This world is called realm of painful suffering - Samsara. 'Samsara' is a Sanskrit word meaning 'repeated passing of souls through different worlds,' which also means going through the cycle of repeated births and deaths. This world is also metaphorically called as 'bhava-sagara' or 'samsara-sagara,' ocean of worldliness. Individual soul cannot cross it without the knowledge of his true nature, that is Divine Self, or without the Grace of the God. The soul swims without any specific direction, gets exhausted, and perishes without crossing to the shore of Infinite Bliss, only to be reborn again and again to repeat the same cycle. Many a verse and parable is written to exemplify the plight of ignorant beings in their unsuccessful attempt to cross this 'ocean of worldliness' by various means. For instance, some think that bliss lies in sense enjoyment, some try to earn name and fame, power and position, still others believe that the goal can be reached through such endeavors as acquiring knowledge of physical sciences and scriptures. However, all such crude or refined acts, in the last analysis, do not release the soul from fateful cycle of birth and death.
Then, what is Liberation? How does and by what means does one achieve Freedom?
Different schools of Hindu philosophy give different answers to these questions. Although they might appear disparate, one common basis about Liberation in all these schools is that the soul attains to Moksha when it realizes God, thus becoming free from the ignorance about its true nature. What is this ignorance, and what is the real nature of the soul? And how does ignorance veil the mind and intellect of the soul? Various Teachers and founder persons of six schools of thought discuss and elaborate these points in their own peculiar way, and accordingly the definition and means to achieve Freedom also appears different.
Liberation according to the Dvaita School of Philosophy
Dvaita or dualistic school of Vedanta maintains that the soul gets freedom only after the death. A person cannot become totally Free from the Ignorance while still living in human body. However, the human body is essential for the purification of mind, and thus making the aspirant fit for Liberation. These spiritual disciplines and scriptural injunctions a sadhaka has to undertake or follow are 1) internal and external purity of body, mind, and speech, 2) leading ethical and moral life of austerity, non-violence, non-attachment to senses, 3) total surrender to the Will of God, forbearance, and devotional worship and meditation on the Chosen Deity (like Vishnu, Hari, Sri Krishna). Following such not so easy life pattern the aspirant becomes fit for release or Moksha through the Grace of God. Some Dvaita philosophers maintain that everybody cannot attain to Moksha, only a select few become Free with God's Grace. Further, we find four grades of Moksha:
Salokya - soul reaches the world of Ishta Devata and enjoys life there,
Samipya - soul enjoys extreme proximity to the Lord,
Sarupya - acquires the form of God and enjoys intense Bliss, and
Sayujya - soul becomes blissfully one with God.
Moksha according to qualified non-dualism (Vishishthadvaita philosophy)
This school of thought also does not accept Liberation while still living in the body. A person can be liberated only after the death. The concept of Moksha is more or less similar to Dvaita system. However, no great emphasis is laid on grades. The soul through spiritual disciplines and most importantly by way of total surrender to God and by His Grace reaches Vaikuntha, the world of Vishnu, and blissfully lives forever in a spiritual body in the company of his chosen Ideal. The soul acquires many divine powers, but cannot create, sustain, or dissolve the world as Ishwara or God can do. The individual soul does not become God, but is subservient to His Will. The only path to reach the Lord and attain Moksha is through Bhakti Yoga, and Karma and Jnana are but aid to Bhakti or devotion.
Moksha according to Advaita Vedanta (Absolute Monism)
The Advaita or non-dualistic school of Vedanta believes that by getting rid of Ignorance or Avidya, which has caused the soul to forget its true nature, leads to Freedom from samsara. Indeed, there exists none other than One Supreme Self after the lower self has gained the knowledge of its true nature. It is the superimposition of the multifarious world on the Self that leads to suffering and transmigration from one birth to the next.
Spiritual disciplines by way of four Yogas; Jnana Yoga of discrimination and renunciation in particular, lead to purification of the mind and sharpening of 'reason'. This newly acquired purification makes the sadhaka ready for intense meditation on Impersonal aspect of God (Atman, Brahman) and thus gain 'Atman-Jnana' or 'Brahman-Jnana' on the basis of 'universal intuition' of Oneness. He becomes free from Avidya or Maya or Ignorance, and becomes One with Supreme Self, which is none other than Absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss.
Liberation according to Samkhya Philosophy
This system posits two absolute realities 1) sentient Purusha, as Self or Spirit, and 2) insentient Prakriti as Matter of which human body and mind are the highly evolved stages. Purusha is Pure Consciousness but due to lack of discrimination (aviveka), It falsely identifies with Prakriti (and its manifestations as this world), and thus experiences joy and happiness, pain and sufferings. Only when the Purusha acquires the knowledge that It is completely different and distinct from Prakriti, It becomes Free (enlightened). The knowledge that leads to Liberation is Viveka Jnana (knowledge through discrimination). When a Jiva (individual self) identifies with Purusha and not with Prakriti (insentient principle - matter in its manifold expressions as names and forms) the individual becomes free. This clear dichotomy between Purusha and Prakriti brings Supreme Knowledge and Bliss to the individual Jiva. Thus, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga mostly are the means advocated by Samkhya for Moksha. Such Liberation leads to complete freedom from pain and suffering. This state is called state of Kaivalya. Like Advaita Vedantins, Samkhya also accepts possibility of Liberation while still living in the body (Jivan Mukta; Free while living). After the body falls, it becomes Videhi Mukti (Free after death).
Sri Krishna in the Gita defines knowledge as 'the knowledge of Kshetra (Field, Prakriti, Matter) and Kshetrajna (Knower of the field, Purusha, Spirit or Self), which is considered as the true knowledge.' (Gita XIII. 2) That which is perceived as the matter having names and forms, that is called the 'Field' or Kshetra, and one that engulfs, pervades, that which is in and out of the 'Field' and by which ones come to realize the 'Field', is called the 'Knower of the Field' - Kshetrajna.
A person (sadhaka or spiritual aspirant) who experiences such distinction between matter and the spirit, the person who has become like a dried coconut in which the inner pulp has separated from the outer shell as two distinct entities, and the person who identities with the outer shell (i.e. spirit) such a person is known to have gained the knowledge. He has become the liberated yogi par excellence.
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