The concept of Moksha
Hinduism calls it Moksha, Buddhism calls it Nirvana. These two concepts, very similar to each other, separates the eastern theology from the western theology. The two major western theologies, namely Christianity and Islam, have the concept of heaven and hell. The idea there is that if you do good in this life you go to heaven and if you do bad you go to hell. Quite a simple concept to understand. More like a commercial transaction. But what they fail to do is explain where Heaven or Hell is located ? Is it on this planet or is in Mars or Jupiter ?
But Hinduism and Buddhism have really tried to explain what life is all about. They both recognize that there's no physical existence of Heaven or Hell. For an individual any living moment could be heaven or hell. You don't have to really die to experience Heaven or Hell. Heaven is happiness and Hell is sadness. When we exclaim that "I feel like being in heaven" it really means we are in heaven. This is more a state of mind. But what is Moksha then ?
Moksha refers to the balance you attain with respect to your environment. Is this attainable only when you die ? Not necessarily. But it is very difficult to attain Moksha when you are alive. For the simple reason that human mind is very difficult to control and satisfy. You could be married to Aishwarya Rai or Milind Soman but you are tempted to think about another man or woman. There's nothing wrong with it for a human. It's the nature in play. Every life form in this planet is tuned to attract and get attracted. Or you could be disturbed by something happening in your neighborhood, a new construction or a new thing bought by your neighbor. Everyday happenings around you make you feel to want something. This want will prevent you from attaining moksha while living.
It is for this reason that the sages and rishis essentially chose forest to go and meditate. In a forest you are one with the environment. Here its not the forest that is important but the environment that is important. Moksha is attained when you are in tune with the environment. The rishis could have and have chosen other places to meditate like Mountains or snowy caps or even desert regions.
When you attain balance with the surrounding environment you don't feel that you deserve anything special. You are happy with what you have. You are not aware of the concept of haves and have-nots. Whatever comes your way you accept it as it is. You do not crave for anything because you are unaware of its existence in the first place. Craving happens only when you know something exists and you are aware that you do not have it in your possession. It is very difficult to suppress the craving when you are aware of it. Therefore the Rishis and sages simply determined that "Ignorance is Bliss".
So is going to the forest the only way to attain Moksha ? This is where Hinduism and Buddhism starts to differ. Buddhism vehemently believes that Nirvana is achievable only by sages. But Hinduism believes that Moksha is attainable by ordinary morsels too. And it says that one can achieve Moksha by following any of the following paths
commonly called Yogas.
1. Raja Yoga
2. Karma Yoga
3. Bhakti Yoga
4. Gyana or Jnana Yoga.
Every Individual in this planet is involved in one of the four activities defined by the ancient varna system. Some of us are rulers, some of us are warriors and businessmen, some of us are artisans and some are involved in the pursuit of knowledge. Hindu philosophy says that depending on your personal level of tolerance you can follow any of the four Margas or Yogas to achieve Moksha.
Raja Yoga involves Physical techniques to attain Moksha. It involves physical practices that teaches you the concept of Sathya, Ahimsa and Concentration. It is highly suited for leaders, kings and rulers. Are you one who is always leading the charge then this is a good method for you to attain Moksha. The philosophy is simple, when you practice Raja Yoga you imbibe the qualities required of a true leader that gives your mind peace of mind. When you achieve this peace of mind you are in balance with environment which is nothing but Moksha.
Karma Yoga involves action or duty. There are set prescriptions for this technique. It's mental jihad that you have to wage within yourself to do the best in the job you have undertaken. Yes I did use the word Jihad and am fully aware of it. Jihad in its pure form is a battle that you wage inside yourself but unfortunately it is being used in the same meaning as a crusade nowadays. The other important highlight is that it is a job that you have undertaken. It's not a job that's handed down to you. Majority of us feel so vexed with our work because it's not our choice. Karma Yoga applies to all sorts of people. It's a very expansive in its definition.
Bhakti Yoga is what was practiced by Saints like Sri Thyagarajar. Some schools further split Bhakti Yoga in to Natya Yoga but to me they are essentially the same. A soulful rendition of the Lord's attribute, love that makes the performer lose himself. One another important aspect of Bhakti Yoga is that it not only affects the performer but also those who are watching the performance. This is the effect one gets when one listens to Shrimati M.S.Subbulakshmi in the morning. Not only has she given herself to that rendition she draws us in to it too.
Jnana Yoga is that is what practiced by sidhdhars, munis, rishis and sages. If you are inclined to doing research this is your path. Sri Ramana Maharishi who dedicated his life in to explaining the philosophies to hundreds of thousands of his disciples is a great example of a person following this path. Now should this be just some kind of metaphysical phenomenon alone. I don't think so. Are you in biomolecular research, then you are involved in the expansion of Jnana and you are practicing Jnana yoga.
