Talk:Moksa
By Swami Harshananda
moksa (‘liberation [from transmigratory existence]’)
The topic of bandha (bondage) and mokṣa (liberation) has been widely discussed in all the systems of Hindu philosophy.
Man is essentially the ātman, the pure spirit, of the nature of consciousness; but has somehow forgotten it and has identified himself with the body-mind complex. As a result, he is constantly undergoing transmigration, the cycle of birth-death-rebirth and so on. Whatever suffering a man undergoes, is due to this identification with the body and the mind, and consequent transmigration brought about by karma.
This cycle of transmigration, called ‘samsāra’, can be ended only by the realisation of the ātman. This again is achieved by the destruction of ajñāna or avidyā (ignorance) through jñāna (knowledge). Once this is done, mokṣa is attained.
Of course, there are other schools which advocate niṣkāma karma (action not motivated by selfish desires) or bhakti (devotion to God resulting in his grace)
as the means to moksa.
Mokṣa is posited as the final puruṣārtha, the ultimate goal of life.
The synonyms for mokṣa are: mukti, kaivalya and nirvāṇa.
See also BANDHA.
Some works like the Sutasamhitā (.Muktikhanda 3.28) describe four kinds of mukti or mokṣa as follows: sālokya (living in the same world as God); sārṅpya (having a form similar to that of God); sāmīpya (living near God); sāyujya (getting identified or united with God). These ideas seem to have existed in the Vedic literature itself (vide Taittirīya Samhitā 5.7.5.7; Aitareya Brāhmana 2.24; Brhadāranyaka Upanisad 1.3.22; Chāndogya Upanisad 2.20.2).
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore