Christianity & Hindu Traditions
Moksha and Salvation
Moksha is the Hindu goal of liberation, release from the endless cycle of rebirth. What liberation consists of depends on the school: in Advaita it is realizing the self's identity with the impersonal Brahman; in devotional traditions it is eternal loving communion with a personal God. Christianity speaks of salvation as being reconciled to a personal God and brought into eternal life, knowing and loving him. The devotional visions of moksha are closest to the Christian hope.
What Hindu traditions say
Moksha is freedom from samsara, the round of rebirth and suffering. Its nature varies by tradition: for Advaita it is the realization that the atman is Brahman, the individual self dissolving into the one Absolute; for Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita and the bhakti paths, it is the soul’s eternal, blissful communion with a personal God, distinct from him yet united in love. Hinduism holds these different visions of the final goal.
What Christianity says
Christianity describes salvation as reconciliation with a personal God, and eternal life as knowing and dwelling with him.
Where they meet
Both long for release from bondage into a final, lasting fulfillment; and the devotional Hindu vision of eternal loving union with a personal God echoes the Christian hope closely.
Where they differ
Where Advaita sees liberation as the self merging into an impersonal Absolute, Christianity sees salvation as a person brought into everlasting, face-to-face love with a personal God, distinct from him yet at home with him. Union that dissolves the self, or communion that fulfills it, is the difference.
Hindu sources: the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads; renderings are faithful to the Sanskrit (translations vary, compare public-domain translations such as Telang or Arnold). Hinduism is vast and diverse (Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, and many devotional traditions); we note where schools differ. Bible: King James Version. Every reference on this page was checked against its source.
The word itself
mokṣa (Sanskrit) → liberation
Moksha is release from the cycle of rebirth (samsara), the ultimate goal of much Hindu practice. It is understood as merging with the impersonal Absolute (Advaita) or as eternal loving communion with a personal God (bhakti).
Frequently asked questions
- What is moksha?
- Moksha is liberation, release from the cycle of rebirth (samsara). In Advaita it means realizing the self's identity with Brahman; in devotional traditions it means eternal loving communion with a personal God.
- How is Christian salvation different from moksha?
- Christian salvation is reconciliation with a personal God and eternal life knowing and dwelling with him as his beloved. It is closest to the devotional Hindu vision of moksha as loving union with God, and differs from the Advaita idea of merging into an impersonal Absolute.
Come and see
The Gita speaks of surrendering to God in loving devotion; the Gospel tells of a God who first gave himself in love. The most direct way to know Jesus is to read his words for yourself. There is no pressure here.
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