with the Almighty. Perceiving unity with God in every breath is yoga, and by doing so you should reach the state of moksha. To acquire the goals of dharma, artha, kama and moksha, we use the paths of karma, jnana, bhakti and yoga.
Now all these four are not separate from each other and should be practiced simultaneously. For example, dharma or right moral conduct is not limited to one's being in a temple, but should be there also during artha (earning money) and kama (enjoyment). Similarly artha is necessary also in dharma and kama. So do not think of each one as a separate compartment, but practice all four together. We need moksha or liberation at every moment. Perceiving your unity with the Almighty through your breath should be practiced always, in whatever you do.
Similarly, karma, jnana, bhakti, and yoga, right action, knowledge, devotion and meditation are not different paths. In India, there is a sweet called laddu, which is a sweet in the shape of a ball. It is made of chick-pea flour, ghee, and sugar. A laddu is sweet and has a certain weight. So when one says “I am eating a laddu,” one is taking all the three things at a time. All the three ingredients in the right proportion make the sweet laddu, which gives joy. Similarly karma, jnana, bhakti and yoga combined or taken together, give the joy of liberation.