Download Achieving Moksha - Jessica Martindale

Achieving
Moksha
World Religions
Summer 2013
Jessica Martindale
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become
your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values
become your destiny.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
For my religious paper I attended a puja, or a Hindu religious service, at the Sri Ganesha
temple. The main focus was to learn more about the meaning of Samsara and how to be released
from it, achieving Moksha. While I was there I interviewed a consistent worshiper name Gita.
One of the first things she told me was that Hinduism isn’t just a religion; it’s a way of life. This
sparked my interest into learning more about how to live your life in order to achieve Moksha.
According to the book, World Religions, by Warren Matthews, samsara is the Hindu
concept of the wheel of rebirth that turns forever (Matthews p 80).
“In the Western world, samsara is commonly known as reincarnation. Samsara
represents the cycle of life, death, and rebirth in which a person carries his or her own
karma. Each life cycle presents an opportunity for balance.
Therefore, an individual may experience effects from past lives, although the
circumstances may be totally different. In fact, many Hindus believe that a person's
worldly status depends upon actions in a past life. Likewise, good thoughts and actions
can liberate a person. Some Hindus believe that certain people meet in more than one
life in order to achieve karmic balance. Thus, every relationship and situation becomes
meaningful.
What happens, then, when a person becomes purified? Is reincarnation an eternal
process, or is there another realm? The answer lies in moksha,” (waupun.k12.wi.us
Hindu Beliefs)
When talking to Gita, she told me that to her samsara is the worldly things or the world.
Your thoughts, wants, desires, etc. is what keeps samsara going. Samsara is clinging to those
things. Gita said that you will always have wants and thoughts, even if you are in the middle of
the jungle alone you are still going to think. When you have a want or thought, you put out
karma. Many people know of the concept of karma, what goes around comes around. But Hindus
believe there is more to it than that. Karma can ultimately decide your next life. For example
they have what is called the caste system. Some Hindus don’t practice this anymore but it is
found in the scripture called the Bhagavad-Gita (Matthews p 81). Basically the caste system is a
way of putting people into a social order. At the bottom of the caste you have the shudras. If you
are a shudra, you are a servant, you do the dirty work. Being a shudra, you want to be higher and
be at the top of the caste and be a Brahmin. Well what are you going to do? Many westerners
would say work hard and try to be at the top. On the contrary a Hindu believes that you be the
best Shudra you can be and that will put off good karma. In putting of good karma when you die,
you will be reborn into a higher caste. You will have to work your way up that way. This is one
way of salvation none as the Karma Yoga (Class Notes Handout 4).
According to Hindus there are many ways to salvation, or achieve Moksha. When I went
to the Sri Ganesha temple, I saw many shoes outside of the front. This was because you are
considered unclean and so you should leave your shoes outside, at least that’s how Gita
explained it. I took off my shoes and went inside; the smell of incense was everywhere. Shrines
stood in the front to represent each of the Gods they chose to worship. I had previously been to
this temple before and was told to walk around three times so I began my journey around the
small room. Of course I went in the wrong direction, and Gita was so kind to point it out. After
the first time around, I noticed a group of people sitting around a small shrine and the priest
began to chant. I asked Gita what they were doing; it was called a Puja, a religious service. But
this one was a specific Puja. They were thanking the lords for giving them a healthy baby girl.
After a woman has a baby she is considered unclean for about a month and a half and cannot go
into the temple. She explained to me that when you want something you pray to the Lords or
Gods to help you get it. Then when you get it, you basically dedicate it to them, saying thank you
for this it is now yours. Even if it’s a new car or phone or child you do this.You have to bargain
with the Gods. They consider this a way to detach from your wants or desires. They feel that if
you are willing to give your worldly items to the Gods then you are not clinging to them. Gita
told me that everything is the same it doesn’t matter if it is gold, silver, or diamonds, you have to
think the same of them as you see dirt. There is no difference and you should see everything the
same. This is putting out good karma as well as giving you a way to worship the Gods. This is
one way to begin releasing from Samsara. This is similar to the Bhakti Yoga is popular
Hinduism. Bhakti Yoga is the way of devotion basically surrendering to God’s Grace (Class
Notes Handout 4).
