Moksha – Liberation, Here and Now!

Moksha – Liberation, Here and Now!
Evolution of a “Yogi” through Philosophy, reflection and analytical reasoning derived from Bagawath Geetha and Upanishads.
Dr. Krishnamoorthy (Subbu) Subramanian

June 21, 2025 is recognized as International Yoga Day. Yoga is seen as a way to control and manage one’s life to maintain peace and harmony within and also with all that surrounds us. Yoga is more than exercise for physical fitness or cardio vascular benefits or calming the mind through meditation. The goal of Yoga is to attain “Moksha” or “Liberation”. Such liberation may be a metaphysical life in heaven, the abode of the Lord. It may also be liberation from the fear of birth and death imposed on us through a belief in the cycles of life one is destined for, until he is granted “Moksha” or “Liberation”. In our view, we can look at “Moksha” or “Liberation” in a more practical and realizable frame work. Vedic scriptures provide a very useful frame work for that and hence for the evolution of a practical “Yogi” in each of us! We shall look at that possibility on this International Yoga Day!

What is Moksha – Liberation?

The feelings of “I,” “Me,” and “Mine” are integral to the human mind, helping to establish our identity as individuals. However, this sense of individuality often separates us from our true identity as an integral part of the larger universe. Through persistent reflection and analysis, we can achieve “Liberation” (Moksha), which means realizing our intimate unity with nature. Once understood this knowledge could come across as a self-evident truth! This reflective journey happens on its own, particularly when our mind is immersed in the profound Vedic statement (Maha Vakya): “Tat Twam Asi” (You and all else are one).

Our mind—an extraordinary gift from nature—allows us to experience life as individuals. It is a life of self-imposed constraints! My body, family, identity with my education, career, wealth, religion, nationality, etc. vanish if I can step away and see myself as part of the large body of humanity. It also guides us toward freedom from self-imposed constraints. As a simple example, there are no literal borders across nations. They are arbitrary lines of demarcation conceived by the human mind!  Hence identification by nationality becomes meaningless, when we look at the planet earth from outer space! “The sun that shines on everyone is the same; the land on which we sleep is the same for a king as well as a homeless” states a traditional Telugu poem.

Moksha is a state of mind, a manner of living that is peaceful and harmonious within and also with all that surrounds us. In this state of mind our feeling of constant change and perturbation in life, like sailing in wavy and turbulent waters, is replaced by steady and smooth sailing. Our need to make choices between love/hate, friend/enemy, rich/poor, respect/disrespect, etc. are replaced by universal love for all, contentment, self-respect that spreads as respect for all and all of nature. We live a life with divine qualities, metaphorically described as “life in heaven”, where the Lord lives!

The States of Our Mind:

Gunathvam (Experience):

Knowledge, Bias, and Ignorance are three coexisting elements in nature that connect our mind to the brain and body, linking us to the external world. This connection operates on three levels, described as “Gunas”:

• Tranquility (Satvikam): When knowledge surpasses both bias and ignorance, we experience tranquility. We are reflective, calm, analytical and purposeful.
• Turbulence (Rajasam): When bias dominates over knowledge and ignorance, we feel disturbed, agitated, chaotic and restless.
• Inertia (Tamasam): When ignorance overwhelms knowledge and bias, we feel directionless, procrastinate, experience lethargy and delusional.

Through our mind, we experience different states: Tranquility, Turbulence, and Inertia. These states mirror the waves on the ocean’s surface: always changing, never completely still. They reflect our mind and its response. External factors, such as the food we eat, the objects of nature (like plants and animals), or religion and practices may influence our mind. But it is only our mind that reflects our connections through inference, processing and responses. Our state of mind is reflected through these connectors identified as Gunathvam.
Sometimes Guna – the experience or connectors – are ascribed to external objects and things. That may be erroneous, if such indications are used out of context. For example ice by its nature is slippery. To suggest that “ice made me fall down ” and suffer and hence it is Rajasic (turbulent) reflects our bias and ignorance, nothing to do with the ice! Rose as a plant has beautiful flowers with soft petals as well as sharp thorn. To suggest the rose flower as Sathvikam and the thorn as Rajasam or Thamasam may be erroneous?

