Let’s delve deeper into moksha philosophy so that you might understand a new perspective and catch a glimpse of my greatest inspiration. When I first began learning about the concept of Moksha on my path to becoming a yoga teacher, it felt so true for me. All though these concepts are not something I had ever heard about before, It felt as if I already knew this divine wisdom in my heart. This knowledge along with what yoga philosophy refers to as the 4 Purusharthas were key contributors to the inspiration behind Moksha Pathways, so naturally I feel called to share these teachings with you.

Moksha Explained

Moksha essentially is the term used in many cultures for enlightenment or freedom from samsara, the cycle of birth & death governed by the law of karma. I like to refer to Moksha as the transcendent state we experience when we attain ultimate liberation. The teachings mention that this liberation can be attained through many pathways but ultimately all pathways lead to one. However, to truly understand Moksha it is useful to also understand the related concepts of Dharma, Karma and Samsara.

Dharma Explained

You may have heard dharma referred to in relation to purpose and while this is somewhat true, there is much more to it than that. Dharma has been translated as “that which supports”. It is the support of something within us, something that makes up the very essence of who we are. On a greater scale, it has been referred to as, that which supports the essential order and harmony of the universe that cannot be disturbed without courting chaos. It is in a sense the greater purpose of life hence why it is often translated as purpose. It is what we are here to achieve in order to restore more balance within ourselves and within the world. However, this is not an easy task discovering and aligning with our dharma and that is where karma comes into play.

Karma Explained

What comes to mind when most of us think of Karma is the statement “what goes around comes around” and although this is somewhat true it does not encompass the full truth. Karma refers to idea that every thought and every action has a reaction, a direct line back to us. We can often think of karma as something outside of our control when in fact we hold a great deal of control. We plant the seed of karma through our thoughts and allow this seed to grow by putting our attention on them. This is completely within our control if we put more effort into our ability to consciously observe our thoughts and where we are putting our attention. However, once we act on the seed of karma, there is no turning back, the karma is in play, the cycle has began and we will reap its reaction, good or bad. On a greater scale, karma is believed to extend beyond just one lifetime. It is believed that we reincarnate and that karma stays with us until the seed of karma has completed its cycle which sees us reaping the effects of karma even when that karma was not initiated within this lifetime. The completion of a cycle is determined by us in a sense learning what that karma has to teach us because ultimately it is those lessons that support us in aligning with our dharma and shining light on our unique pathway towards moksha so that we may not repeat the pattern and get lost in the cycle all over again which brings us to the concept of Samsara.

Samsara Explained

Samsara is referred to as the cycle of birth and death. It is the consistent cycle we live in from this lifetime to the next, bound to the material plain in an attempt to learn the lessons of our karma so that we might fulfil our dharma, attain freedom from Samsara, experience Moksha and achieve ultimate liberation.

The 4 Purusharthas Explained

The 4 Purusharthas are described as the 4 goals of humankind by the ancient sages. Purusha translating to individual or person and Artha translating to objective, meaning or pursuit. The 4 Purusharthas are, Artha translated to wealth, Kama translated to desire, Dharma translated to duty and Moksha translated to liberation. It is believed that by finding balance between the pursuit of these objectives, we will be supported in attaining the ultimate goal. However, it is important to note that these goals should not be viewed as separate as pursuing only one would only put the others out of balance. These goals are collective and it is in finding harmony between them that we discover our unique pathway to moksha.

Moksha Pathways

Moksha Pathways was built on the concept that we all have the opportunity to choose a pathway unique to our journey. That every pathway is divine because it is exactly what we may need to transform and awaken to our higher self and greatest potential. We believe that by being more intentional about balancing the mastery of our mind, the nourishment of our body, the connection to our spirit & the creation of our life, our unique pathway to moksha will be revealed. To delve deeper into the meaning behind these pathways, you are welcome to read the blog post The 4 Pathways to Liberation.