Question

What is liberation to a Hindu? Is it the same as "heaven"? Why or why not? Why might a person seek this kind of liberation? What does it offer? write a paragraph

Answer 1

Hinduism's ultimate goal is Moksha or liberation (total liberty). This is the personal and direct realization of one's true self, liberating one from rebirth cycles, or Samsara. This realization is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi and is the culmination of yoga that is totally transcendent.

Neither dying nor going to heaven is true liberation, according to Hinduism. Death is a simple body release, but not Nature's hold. A soul may wander on earth upon death, stuck temporarily in the middle planes or one of the heavens, or attain liberation. We've got a lot of heavens and hells. We have the ancestral heaven, the heaven of Indra, the heaven of Brahma, the heaven of Vishnu, the heaven of Shiva, and Brahman's supreme, immoral heaven. Then we have a series of seven bright worlds over the earth and seven dark worlds under the earth, according to some accounts.

Following their deeds and devotion, people may go to any of them upon their death. Those who worship and attain liberation Vishnu and Shiva go to their respective heavens, namely Vaikuntah and Kailasa. Devotees of both gods, who worship them as the universe lords, claim to be the highest worlds, just like Brahman's world in the Sun.

Those who go back there to take another birth again and continue their existence on earth. After birth, they will continue to repeat this cycle birth until they are completely free of karma. The Upanishads therefore warn people not to get too involved with the world or with rites and rituals, as they lead to the ancestral world rather than the immortal heaven.

Liberation is the primary goal of all people. It is not only an essential purpose of human life (purushartha) but also the highest of all goals (paramartha), which can be pursued by men and women as well as young and old alike. For both householders and renunciants, the Vedas recommend it. It has to be pursued by householders as part of their obligatory duties that are ordained by God and intended for the order and regularity of the world and the upholding of Dharma. Renunciants have to pursue it as a part of their vows and according to the path or the teacher tradition they follow.