In a very anti-consequentialist position, the general tradition of Hinduism conveys the message that it is okay to fail, as long as you fail at the thing you are supposed to do. The duty imposed on each person by the soteriological idea of dharma, laws for a harmonious world, centers on each person's attempt to fulfill his or her place, even imperfectly, rather than trying to be or do the works of someone else. This idea of different paths and duties extends to the path one should take to achieve moksha or liberation, as explained in the Bhagavad-Gita. Moksha, the ultimate goal, means freedom of the soul from illusion and suffering and union with atman, the eternal self. Because “when one discovers the inner self…the self merges into its transcendent source and one experiences unspeakable peace and bliss” (Fisher 77). Achieving this liberation takes the form of several yogas, spiritual and physical disciplines that provide an orderly path to spiritual awakening and revelation. Three main forms of yoga in Hinduism are bhaktiyoga, the path of devotion, karmayoga, the path of desireless action, and jnanayoga, the path of wisdom. Through examining the realization and goals of bhaktiyoga, karmayoga, and jnanayoga, it becomes evident that the diverse Hindu tradition, which includes 330 million deities, provides and encompasses myriad different paths to liberation, moksha, and the eternal self, atman. The path of devotion, bhaktiyoga, focuses on surrendering the whole self in intense love for divinity. The desire for this love and companionship can be found throughout the tradition of this ancient religion, as demonstrated in the creation myth of the Brhadaranayaka Upanisad in which the creator god takes human form and... in the center of a sheet of paper.. The connection of the planet through the atman, the totality of the various deities and the celebration of the diverse and essential individual contributions through the dharma lead Hinduism to accept and embrace many paths to climb the same mountain, many ways to obtain moksha. Works Cited Eck, Diana L. Darśan: Seeing the Divine Image in India. New York: Columbia UP, 1998. Print.Fisher, Mary Pat. "Hinduism." Living religions. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1999. Page No. Print.Karve, I. “On the Road: A Maharashtrian Pilgrimage.” The Journal of Asian Studies 22.1 (1962): 13. Print.Miller, Barbara Stoler. and Barry Moser. The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna's Counsel in Time of War. New York: Columbia UP, 1986. Print.Śaṅkarācārya and Hari Raghunāth. Bhagavat. The Upanishadbhashya. Part 1 By Hari Raghunath Bhagavat. Poona: Asthekar, 1927. Print.
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