In most families all over the world, you’d see that when a baby is born, from the very beginning, it’s taught to live life in a certain way.
“Do the right thing”, “Respect people”, “Study well”, “Earn well”, “Be responsible”, these are some of the phrases you’ll see being used by every parent or guardian who’s raising a child.
Have you ever stopped and wondered why it happens this way?
Leading a good and true life can perhaps give you happiness and peace, but is that all?
Is there a deeper meaning behind fulfilling one’s life’s responsibilities and taking care of one’s desires?
According to Hindu scriptures, yes, there is.
Your job in this world is not just to create a good life for yourself and others through physical and mental activities but also to choose to realize your higher consciousness.
This consciousness is the true destination of your soul. And when you keep doing the right things, your soul continues to get purified.
Until, one day, you realize you’re your soul’s true potential. That’s the day your soul is liberated and becomes free of all the bondages of human life.
This liberation is also known as Moksha in Hinduism.
Now, let’s discuss the true meaning and the most important ideas behind the concept of Moksha and the freedom of the soul.
We’ll also take a look at the ways to achieve Moksha.
What is Moksha Meaning?
The Moksha definition, according to Hindu philosophy, is the liberation of the soul from the cycle of birth and death. This cycle is also called samsara.
It’s common knowledge in all faiths that human beings have souls. But according to Hinduism, all beings have souls, not just humans.
Yes, everything that lives and breathes, including an amoeba, has a soul.
The plants in your garden, the bees that hum by your flowers, the bird that feeds its younglings on the branch of a tree, the neighbourhood cat, they all have souls.
And each of these breathing beings, and most importantly humans, are on this planet because their souls are going through a constant journey.
This is the journey of birth and death. It’s a cycle that the soul cannot free itself from unless it attains liberation or Moksha.
So, in other words, Moksha means freedom, liberation, or salvation.
The soul is immortal. It doesn’t die when a person passes away.
Rather, it weighs all the good and the bad deeds carried out by the being in their lifetime, and all their past lifetimes, and based on the cumulative effect, decides on which body to flow into next.
And it’s not even necessary that the next body will be that of another human being. It can be any being.
But if, as a human, your good deeds outweigh your bad ones, your soul is more likely to go into a body with higher enlightenment.
This process continues until the time comes where the soul has only good karma, at the end of which, it achieves Moksha.
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Moksha And The Four Purusharthas
Well, so now, if you already know from the beginning that your soul’s ultimate goal is to reach Moksha, can’t you just skip some lives and attain that stage?
As exciting as that may sound, it’s not doable.
And this is because if you’re born into this world, particularly as a human, you must fulfill certain life goals before you can reach Moksha.
These life goals are known as purusharthas.
The word can be broken down into two Sanskrit words, ‘Purusha‘ and ‘Artha‘. ‘Purusha’ means human and ‘Artha’ means purpose.
Going through a human life isn’t easy. Sometimes you will struggle a lot.
And that’s why the knowledge of these 4 purusharthas can guide you on your journey.
Interestingly, Moksha is one of the 4 purusharthas, albeit the final one.
Let’s briefly see what the other three are.
1. Dharma
The idea of Dharma is to lead a life of truth and righteousness.
Doing the right thing, helping others in need, showing love and compassion, are some of the attributes of Dharma.
By following a path of Dharma, you can maintain a sort of stability and order in your life. It makes you level-headed, prevents you from going astray, and keeps you lawful and virtuous at all times.
2. Artha
Artha means wealth. Well, there’s no denying that we need some amount of wealth to stay alive.
The need for Artha is why most people work, although that shouldn’t be the sole reason for working.
But Artha is necessary to live in the material world and to fulfill all your needs. The key is to not be greedy but only amass as much wealth as you truly need.
When gaining wealth, it’s crucial to never stray from the path of your Dharma.
3. Kama
Kama means pleasure. And contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about sensual pleasure.
Kama is anything that gives you happiness and enjoyment, such as art & literature, the company of friends, kindness & compassion, and so on.
It’s important to have some kind of passion or desire because this urges you to do the…
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