The Four Aims of Life

"A hundred times a day I remind myself that my life depends on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give, in measure as I have received, and am still receiving."

Albert Einstein

Oh, but the trick is, to remember to remind yourself a hundred times a day of these things! As the saying goes, "easier said than done". It requires being mindful.

In Yoga Sutra, the four aims of life are dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. Although I've given you links to each of these aims, know too, that these links are broad overviews and is not the complete picture. It is not unlike the various interpretations that people have for the readings in the Holy Bible.

I like what Rolf Gates has to say about these truths or concepts in his book, "Meditations from the Mat" which I've referred to several times in my SSS posts. He discusses how this quote of Einstein's relates to all levels of the four aims of life. He puts it so eloquently, "It is not enough just to plant the garden and cultivate it with care; we must set aside time to enjoy it as well." And, in the final aim, moksha, we surrender to the work we've done, the fruits of our labor and our actions to the universe. "We let go of everything and hold onto nothing."

Oh, and how we must remember a hundred times a day to let go of everything and hold onto nothing. There is a tremendous amount of peace in being able to do so. But, we quickly forget as we get caught up in the whirlwind of our daily lives. And, my ego gets in the way of letting go. Even so, I vow over and over again not to let this be the reason to stop making a more conscious effort. And, perhaps, it will not be until I am staring death in the face that I will finally 'get it' and let go of everything once and for all.

Definitely a lifetime's worth of work!

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Hey Harriet. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted!

You can also view all Shadow Shot postings I've done by scrolling all the way down and on the left side you will see an archive of labels for my posts. Look for Shadow Shot Sunday and click on that link for an "all you can view" buffet of shadow shots!