There is a life without these mental waves, like the deep ocean, always calm and unperturbed. This is the essence of liberation (Moksha). We are all actors in the theater of life, playing our roles witnessed as Gunathvam. All of nature are also actors who follow the script (laws of nature) precisely. Thanks to our well-developed mind, humans also contribute to the script and production of the play to some extent. In this role we face limitations just like the producers of a show. We become aware of these limitations and learn to manage them through liberation (Moksha)!

Sagunathvam: Objectivity and non-attachment.

Sagunathvam reflects a state of mind that views all three coexisting elements (Gunas) as mere evidence, each with equal significance. This perspective demonstrates objectivity and non-attachment. An objective mind resembles that of a judge or umpire—observing keenly, without attachment to the parties involved or the outcome. Through Sagunathvam, our mind can remain unattached to our body and emotions, just like a rider who moves about freely on a bicycle, but can step away from it at a moment’s notice. It reflects the liberated mind.

Liberated human mind knows that we are part of nature (Brahman) in all our aspects – Physical, emotional and Intellectual (Spiritual). But no one is ALL of nature (Brahman) in entirety. Being one with nature, we overcome all limitations of “Individuality”, the daily upheaval such as the dualities of love/hate, like/dislike, good/bad, friend/enemy, … Being one with nature, the human is beyond the fear of birth, death, after-life and cycles of birth/death. Birth and death are seen as natural as the germination of a corn plant, yielding more corn and the perishing at the end of the season! Being one with nature, the human acquires profound meaning, purpose and application of abstract concepts such as: Duty, love, friendship, Compassion, Forgiveness, Contentment, Responsibility, Truth, Humility, … Being one with nature, such human also finds true meaning of abstractions such as: Consciousness, Morality, Ethics, Self – Control, Enlightenment, Liberation …

The Yogi, who is in true union with the “Self” as a part of “Nature,” believes that all that exists — both known and unknown— are all equal in every respect. They perceive consciousness and nature as interconnected, much like a drop of water in a vast ocean. In this state of mind, concepts like “Aham Brahma” (I am Brahman) and “Sarvam Brahma Mayam” (Everything is Brahman) resonate deeply.

Governed by countless forces of nature, both known and unknown, Nature and its complexity exist like a well-oiled machine!  The more we learn about nature and true knowledge of how nature operates, we learn the true meaning of Objectivity and non-attachment. There are countless examples in Vedic Scriptures for this. (e.g.): The wind that blows by is objective and unattached, spreading the fragrance for all to enjoy and pollinating the flowers in its path, totally unaware of its actions or effects! This awareness of nature and its laws fosters awe and humility in our human mind. This, in turn, nurtures faith (Bhakti) in a larger order, a Divine or Supreme Being who is viewed as the ideal embodiment of Sagunathvam. Divinity is seen as the way of life. Divinity in any aspect of life becomes our standard to live up to.

Nirgunathvam: The way Nature Exists.

Nirgunathvam represents a manner of existence that does not recognize any connections (Gunas). This state is akin to how “Nature” exists, devoid of any specific attributes or connections. All natural forces—gravity, magnetism, biology—operate seemingly on their own accord. It is also the way the eyes wink, ears hear, wind moves objects, fire burns things in its path, etc. At the ultimate level of our understanding, we accept their existence without the ultimate knowledge of why and how?  They are neither tranquil, turbulent, nor inertial. The existence of nature is expressed through the singular common noun “Brahman” in Vedic Philosophy. Brahman is also described as without attributes (Nirgunathvam),

Living in the Moment:

Momentary experiences of oneness with nature can occur in the course of various actions or during specific aspects of life. People who practice self-control, objectivity, and non-attachment often transition from being mere individuals (Jeevathma) to becoming Mahatma and Purushothama, actively engaged in life with a sense of total self-control and un-attached active engagement. For such individuals, “Living in the moment” evolves into a fundamental way of life. This is the essence of the Bhagavad Gita:

May your life be one of Total Self-control and Unattached Active Engagement.

Conclusion:

Philosophical inquiry and analytical reasoning lead us to an understanding that Moksha (Liberation) is a state of mind, real and tangible experience. It is not an abstract or metaphysical concept but rather a reality grounded in our understanding and connection with nature.