Another step towards achieving Moksha is by going to the temple. Many Hindus will
have a shrine on their home for personal worship. But sometimes it feels like that isn’t good
enough. When that is the case, you go to the temple and pray to the Gods. Gita told me that the
temple is dedicated in a way. When they first build the temples the priests come and chant
around the shrines harnessing the energy of the stars and applying it to the shrines. The main
God in the middle, Ganesha in this case, is filled with 4,000 watts of energy. It is so powerful
that Hindus believe they can not to close to it because they are unclean. To harness that energy
and bring home with you, you must walk around the shrine saying the name of whichever God
you prefer. Gita said “The first thing that comes out of my mouth when I walk into the temple is
Krishna, I just keep saying Krishna, Krishna because he is the Lord that appeals to me.” It
doesn’t matter how many times you walk around, it is a personal preference. “You can walk
around once, you can walk around 108 times it doesn’t matter as long as you are doing it, I once
walked around 108 time because I felt like I needed to,” Gita said. When you walk around you
are gaining that energy and you can take it back home. Also going to the temple helps you
because you can bargain with the Gods and you begin to lose your thoughts and you can
meditate and focus. There is a prayer between you and the Gods. “Prayer is not asking. It is a
longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart
without words than words without a heart,” (Mahatma Gandhi). According to my research, the
temples are there to break down the wall between man and God. (religiousfacts.com). this can
also be considered Jnana Yoga or the way of knowledge ultimately releasing your atman, or soul
in popular Hinduism (Class Notes Handout 4).
Another way of achieving Moksha is called Raja Yoga in popular Hinduism (Class Notes
Handout 4). This is the way of Physical discipline. This is not very popular but it is the most
widely known. This is what most people consider Yoga or meditation. In order to practice Raja
Yoga you have to create balance in your body through Yoga. This balance can also be referred to
as the Chakras. Chakras are the spinning wheels of alignment; you have to keep them balanced.
There are you usually seven spokes on the wheel representing the seven chakras. The goal of the
chakras is to become like a Kundalini or the coiled serpent. “It is reported that Kundalini
awakening results in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss, in practical terms, one of the
most commonly reported Kundalini experiences is the feeling of an electric current running
along the spine” (wikipedia.com Kundalini). The seven main chakras are the root, sacral, solar
plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown. You have to start from the bottom and work your way
up aligning each one as you go. Once you have become totally aligned and balanced you can
move up to the next chakra. After reaching the crown, you have achieved Moksha, or
Enlightenment.
After discussing the term Moksha its time to define what that is. “Hindus strive to reach
Moksha, or a state of changeless bliss. Moksha is achieved by living a life of religious devotion
and moral integrity without any interest in worldly things. However, it may be many lifetimes
within the wheel of life before Moksha is achieved. The ultimate reward is release from Samsara
and union with God,” (waupun.k12.wi.us - Hindu Beliefs). When I asked Gita, she replied with
“Moksha is when you lose your thoughts and are at peace, it is not easy to get to. The more you
try to get to Moksha the more thoughts you have.” Moksha is a release from the soul.
Connecting yourself with Brahman. After letting go and releasing from Samsara, you can
achieve Moksha. No one can really explain what it is like to be there though. I asked Gita if it
was different for everyone, she told me that to her understanding, it is the same for everyone
once you get there, but how you get there is an individual thing.
In conclusion, Samsara can be the wheel of rebirth or even your wants or your desires. It
all depends on how you perceive it. The goal is to ultimately achieve Moksha and be released
from the continous cycle of life. But you have to work to get there. It may take many tries, and
many lives before you get there. The point is to keep trying and strive to put out good karma in
whatever way you choose. To be a Hindu is not just being religious it is also living your life the
way a good Hindu would. The best way I feel I can put it is, “Keep your thoughts positive
because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words
become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits.
Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive
because your values become your destiny.” –Mahatma Gandhi.
Bibliography
"Mahatma Gandhi Quotes." Mahatma Gandhi Quotes (Author of The Story of My Experiments
With Truth). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 July 2013
BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 01 July 2013.
Hindu Beliefs." Hindu Beliefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 July 2013.
Matthews, Alfred Warren. "Religions of India." World Religions. St. Paul, MN: West Pub., 1991.
N. pag. Print.