The Four Aims of Human Life (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Written by: Glenn Millington
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
What are the Four Aims of Human Life?
The Four Aims of Human Life
The purpose of life for Hindus is to achieve four aims, called Purusharthas
The four aims are dharma, kama, artha and moksha
These provide Hindus with opportunities to act morally and ethically and lead a good life
By leading a good life Hindus hope to end the cycle of samsara and behave in a way that provides good karma in this life and the next
Dharma
This is related to a person’s true purpose and is concerned with a person’s duty and the actions the person takes
Each Hindu believes that they have their own personal dharma
This is about leading a righteous life
Hindus want to end the cycle of samsara, and therefore they aim to make morally right decisions in order to achieve good karma
Kama
This Sanskrit word means love, desire and pleasure and is a very practical part of Hindus’ aims in life
Hindus aim to achieve pleasure in many ways, including sporting activities and cultural interests, but it is important to note that kama is also derived from sexual pleasure
Therefore, Hindus consider kama to be important in their personal lives
As Hinduism is a very practical religion, it is widely accepted that many Hindus attempt to achieve kama in their lives with their partners
This sexual aspect of kama is considered to be a natural part of human instinct and also produces children
Artha
Artha means prosperity and to Hindus it refers to the pursuit of wealth
Many Hindus believe that there are only a few people who do not require material wealth
Therefore, it is important that Hindus attain material wealth as part of attempting to achieve moksha
However, they must not become attached to this wealth
Moksha
Moksha is the ultimate aim in life for Hindus
It means to be saved (salvation). When a Hindu achieves moksha, they break free from the cycle of samsara
Hindus aim to end the cycle of samsara through gaining good karma, which means doing good actions and deeds
Therefore, the actions of their previous lives and the actions of their mortal life today are all part of their effort to break the cycle of samsara, which each individual Hindu works towards
Aim | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Dharma | The duty a Hindu should perform in their life | If a Hindu is in the final stage of their life, they should give up their possessions and travel to temples to learn the scriptures |
Kama | Enjoying the pleasures of life | Enjoying food, music, arts and sexuality. This is also a way of respecting other living beings, as all living beings have a piece of Brahman within them |
Artha | Gaining wealth in a lawful way | Having a job that is legal and not working in a job that is illegal. Working to gain wealth to support the family |
Moksha | Freedom from samsara so that the atman joins up with Brahman | Gaining good karma by being morally good so as to try to break free from the cycle of rebirth |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Karma and Kama are not the same thing so try not to get them confused with each other
Kama refers to sensual pleasure or desire and Karma refers to the law that every action has an equal reaction either immediately or at some point in the future
What is the meaning of Dharma?
Hinduism recognises four stages of life, called ashramas
Hindus go through all of these in their lifetime
The duties of life (or dharma) don’t just depend on the community (or caste) a Hindu is born into
They also depend on a person’s stage of life, or ashrama
The four stages of life are mapped out for all humans
During each of the stages, Hindus have duties and samskaras that they must perform
Stage | Duties | Samskaras |
---|---|---|
Brahmacharyi - The student stage. Begins with upanayana (the sacred thread) | ● Gaining knowledge through study ● Showing respect to teachers & parents ● Learning the rules & rituals of Hinduism | ● Vedarambha – start of formal education ● Smavartana – graduation from studies |
Grihasta - The householder stage which begins with marriage | ● Giving to charity ● Caring for your parents ● Giving hospitality to guests ● Providing a settled, well-run household | ● Vivaha – marriage ● Garbhahana - Conception ● Jatakarma - birth |
Vanaprastha - The retirement stage. Begins with the birth of a grandchild | ● Detachment from worldly concerns & materialism ● Devoting time to quietness & solitude ● Studying the scriptures and meditating | ● Vanaprastha – retirement aged approx 60 |
Sannyasin - The holy man / woman stage which begins with the 15th samskara (Sanyasa) becoming a holy man | ● Renunciation of all worldly ties & possessions ● Devotion of your whole life to achieving Moksha | ● Sanyasa – Becoming a holy man ● Antyeshti – Death rites |
By following the ashramas Hindus will be following their dharma and getting good karma
What is Dharma?
Hindus believe life involves a series of duties (dharma) which are different for each Hindu depending on their family background, job and stage of life
Dharma includes a range of things including worshipping God, doing your job properly, not hurting people or living animals and being honest
It is up to every human to do their dharma as well as they possibly can
Hindus should try to be led by their duty to do the right thing rather than the pursuit of material possessions or human pleasures
‘There is the path of joy, and there is the path of pleasure. Both attract the soul. Who follows the first comes to good; who follows the pleasure reaches not the End. The two paths lie in front of man. Pondering on them, the wise man chooses the path of joy; the fool takes the path of pleasure’ (Katha Upanishad 2.1-2)
There are various types of dharma for a Hindu
Some are personal duties and some are eternal duties, meaning that they are for everyone
Sanatana dharma
Sanatana dharma is an important dharma that means eternal truth
It is universal, which means it applies to all people at all times
Many Hindus would refer to their religion as sanatana dharma rather than Hinduism as they believe it sums up their beliefs better
For Hindus, following sanatana dharma means living their lives in such a way that they are always considering their moral choices and making the best decisions they can
They should also worship and pray so that they are thinking about God
They should read and learn the scriptures so that they can understand their religion and its teachings better
They should live their lives with the ultimate aim of achieving freedom from samsara, or moksha
Hindus should also care for all other living beings, such as plants, trees and animals, which means treating them with respect and looking after the environment
Hindus should also consider how they are treating people who are in need of help and support, and they should look after them in the best way they can
Varnashrama dharma
Another important dharma is varnashrama dharma, which is more of a personal duty
Varnashrama dharma means the duties a Hindu should follow depending on their stage in life and their caste
Some Hindu societies are organised according to caste
There are four main traditional castes and thousands of subgroups, called jat or jati, within these
The group a Hindu is born into can decide what jobs they may get and what their duties are in life
Some aspects of this concept are controversial because they raise human rights issues about fairness and equality in Hindu societies today
The Rig Veda describes the whole of society as if it were a human body:
The teachers and priests are like the head and are regarded as those closest to achieving moksha
The warriors and leaders are like the upper body
The merchants, traders and farmers are like the strong legs
The manual workers and labourers are like the feet
The Dalits are a large group in Hindu society, making up over 15% of India’s population
The word ‘Dalit’ means ‘the broken’ or ‘the oppressed’ and is a name that Dalits choose for themselves
It replaces older, very negative terms such as ‘untouchables’ and ‘outcastes’
The Dalits are excluded from the caste system, and they have experienced persecution
It is illegal in India to discriminate against anyone in employment, but caste groupings can still keep society unequal and unfair in some ways
Worked Example
Which one of the following is the meaning of the term ‘sanatana dharma’?
[1 mark]
A End of suffering
B Eternal law
C Non-violence
D Personal freedom
Answer:
B - Eternal Law (1 mark)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The duties of any Hindu will vary depending on both their stage of life and the life that they were born into
Therefore, not all duties are the same and practices will be different depending on the age and family that a Hindu is born into
Consider how having to do your dharma (duty) might seem unfair if you were born into a lower caste or as a Dalit, particularly as many are unable to better themselves and have to remain within the roles they have been given
You may be asked to evaluate the significance of dharma within a Hindu’s life
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