Moksha – Liberation from the cycle of rebirth

(Pronounced mok-shuh)

To remember the meaning of the Hindu term Moksha, use the following mnemonic:

She was mocked and shunned (moksha) by the community for stealing people's bikes – in court she said she was just liberating people from their cycles.

Hindus believe that their souls go through a succession of different lives, and that the quality of the next life depends on how well the previous life was lived.

It is believed that during each lifetime, Hindus build up good and bad karma (the sum of a person's actions), based on their deeds and behaviour.

Moksha is the end of this death and rebirth cycle, achieved when ignorance and desires have been overcome.

However, there is a paradox (a seeming contradiction): overcoming desires must also include overcoming the desire for moksha itself.

Moksha is the fourth and ultimate goal of all Hindus.