Each is equally important. But moksha is the ultimate ideal of human life purushartha. If one attains Moksha, one is set free from the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. It is therefore imperative for all human beings to try and achieve moksha.
Good deeds, pious feelings, and living your life according to the ideals of dharma can help you attain moksha. This article delves deep into the concept of moksha as expressed in Hindu philosophy and explicates how to attain it. It is in the Vedas itself that we come to hear about moksha, meaning salvation. The concept of Moksha emerges from the concept of purushartha.
Purush here refers to the primal man, who is the source of the universe. Scholars believe that this purush is not gender-specific and can include both men and women. Artha means the purpose or aim of life. Therefore purushartha refers to the aims in life. We all must design our lives in such a way that we fulfill our purushartha.
The better we fulfill our aims of life, the higher are the chances of attaining moksha. Attaining Moksha or salvation is important for liberating the soul from the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. Since our soul is eternal and never dies, it simply passes on to another body. The Bhagavad Gita states that just like a man sheds off its old clothes and wears new ones, so does the soul.
It simply casts off an old body and enters a new one. This continues until one is liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth and attains moksha. The concept of moksha is closely intertwined with the concept of the soul and the theory of karma. To understand moksha in Hinduism, we must understand the concept of the soul well.
The concept of the soul is present in several other religions in the world, apart from Hinduism. However, the concept of soul significantly differs from one tradition to another. In Judaism and Christianity, only human beings have immortal souls. In Hinduism, however, the soul is everywhere. From the tiniest of the insects to the largest of the mammals, the soul is omnipresent. Further, Hinduism believes that soul transmigrates.
In other words, the soul travels from one body to another. The soul cannot be killed, burnt, or wounded. It is neither born nor does it die. It simply travels from one body to another.
The transmigration of the soul is also associated with the concept of moksha closely. Transmigration of the soul is common to many philosophies around the world. In several tribal cultures, the soul is believed to migrate from one body to another. The souls of ancestors are believed to be reincarnated in the forms of infants or even animals. The condition of the soul and the quality of the rebirth is determined by the cumulative total of your past karma deeds.
If your good deeds outweigh your bad ones, then the soul is liberated from the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. This liberation or salvation is called moksha. Since the concept of Moksha is common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, it is known by various names such as vimoksha, vimukti and mukti.
In Buddhism, more emphasis is placed on enlightenment nirvana rather than salvation moksha. Salvation is the responsibility of the individual soul. Unlike Christianity, where Jesus is the saviour who helps your soul to achieve salvation, in Buddhism, salvation is achieved through self-restraint and discipline, along with meditation. Moksha or mokkha as it is called in Prakrit, the language of Jain texts is the ultimate aim of human life. In fact, as per Jainism, it is the only aim of human life worth having.
All other aims are subservient to it. Once the soul achieves nirvana salvation , it attains its true and pristine nature of bliss. One is released from the cycle of birth and rebirth of samsara or the material world.
A liberated soul is called Siddha. In Sikhism, the concept of salvation is known as Mukti. However, it is not as important as the devotion one has towards God. Guru Nanak, the most important of the Sikh preachers and the founder of the Sikh religion, recommends Naam Simran vocal singing of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib as the way to achieve nirvana. The concept of salvation in Christianity is complex, as various denominations within the Christian community understand it differently.
In Christianity, salvation is also known as redemption or liberation. In Christianity, not just the question of salvation, but how one partakes in this quest of salvation, through faith, baptism, and obedience to Christian doctrines, is also important.
It is a saving from the state or the conditions that destroy the value of human life. This is done by accepting flaming kusha twigs from the Doms' who are part of the Untouchable Hindu caste responsible for tending to funeral pyres. The body is now an offering to Agni, the god of fire. After cremation the ashes are collected and usually scattered in water. The River Ganges is considered the most sacred place to scatter ashes.
Similarly, Benares the home of Siva, Lord of destruction is a preferred place of death because it takes the pollution out of death and makes it a positive event.
Anyone who dies here breaks the cycle of life and achieves moksha enlightenment or release. It is important to remember that Hinduism is not only a religion but also a cultural way of life. Some practices and beliefs may not be common to all Hindus as regional differences occur. Search term:. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience.
Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving. Moksha Last updated All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
Attain kama by enjoying life's pleasures. Moksha is just one of the 4 major goals that most practicing Hindus hope to attain during their lifetime. Before you can reach moksha , you'll need to first work on mastering the other 3. You must enjoy these pleasures virtuously—your pleasure should not come at someone else's expense, and it's just as important to give kama as it is to receive it.
For example, you can give kama by performing music, creating art, or cooking delicious food for someone else. Work on reaching artha as you get older by building your wealth. As you move into adulthood and the prime of your life, you can achieve artha by building a fulfilling career and establishing a stable and successful household and family.
The goal is to grow the wealth and influence of your family, and to share the wealth you obtain with others. It's also important to achieve your success and wealth through honest, ethical means. Focus on behaving virtuously throughout your life to achieve dharma.
Dharma is difficult to translate into English, but it is related to the concepts of correctness, order, and balance. To achieve dharma essentially means to live your life ethically and according to your specific purpose, which varies depending on factors like your age, social status, and individual personality.
Prepare to work towards moksha after attaining the other purusharthas. It can take a lifetime to achieve the other 3 purusharthas , so don't try to rush into attaining moksha. For many people, working towards moksha means renouncing your place in society after living a full life enriched by simple enjoyment, familial and material success, and spiritual devotion.
Method 2. Let go of your desires and your ego. One of the most important components of achieving moksha is letting go of the things that tie you to your life in the physical world. Practice selfless acts of service, such as helping the sick or needy, to help you let go of your desires and attachments. Doing any kind of task, from cooking a meal to meditating, can be considered an act of service as long as you do it with the intention of helping others without expecting any reward in return.
Of course, wishing to achieve moksha is a desire in itself, but many Hindus consider the desire for moksha to be necessary for letting go of all other desires. Work on overcoming ignorance through study and meditation. Ignorance is an obstacle to achieving moksha. In order to overcome it, spend time meditating on ignorance and enlightenment. Some people do this by meditating on a specific god such as Krishna or on a general divine or creative force.
Focus on achieving self-control. Physical, mental, and emotional self-control are also key elements of achieving moksha. Work towards being able to: Remain calm and peaceful even when circumstances around you are chaotic and stressful.
Control your speech—i. Refrain from any sort of violence. Method 3. Try working with a guru if you need guidance. In many Hindu traditions, working with a guru, or spiritual teacher, is considered a vital part of achieving moksha.
Finding a guru can be difficult. Many practitioners of Hinduism believe that you will not find a guru by actively seeking one. Instead, you have to be patient and have faith that a guru will come to you when you are ready. Choose a yoga path that fits your personality. Practicing yoga is a popular path toward attaining moksha. Traditional yoga not only focuses on physical exercise, but also on meditation, spiritual study, and acts of service to others.
To achieve moksha through yoga, consider taking up one of the following yoga practices: Bhakti yoga : this form of yoga focuses on prayer, ritual worship, and the glorification of God.
Jnana yoga focuses on study, meditation, and spiritual enlightenment. Raja yoga is a classical form of yoga that focuses on physical control, concentration, meditation, and the study of morals and ethics. Karma yoga is centered around acts of selflessness and service to others.
Practice tapas if you prefer to work towards moksha alone. Tapas is the practice of self-discipline, and it is regarded in some traditions as the key to attaining moksha.
0コメント