What Is Salvation Or Liberation ? How To Achieve Moksha in Hinduism ?
How is salvation or moksha achieved ?
Every person wishes for the salvation (Moksha/मोक्ष). Many times, liberation (Mukthi/मुक्ति) and salvation are considered to be the same. Generally, it is taken to mean that getting rid of birth and death is liberation or salvation. Let's know the difference between the two.
Everyone is looking for permanent happiness and not temporary happiness. Permanent happiness, after which no kind of sorrow can touch you, is called liberation. The definition of liberation says, attaining the awareness of being free. Even while alive, the awareness of "I am free" will always be there.
If you want moksha (Salvation) from all your actions and want complete salvation, then you have to first get rid of ignorance (your self). Once ignorance is gone, you will see that things will be simple and straightforward. There will be peace and you will be free from your karma.
To attain Moksha (salvation) one has to spend his whole life in spiritual practice. Mahavira had to do severe penance to attain Kaivalya (salvation) and sages had to go through difficult practices of yoga and meditation to attain Samadhi. Hence, it is proved that it is very difficult to attain salvation.
Two stages of Moksha (Salvation)
There are two stages of salvation.
The first stage of moksha can be experienced in this life itself, but only after attaining enlightenment from a realized soul. In this stage of moksha, you experience the feeling of freedom from suffering in this very life.
The second state of moksha is attained when you are freed from all your actions: freedom from all attachments to worldly things. Not a single atom is connected to your soul. To attain this state, the soul must have had total and complete experience in its previous birth.
All this, from the base of this body only you can see each and every atom of the universe and then attain ultimate liberation (moksha). After all these experiences you can go to Moksha, the Siddha Kshetra (the permanent abode of all liberated souls).
Who can give Moksha or Salvation ?
Salvation is not attained through science but it is derived from experiential knowledge. The experience of knowledge can only be gained from the Guru (Gnani Purusha), who is in complete experience of the Self. The scriptures don't point out our mistakes, they address them all in a general format.
Can a picture of a lamp give light ? The limit of the scripture is like the painting of the lamp. True light can be given only by a Guru, who himself is a complete illuminator!
In Bhagavad gita Krishna says "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear".
Not knowing the path of liberation, the whole world wanders in ignorance and as a result, they get lost wherever they go. Ultimately, you have to go to the Guru if you want salvation.
Even when you have to go to the airport, you ask someone who knows the way there. But this path of salvation is narrow and complicated. If you attempt it on your own, you are bound to get lost, so find a Guru and follow in their footsteps.
What is wrong with this worldly life ? Why should one attain salvation ?
In our lives, we constantly practice some form of religion. After putting in so much effort, there should be some kind of result, but we don't know what kind of result we should get, and we just keep practicing. We do business for profit, marry, have children and buy houses with the intention that it will bring peace, but it also brings us unhappiness.
How can we be free from sorrow and attain everlasting happiness ? If we attain moksha, we are not only freed from suffering, but are also freed from our actions(Karma). That is why we should attain salvation.
How can you know whether you have attained salvation or not ?
When you are freed from ignorance of your own nature, you attain that state, which is free from all sorrows. In this state, you will feel something different, which you never felt in your life before self-realization.
By this experience, you will be able to see your mistakes and this is the proof that you have attained the first stage of salvation, because an awakened soul is unbiased. You can know this because you are a soul and the soul is the most important thing in this universe.
Can one experience such freedom or salvation while alive, or does one get such freedom after death ?
What is the point of having freedom after death ? This is how people get trapped in the promise of attaining salvation after death. Salvation is left in this life, then what is its meaning ? You should be able to feel or taste it right now. Otherwise, how can one be sure that there is such a thing as salvation ? You should have salvation in your hands, like a sum of cash. One should be able to experience salvation while alive.
Does the physical body remain in salvation ?
After enlightenment, you have to live in the knower-seeer, without any attachment-hatred (raaga-dvesha), so you do not need a physical body in the permanent abode of all liberated souls (siddha kshetra). The soul is capable of knowing and seeing without a physical body, as well as living in eternal bliss. Furthermore, the soul never dies, it is eternal and indestructible by nature.
What do you do in salvation ? What Happens When You Achieve Moksha ?
Once you attain Moksha then go to Siddha Kshetra (the permanent abode of completely liberated souls), you are the knower of the entire universe including humans, animals, plants, and other life-forms, the celestial world and the realm of existence of hellish beings. And in spite of being a seer, he remains in his own infinite bliss.
Does suicide bring salvation ?
No. The body is killed but no one can kill the soul. As long as there is mind, intellect and sanskar in the soul, a man is compelled to adopt a new body. This principle of karma works through the mind, intellect and culture, then it puts the soul in bondage, then there is no salvation by suicide.