Test Your Knowledge on Moksha

Moksha is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism that refers to various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In Hinduism, moksha is the utmost aim of human life, along with dharma, artha, and kama. Moksha means freedom from saṃsāra, the cycle of death and rebirth, and freedom from ignorance: self-realization, self-actualization, and self-knowledge. Moksha is a concept associated with saṃsāra, and it can be attained while one is on earth (jivanmukti) or eschatologically (karmamukti, videhamukti). Moksha has been defined as the presence of the state of paripurna-brahmanubhava, a state of knowledge, peace, and bliss. Moksha is more than liberation from a life-rebirth cycle of suffering; it includes psychological liberation from fears and ignorance. Many schools of Hinduism see moksha as a state of perfection achievable by the same techniques necessary to practice dharma. The concept of moksha appears much later in ancient Indian literature than the concept of dharma. Starting with the middle Upanishad era, moksha is a major theme in many Upanishads. The concept of moksha represented one of the many expansions in Hindu Vedic ideas of life and the afterlife. Vaishnavism suggests that dharma and moksha cannot be two different or sequential goals or states of life.Overview of Moksha in Hindu Philosophy

• Moksha was not recognized by some schools of Hindu philosophy for centuries, and some considered heaven as sufficient to answer the question of what lay beyond this world after death.
• The origins of samsara and moksha are unclear, but they likely originated with new religious movements in the first millennium BCE.
• Moksha appears in three forms: Vedic, yogic, and bhakti.
• Synonyms for moksha include nirvana and kaivalya, but each concept has different premises in different religions.
• The six major orthodox schools of Hinduism disagree over whether moksha can be achieved in this life or only after this life.
• Sāmkhya and Yoga systems of religious thought are mokshaśāstras, meaning they are systems of salvific liberation and release.
• The Vedantic school of Hinduism suggests the first step towards moksha begins with mumuksutva, or the desire for liberation.
• The Advaita tradition considers moksha achievable by removing avidya, or ignorance.
• The Dvaita traditions define moksha as the loving, eternal union with God.
• The Vishistadvaita tradition, led by Ramanuja, defines avidya and moksha differently from the Advaita tradition.
• The four essential conditions for commencing on the path of moksha include vivekah, viragah, samah, and damah.
• The eight limbs of yoga can be interpreted as a way to liberation (moksha).Overview of Moksha in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism

Hinduism:

• Moksha is the liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and the ultimate goal of human life in Hinduism.
• It is achieved through spiritual knowledge and devotion to God, and it is a state of eternal bliss and union with God.
• There are different paths to attain moksha in Hinduism, including karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana yoga.
• The concept of jivanmukti refers to the liberation and freedom attained within one's life, and it is a state that transforms the nature, attributes, and behaviors of an individual.
• Balinese Hinduism incorporates moksha as one of five tattwas, and it refers to the possibility of unity with the divine.

Buddhism:

• The term "moksha" is uncommon in Buddhism, but an equivalent term is vimutti, which means "release."
• With release comes Nirvana, which is the state of complete liberation, enlightenment, and highest happiness.
• Nirvana ends the cycle of Dukkha and rebirth in the six realms of Saṃsāra.
• According to Gombrich, the distinction between ceto-vimutti and panna-vimutti may be a later development, which resulted in a change of doctrine, regarding the practice of dhyana to be insufficient for final liberation.

Jainism:

• Moksha and nirvana are one and the same in Jainism, and it is the ultimate spiritual goal.
• It defines moksha as the spiritual release from all karma, and it is attained through the path of three jewels: Samyak darśana, Samyak jnana, and Samyak charitra.
• The liberated pure soul (Siddha) goes up to the summit of the universe (Siddhashila) and dwells there in eternal bliss.

Sikhism:

• The Sikh concept of mukti is similar to other Indian religions, and it refers to spiritual liberation.
• It is described in Sikhism as the state that breaks the cycle of rebirths, and it is obtained through God's grace.
• Sikhism recommends Naam Simran as the way to mukti, which is meditating and repeating the Naam (names of God).

How much do you know about Moksha, the concept of liberation and enlightenment in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism? Take this quiz and test your knowledge on the different paths to attain Moksha, the meaning of Nirvana, and the various interpretations of this concept in different religious traditions. Learn about the six major orthodox schools of Hinduism and their different views on whether Moksha can be achieved in this life or only after death. Discover the Jain path to spiritual