Dharma, Artha, Kama: the Trivargas
Three Sanskrit words come up often in the ancient texts to describe a balanced life: Dharma, Artha, Kama. What is the general idea behind these Trivargas, the three pillars that allow for a fulfilled life?
In Ayurvedic psychology, physicians observe, in each person's life, whether these three pillars are well present: Dharma, Artha and Kama. These are three qualities that correspond to the ingredients of a happy life.
Dharma is each person's path, grounded in truth, connected to a harmony, an interconnection with universal laws. It is what allows you to clarify your place, what determines your place, how you relate, how you connect to your deep nature, how you align with life and with what animates you.
Kama is that need to feel alive, connected to what you love doing. It is what animates you, what you do with pleasure, what brings you joy, and it evolves over time: you do not want the same things as a child, as a teenager, as an adult, or later in life.
Artha, finally, is our material security: how to make things possible in a sustainable way, how to develop and secure a material prosperity, a security in the broad sense. Money is not seen negatively here, but rather as the basis for a good existence. It is what allows, once prosperity has been achieved, for solidarity and gratitude toward everything life offers us, and for an awareness of the great prosperity we already enjoy, as soon as we stay open to life rather than attached to the desire for more. When we crave things, we place ourselves in a state of lack, and therefore outside of abundance.
Working on these three dimensions allows a happy life to develop. It is a path that is worked at, that develops over time, and the three pillars balance one another: a Dharma without Artha remains an ideal with no means to realize it; an Artha without Kama becomes a success without joy; a Kama without Dharma quickly wears itself out in pleasures with no direction. For someone changing careers, or wishing to evolve professionally, it can be especially useful to reflect on these three pillars together, rather than one at a time.