The key to achieving Moksha is to essentially understand that it does not require any extra effort on your part. The truth is we put extra effort in weaning ourselves away from Moksha. If we believe that what we are on the path to Moksha by doing what we enjoy doing and doing it the best possible way, we will achieve the balance with our environment. Let us strive towards that and Good luck in your effort.
But Hinduism and Buddhism have really tried to explain what life is all about. They both recognize that there's no physical existence of Heaven or Hell. For an individual any living moment could be heaven or hell. You don't have to really die to experience Heaven or Hell. Heaven is happiness and Hell is sadness. When we exclaim that "I feel like being in heaven" it really means we are in heaven. This is more a state of mind. But what is Moksha then ?
Moksha refers to the balance you attain with respect to your environment. Is this attainable only when you die ? Not necessarily. But it is very difficult to attain Moksha when you are alive. For the simple reason that human mind is very difficult to control and satisfy. You could be married to Aishwarya Rai or Milind Soman but you are tempted to think about another man or woman. There's nothing wrong with it for a human. It's the nature in play. Every life form in this planet is tuned to attract and get attracted. Or you could be disturbed by something happening in your neighborhood, a new construction or a new thing bought by your neighbor. Everyday happenings around you make you feel to want something. This want will prevent you from attaining moksha while living.
It is for this reason that the sages and rishis essentially chose forest to go and meditate. In a forest you are one with the environment. Here its not the forest that is important but the environment that is important. Moksha is attained when you are in tune with the environment. The rishis could have and have chosen other places to meditate like Mountains or snowy caps or even desert regions.
When you attain balance with the surrounding environment you don't feel that you deserve anything special. You are happy with what you have. You are not aware of the concept of haves and have-nots. Whatever comes your way you accept it as it is. You do not crave for anything because you are unaware of its existence in the first place. Craving happens only when you know something exists and you are aware that you do not have it in your possession. It is very difficult to suppress the craving when you are aware of it. Therefore the Rishis and sages simply determined that "Ignorance is Bliss".
So is going to the forest the only way to attain Moksha ? This is where Hinduism and Buddhism starts to differ. Buddhism vehemently believes that Nirvana is achievable only by sages. But Hinduism believes that Moksha is attainable by ordinary morsels too. And it says that one can achieve Moksha by following any of the following paths
commonly called Yogas.
1. Raja Yoga
2. Karma Yoga
3. Bhakti Yoga
4. Gyana or Jnana Yoga.
Every Individual in this planet is involved in one of the four activities defined by the ancient varna system. Some of us are rulers, some of us are warriors and businessmen, some of us are artisans and some are involved in the pursuit of knowledge. Hindu philosophy says that depending on your personal level of tolerance you can follow any of the four Margas or Yogas to achieve Moksha.
Raja Yoga involves Physical techniques to attain Moksha. It involves physical practices that teaches you the concept of Sathya, Ahimsa and Concentration. It is highly suited for leaders, kings and rulers. Are you one who is always leading the charge then this is a good method for you to attain Moksha. The philosophy is simple, when you practice Raja Yoga you imbibe the qualities required of a true leader that gives your mind peace of mind. When you achieve this peace of mind you are in balance with environment which is nothing but Moksha.
Karma Yoga involves action or duty. There are set prescriptions for this technique. It's mental jihad that you have to wage within yourself to do the best in the job you have undertaken. Yes I did use the word Jihad and am fully aware of it. Jihad in its pure form is a battle that you wage inside yourself but unfortunately it is being used in the same meaning as a crusade nowadays. The other important highlight is that it is a job that you have undertaken. It's not a job that's handed down to you. Majority of us feel so vexed with our work because it's not our choice. Karma Yoga applies to all sorts of people. It's a very expansive in its definition.
Bhakti Yoga is what was practiced by Saints like Sri Thyagarajar. Some schools further split Bhakti Yoga in to Natya Yoga but to me they are essentially the same. A soulful rendition of the Lord's attribute, love that makes the performer lose himself. One another important aspect of Bhakti Yoga is that it not only affects the performer but also those who are watching the performance. This is the effect one gets when one listens to Shrimati M.S.Subbulakshmi in the morning. Not only has she given herself to that rendition she draws us in to it too.
Jnana Yoga is that is what practiced by sidhdhars, munis, rishis and sages. If you are inclined to doing research this is your path. Sri Ramana Maharishi who dedicated his life in to explaining the philosophies to hundreds of thousands of his disciples is a great example of a person following this path. Now should this be just some kind of metaphysical phenomenon alone. I don't think so. Are you in biomolecular research, then you are involved in the expansion of Jnana and you are practicing Jnana yoga.
The key to achieving Moksha is to essentially understand that it does not require any extra effort on your part. The truth is we put extra effort in weaning ourselves away from Moksha. If we believe that what we are on the path to Moksha by doing what we enjoy doing and doing it the best possible way, we will achieve the balance with our environment. Let us strive towards that and Good luck in your effort.
posted by Karthik S at
9:22 AM
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