The Four Aims of Life

No matter what other desires we satisfy, no matter how much money, sensual pleasure, and power we obtain, no matter even how much good we do in the world, as long as the yearning for enlightenment goes unfulfilled, we will suffer from "divine homesickness" and "divine discontent": 

The sense of somehow being incomplete, unfulfilled, and not fully at home. 

For recent couple of years, a lot of contemplative works have been done. There is a saying in Hinduism, in our entire life, there are four major aims to go through. These are: artha, kama, dharma, and moksha. 

Artha: is the acquisition of material possessions and of all the things necessary for a comfortable and contributory life. So called working life and making a living.

Kama: is sensual pleasure and love, although it may not be essential, it is nothing wrong with it, as long as no clinging and attachment is involved. But mere pleasure seeking inevitably produces suffering, both for yourself and for others ...

Dharma: a word rich with meaning but in its essence referring to the broad range of moral and religious duties. This is an important and also the first step for finding the true meaning of life; seeking for spirituality.

Moksha: is spiritual release, enlightenment, or liberation, and is regarded as the ultimate goal and good of human life. The central practice to awaken heart and mind.

When life unfolds to its end, the best thing to do for ourselves is to understand life itself. In other words, clarity of mind and realized the true nature. 

As Mencius (孟子) of Confucianism says:

“Those who know completely 

their own nature, know heaven.”

Likewise, the great sage of India, Shankara asked: 

"How is heaven attained?" and responded, "The attainment of heaven is freedom from cravings."

The Buddha summarised in the Second Noble Truth:

“The cause of suffering is attachment or craving .”

So, Jesus of Christianity also says:

“The kingdom of heaven is within you.” 

Now, contemplate this:

We are never ever going to get enough money, sensual pleasure, possessions, or fame to be completely satisfied and fulfilled our happiness.

Hence,

Freedom from attachment brings freedom from suffering.

Therefore, 

No thing in this world is ever going 

to make us fully satisfied or 

ever-lastingly happy! 

It is because, 

Craving/clinging is the cause of

unhappiness! 

In worldly sense, we are all addicts. Why do we cling so deeply and desperately to our toys; our love, our wealth, our views, if they ultimately cause so much pain and suffering? 

So, as Christianity called it "The Fall" and Hinduism used the term "Maya" - in a state of illusion when we are in addiction. In falling into the state of illusion we have forgotten our boundless, spiritual nature. Or who am I? Where we come from (the Source). Why we are here? 

"The rain could turn gold and still your thirst would not be quenched", as the Buddha claimed. Jesus also pointed out, "No one can serve two masters ... You cannot serve God and wealth." 

This is why Gandhi, when asked to describe his philosophy of life, needed only three words: "Renounce and rejoice" and why Meister Eckhart, who lived in fourteenth-century Germany, promised that "No one is happier than those who have the greatest non-attachment."

So the fourth aim, moksha: it is about renouncement and non-attachment; it aims for the spiritual release, liberation, and find out who am I, our true nature and the ultimate truth.

It is the final and the most important stage, in human life. We must treasure this last stage of life, as the above three aims are over and completed, so now, we need continue to work for the ultimate goal, the fourth aim; to cultivate the heart, the mind and the soul by looking within, seeking the ultimate Truth, until the last breath. 

同様的,  孔子也有關類似的論點,  子曰：

三十而立: 依靠自己的本領獨立承擔起自己應承受的責任，並已經確定自己的人生目標與發展方向。它可以用立身 立業 立家三個方面概括。

四十而不惑: 對外，他明白了社會。對內，他明白了自己。對自己，他明白了責任。他必須承擔社會責任、家庭責任和撫養子女責任。首先，他必須做好自己的工作，這不單是生存的需要，也是為社會所做的貢獻，是必須盡到的社會責任。

五十而知天命: 知道了自己的命運軌跡，不怨天。知道了自己的人生定位，不尤人。知道了自己未盡的責任，不懈怠。

六十而耳順: 看透了生命, 看透人生。人到了這個歲數，不管聽到什麼言論，遇到什麼坎坷曲折，都能做到不激動, 而冷靜地進行思考，使自己的情緒順應客觀環境，順應事物規律，學會不暴躁，不氣餒，不悲傷，不退縮，達到寵辱不驚，始終如一的境地。生命，生命是有生才有命，生決定和影響著生命，所以六十歲的人，好好生活是最重要的，健康快樂地生活，不但可以減輕子女的負擔，也是對社會一種貢獻，起碼可以減少醫藥資源的消耗。生命的意義就在於自己對社會和他人的貢獻大於向社會和他人的索取，你做到了，也就沒有什麼遺憾了。

七十從心所欲: 隨遇而安, 也應該做好準備,  面對生死大事 ....

Here, a brief English translation of the above:

[Confucius began by making a life commitment to learning.]

By thirty, his commitment was firmly grounded.

At forty, he was free of doubts and conflicts created by conventional cravings / attachments.

By fifty, his mind was calm and clear enough to know the meaning of life.

By sixty, he was so free of competing compulsions that he felt no resistance to following pure and higher motives.

Finally, at seventy, his heart and mind had been so transformed that he desired only the good and could follow his heart's without hesitation or concern.