Moksha and Nirvana: liberation concepts in Hindu and Buddhist traditions

¶ … Buddhism and Hinduism

Both the terms and concepts of Moksha and Nirvana refer to liberation from the binding ties of Maya or earthly illusion. Both concepts are linked to the ideal of enlightenment and realization or spiritual awakening which leads to release from the suffering of continual rebirth or Karma. However, these concepts are also related to different religious and spiritual traditions. As a result there are subtle differences that can be discerned in the way that these terms are understood in different traditions. The following discussion will explore these different meaning of Moksha and Nirvana and the differences and similarities of these terms in the Hindu and Buddhist philosophical and spiritual traditions.

Moksha in Hindu Tradition

Traditional Hindu belief is that the present life or mundane existence is the result of past actions, feelings and perceptions from numerous lifetimes. This is the process of reincarnation which is aimed at eventual liberation the cycle of birth and death. As in Buddhism, the ultimate goal of the Hindu philosophy and faith is release from the continual cycle of birth and death. This liberation from the cycle of illusionary existence is known as Moksha. In other words, it is through the liberation that is offered by the process of Moksha, which is seeing through and illusionary nature of ordinary reality, that freedom is achieved and the cycle of birth and death is broken or transcended. The state of liberation is also referred to as achieving Nirvana.

In essence, the general Hindu understanding of Moksha is that it is mukti or a radical change of consciousness . This refers to the radical change from a mundane or worldly state of consciousness to a higher and transformed consciousness. An extremely important aspect of this view and of the concept of Moksha is that enlightenment also implies, in some cases, a union of the individual soul with the world soul or Brahaman. It is in this area of discourse which deals with a personalized union with God as opposed to a depersonalized dualistic view of liberation that we find different interpretations of Moksha in the Hindu traditions.

Moksha is therefore seen, from one perspective in Hinduism, as the realization and understanding of one's true being once the experiential world of duality has been exposed and overcome. This is referred to in Hindu philosophy as pure consciousness; which is a state of being that can only be described as ineffable and beyond dualistic descriptions through language. This view refers mainly to the Advaita Vedanta tradition in Hinduism.

However, while the essential aspect of liberation through Moksha is common to all traditions, the Dvaita tradition has a slightly different view of this ultimate union between man and God. This tradition is more dualistic in that the union between man and divine in the process of Moksha is not seen as total or complete, as this tradition believes that there are essential differences between man and God that cannot be overcome.

The Dvaita School, inaugurated by Madhvacharyam, differs from the Advaita school of thought in that Dvaita means dualism in Sanskrit and Advaita refers to a non-dualistic perception of Moksha and liberation. The central crux of the dualism inherent in Dvaita philosophy is that there are inherent and absolute differences in reality; for example, between the God and the soul or between God and matter or the material world. There are also further qualitative distinctions in this philosophy, such as the difference between the soul and matter. These differences are not superficial but rather inherent and qualitative and hence this philosophy is dualistic in that it see a coalescence and dissolving of illusionary opposites as does Advaita.

The result of this stance in terms of Moksha is that, if Moksha is seen as a union with God, then it is not possible because of the inherent differences between man and God. In Dvaita philosophy therefore, liberation or Moksha consists essentially in reflecting God's glory through Bhakti or loving devotion.

This view differs markedly from the Advaita school of thought. Advaita stresses the view that only the Absolute Self exists and that all else is false or illusionary. In this light liberation of Moksha consists of the understanding and realization that all difference and individuality is illusion and that the aim of Moksha is the transcendence of these opposites and becoming one with the Absolute or pure undifferentiated consciousness. This non-dualistic view means that Moksha is achieved when the oneness or unity of all things is realized. This central tenet is in strong contrast to the dualism of Dvaita and is closer in many respects to Buddhist perceptions.

Furthermore, Dvaita also posits a personal and independent God, known as Vishnu. Ignorance that prevents liberation and Moksha is therefore an ignorance of the true nature of God. From this perspective liberation can only be achieved through the grace of God and through decoction to God. This view can be contrasted to the Advaita School. Liberation in the context of Advaita thinking consists of the false illusion of individuality and the realization of undifferentiated consciousness.

3. Brief comparison

As noted above, there are many similarities between the Hindu and Buddhist views of Nirvana and Moksha. Both religions seek release from the binding illusions of the world. In essence, the Hindi and Buddhist views are on the same path and have the same aim -- whether we refer to nirvana, enlightenment or Moksha.

However, there are many different emphases in the different religions due to cultural and historical antecedents; which lead to tangibly different perspectives. In general we could say that Hindu views of Moksha are more personalized and non-dualistic than some of the main forms of Buddhism -- however this would not be true in all cases of comparison. .

In order or briefly compare Buddhism and Hinduism in terms of the concept of Nirvana we have to generalize to some extent. Central to most Buddhist schools of thought is the non-duality of reality. In this view reality and enlightenment can only be described in terms of nothingness and emptiness. This does not refer however to vacuity of loss of meaning, as would be the common Western interpretation. Emptiness, as we also find in some Hindu philosophies like Advaita, is the eternal emptiness that is beyond dualism and which is rich with possibilities that far exceed the dualities of the ordinary world. In most Buddhist schools of thought we understand the search for Nirvana as the personal search for enlightenment and understanding of existence beyond ordinary duality. This is also reflected in Advaita Hinduism.

Another important area of comparison is the rejection of a personal God or the concept of God as part of the realization of Nirvana. This is evident in all forms of Buddhism and in Advaita Hinduism. However, the Dvaita school of thought and other forms of Hinduism tend to place emphasis on God or Gods as essential for enlighten.

There are many other similarities and differences between these two faiths, which would take as few books to discuss. In the final analysis we could argue that in general the tendency in Buddhism in terms of the understanding of Nirvana and salvation is towards a view that is grounded in transcendent and non-dualistic terms. In the same sense we could argue that generally there is a greater emphasis on God or gods in Hinduism and on the more dualistic notions of Nirvana.