The Road to Moksha: 5 Week Series

 मोक्ष mokṣa

For the next five weeks starting this Sunday, I will be exploring why we do yoga in the first place -- which is ultimately for moksha, or liberation. Each week I will be covering an essential element of this path.

So, to start off, what is moksha anyway?

Moksha is the Sanskrit word for "release" and refers to the liberation from the suffering of samsara (the cycle of repeated death and rebirth or reincarnation). This concept comes from traditional vedanta philosophy. It is a release from one's worldly conception of self, the loosening of the shackle of experiential duality, and a realization of one's own fundamental nature, which is Brahman.
 
A jivamukta is one who becomes liberated, or attains moksha, while living. Self-realization is the key to liberation and this is done through yoga.

So, in other words, yoga is both the path and the goal.

As we explore the elements of the yogic path to moksha, use this wonderful graphic to help keep things in perspective. It was a gift from my dear friend and fellow teacher Hari-kirtana das. It clearly shows our progression as yogis from the material world of ignorance towards the spiritual world of transcendence. And, provocatively, it shows that moksha is really only the beginning towards our ultimate goal........

Awakening Joy course - July

The topic for this month is Letting Go. I personally find this one of the wisest-- and yet hardest-- lessons to learn. I struggle with it given my personality and temperament. To remind myself, I even had this tattooed into my forearm ('svaha' is actually the Sanskrit and yogic equivalent).

So what does it mean? And how does it make us happy?

First off, it refers to letting go of stuff. [This is a good time for plug for the brilliant 20 minute clip, The Story of Stuff. ]  In truth, deep down inside (and contrary to the messages of our consumerist culture) we know that 'stuff' doesn't make us happy. Being engaged with life and with loved ones, and contributing meaningfully to society makes us happy. Being obsessed with accumulating more and more 'stuff' actually takes us away from that.

This refers to our endless battle with desire. The secret is learning to distinguish what we want from what we truly need. And in cultivating the discipline and wisdom to choose. This means quieting down enough to listen carefully to the different voices in the mind. Then we can hear whether they are coming from a place of lack or from a deeper, wiser, compassionate connection that truly knows what’s good for us. 

I like how some refer to this choice as "surfing the urge" by being SOBER.
S - stop
O - observe
B - breathe
E - expand (see the long term effects rather than instant gratification)
R - respond


Next, and much harder, is letting go of the illusion of control in a world of change. This attempt to control things keeps us bound in fear. Joseph Goldstein uses a powerful image that describes the suffering that comes from holding on with attachment. He says that holding on tightly to that which is always changing is like rope burn. We don’t usually realize that it’s the holding that’s causing the suffering. If we can wisely let go, we free ourselves of the problem.

Some strategies of letting go:
1) Letting go by simplifying your life in some way
2) Letting go of unskillful habits
3) Letting go of your stories
4) Letting go of expectations and excessive planning
5) Practicing generosity as the active expression of letting go

“Let go a little and you will have a little peace. Let go a lot and you will have a lot of peace. Let go completely and you will have complete peace. Your troubles with the world will have come to an end.” --Ajahn Chah