Printed in the Summer 2024 issue of Quest magazine.
Citation: Heubel, Peggy "Moksha in a Nutshell" Quest 112:3, pg 8-9
By Peggy Heubel
The Theosophical worldview emphasizes the essential unity underlying existence. Its teachings advance the concept that every entity in the universe, from the smallest atom to the highest spiritual being, is on a journey of self-realization and ultimate reunion with the divine source—a holistic and cyclical view of the active cosmos and what may lie beyond.
Involution and evolution form the dual mechanism of this process, which involves the unfoldment (or unveiling) of universal consciousness as an ever present and active source. The cyclical nature of this process, guided by spiritual hierarchies and governed by karmic laws, contributes to this unfolding. It leads to a state of cosmic perfection and ultimate unity beyond manifestation.
The activity of the universe, seen and unseen, drives this evolutionary process toward its obligatory reintegration. Despite the perceived inevitability of the outcome, many esoteric traditions emphasize the importance of individual choice and free will.
Few, it is said, understand the mystical need to extricate oneself from the cycles of almost unending rounds of karmically driven reincarnation. These few seek what has been termed “liberation” as a conscious choice to expedite their spiritual progress and take a more active role in their own development.
The journey toward conscious self-determination on the path to higher states of consciousness (or divine union) is called moksha or mukti in Sanskrit, usually translated as “liberation.” But liberation is not the end-all of evolution; rather it is a journey on the way to gaining ultimate enlightenment (although the two are often confused). While both are related parts of the same path, the former indicates an action or process and the latter, a state of being that occurs as a result. Liberation motivates us toward seeking a more profound and conscious connection with the ultimate reality. Enlightenment is the end result of the human stage of existence but not of the spiritual being traversing that stage.
In Hinduism, the concept of moksha is closely tied to the idea of samsara, a continuous cycle of birth and rebirth extending for innumerable eons; indeed moksha is liberation from samsara. All through this enormous cycle, each incarnation offers opportunities for growth, learning, and advancement in spiritual evolution. Through successive lifetimes, karmic lessons are learned, experiences are accumulated, and slow and gradual progress is made towards unveiling higher states of consciousness.
Karmic considerations are frequently intertwined with ideas of reincarnation and spiritual evolution. Methods aimed at gaining liberation from the cycles of birth and death are seen as means to resolving karmic debts, achieving a state of purity, and ultimately reuniting with the source of being. With more advanced efforts, the material world and the cycle of evolution are seen as illusory or temporary. Seeking liberation also involves transcending the illusions of the material realm to experience a higher, more real, state of existence.
As mentioned above, some individuals eventually attain a life in which enough karmic lessons have been learned that they can make conscious efforts towards spiritual development. A tenuous connection to the higher Self has developed, and the personality may unconsciously experience an attraction to inner heights. The first steps of spiritual awakening and moksha have been taken.
Some spiritual traditions, including Theosophy, emphasize that understanding the true nature of reality and our place within it can only be achieved through direct experience or gnosis. Theosophical teachings suggest that conscious efforts towards spiritual development can definitely accelerate one’s evolution.
Seeking liberation involves specific practices, disciplines, and experiences aimed at realizing the ultimate goal in the fullness of conscious awareness. Even relatively minor efforts help to limit the number of reincarnation cycles by reducing habitual and compulsive conditioning, thereby lessening karmic causes and effects.
There are said to be seven disciplines or yogic paths that are available as means to the realization of moksha: hatha yoga (physical postures); karma yoga (the path of selfless action), laya yoga (laya means dissolution, that is, of personal attachments); mantra yoga (the path of the divine word); jnana yoga (the path of knowledge); bhakti yoga (the path of devotion); and raja yoga (the path of meditation). These practices are forms of conscious evolution whereby individuals actively work on refining their bodies, emotions, minds, and actions to align with spiritual principles.
As we become more and more adept at our chosen spiritual practice, moksha involves transcending the sense of ego or personal self (ahamkara) and realizing the interconnectedness of all beings. This is a stage in the process toward experiencing ourselves as (or becoming) one undifferentiated ultimate Reality.
As we progress, we learn to navigate life in accordance with higher principles, contributing not only to our own evolutionary growth but, it is said, to evolutionary stimuli for all sentient beings. Evolution towards moksha can be seen as an increasing alignment with the cosmic order (dharma). Living in harmony with natural and spiritual laws is considered essential.
The motive for undertaking such steps is everything. H.P. Blavatsky said, “It is impossible to employ spiritual forces [the “attainments”: the siddhis referenced in the beginning of The Voice of the Silence] if there is the slightest tinge of selfishness.” At every step along the narrow way of moksha, “we can never be indifferent to the fate of mankind.” As we gain spiritual wisdom, strength, and courage, our devotion to humanity must increase along with our spiritual growth; otherwise moksha becomes nothing more than words on a page.
Peggy Heubel is president of the TS East Bay Lodge.