The Four Goals of Life

His schooling finished, what is next for a Hindu? There are, say his holy books, four milestones to pass along the pilgrim's way: artha, kama, dharma and moksha. Artha means food in the stomach and a roof over our head. If we own too many things, the excess luggage will slow us and burden us, but financial security is everyone's need. Emotional satisfaction is another -- someone to love. That is kama, for the sake of which people marry and have children. But, in the search for love and money there are good roads and bad roads, and so we need a map which is dharma, righteousness or moral law. If we walk on the wrong road, by cheating, lying or thieving, we will not find moksha, freedom, the fourth milestone of the pilgrimage of life, and the road will be rough underfoot.