Hinduism traditionally recognizes four noble aims of life:

1. Kama (Pleasure)
2. Artha (Material Gain)
3. Dharma (Duty)
4. Moksha (Release)

Unlike in the west, the pursuit of earthly pleasure is not considered evil, tainted, or even suspicious or dangerous in Hinduism. Indeed, the pursuit of pleasure is what sustains life, as with an infant who craves the pleasure of a full belly -- or its mother, who craves the pleasure of the infant's soft skin and baby breath. Pleasure, however, cannot ultimately satisfy our yearnings. We are "filled up" only fleetingly by sex, the smell of rain, the warmth of a fire, or the taste of pumpkin pie. In the next moment, the deep satisfaction has passed, and we are left craving again.

Thus we seek fulfillment in material gain. This too is a noble pursuit, allowing us to have shelter, clothing, food and sustain a family. But the pursuit of wealth never ultimately satisfies, either. When we receive our first paycheck, it brings the satisfaction, but we continue working nonetheless. In a very short time, the unchanging amount on the check seems to satisfy us less and less. 30 thousand can't permanently fill us up -- and neither can 40 or 50 or 200 thousand. Each brings but a momentary sense of completion. We are then left craving again.

Dharma turns us outward as we seek fulfillment. It feels good to feed a hungry person, to comfort an abused toddler, to paint the house of an old widow. But we again find that the satisfaction is fleeting. Those who do good deeds realize the futility of it all -- there are always more poor, more abused, more lonely people, and nothing short of heaven on earth can finally satisfy us. But heaven on earth is impossible for us, and we continue to crave.

We want permanency, which leads us to the pursuit of moksha. Moksha, translated as "release" (Stephen Cross), "liberation" (Huston Smith, Peter Occhiogrosso), or "breaking free from life" (Hopfe & Woodward) is the satisfaction of the craving by the only permanent reality: Brahman. It is the quest for a realization of the relationship -- even "oneness" -- that exists between atman (self) and Brahman. This is important to note: this is where Siddhartha (and consequently Buddhism) parts from Hindu tradition. Hinduism was deeply influenced by the tradition that grows from within it and later challenges it. Now, most Hindus will argue that one can break out of the cycle of samsara and karma, and many believe the break is permanent union with Brahman. That belief in the possibility of breaking out came only after Siddhartha (himself a Hindu) proposed it as the goal of the religious quest. But Hinduism soundly rejected Siddhartha's way -- and insisted that the human craving would be satisfied if and only if a person seek the right goal. That goal is the one spiritual reality that permeates all sentient existence.

The Four Margas

To attain to moksha, Hinduism acknowledges four distinctive paths:

1. Jnana (Knowledge)
2. Bhakti (Devotion)
3. Karma (Good deeds)
4. Raja (Meditation)

The path of study is traditionally centered on the Vedic traditions of Hinduism (the Scriptures). It is the intellectual pursuit, but as such it is not limited to the writings. In tandem with the study of the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and the Epics, the pursuer of insight must come to know the world -- the sciences, history, psychology and more must be studied in order to fully grasp the knowledge contained in the scriptures. Jnana is considered the most difficult of the paths, as it is not simple knowledge alone, but a deeper discrimination of oneness that is required and sought.

The second path is religious devotion. The best-known (but not the only) tradition of Bhakti is the ISKCON movement -- the Hare Krishnas. This path seeks the union of the lover with the beloved through celebration, the repetition of the divine name, and ongoing dedication of the self's mind to the deity. Bhakti devotion is embodied in the countless temples of India, as the figures that represent the divine Lakshmi, Shiva, Devi, and others are paraded, dressed, "fed", and glorified.

The third path seeks the union of atman and Brahman through the ethical life. By deeper and deeper commitment of the self to others, one can lose the sense of "otherness" and the subject can know oneness with the object of compassion. It is important that the practitioner of this path seek self-less action. Action undertaken to improve one's own personal status in this life or the next will only lead to a division between Self and Other. Bhakti is the oldest of the recognized paths.

Finally, Raja is the path of meditation. In Raja, one turns inward to realize the Oneness. This path will be discussed more fully in the course section on Buddhism.

Hindus do not see these four margas as exclusive one of another. There is a recognition that there are different personalities, and thus different paths. One may pursue one path, and have little to do with the others, or one may hold one path at the center and combine with it one or more of the rest.