In both Hinduism and Buddhism, the ultimate spiritual goal is liberation. In Hinduism, this ultimate goal is called moksha, and it means one’s shift from one’s finite to infinite self. There are four paths to moksha called yoga: jnana yoga means the path to God through knowledge; bhakti yoga – the path through love; karma yoga – through work; and raja yoga – through psychophysical exercises. In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is enlightenment, which is the liberation from the desire for private fulfillment (tanha).
The Buddhist teachings are based on the Four Noble Truths, according to which life is suffering (dukkha) because individuals are focused on fulfilling their egos, and this suffering can be alleviated if people overcome their egoistic desires. Buddhists believe that, in order to overcome tanha, individuals should follow the Eightfold Path. This paper will compare the paths to moksha with the Four Noble Truths and argue that raja yoga would best utilize the Buddhist method of the Eightfold Path.
The four Hindu pathways to moksha differ from the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism in what aspect of the religion they describe. The Hindu paths provide guidance for people to achieve moksha and “unite the human spirit with the God,” while the Four Noble Truths explain the Buddhist view of the world (Smith 27). However, these two concepts are similar because both of them point to the need for humans to reject self-interest and pursue more profound goals. In particular, the second of the Four Noble Truths posits that suffering results from the desire to fulfill one’s ego, and the third of the Truths suggests that one can end suffering by overcoming these selfish desires (Smith 103). The Hindu paths to God advocate a similar rejection of self-interest.
The Hindu paths use slightly different language, but the meaning remains the same: people should renounce their egoism and devote their lives to God to achieve moksha. For example, jnana yoga advises people to think of themselves in the third person to get a “sense of the infinite Self that underlies one’s transient, finite self (Smith 31). Bhakti yoga calls people to worship one god or goddess through their words and actions. Karma yoga suggests that individuals should perform their duties with God in mind and should not pursue personal benefits: “Desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working” (Novak 31). Finally, raja yoga is focused on meditation, through which one can reach the level of concentration that will help one become one with God.
The fourth of the Four Noble Truths says that people can achieve enlightenment through the Eightfold path. From the four Hindu paths, raja yoga seems to be best suited to utilize the Eightfold path. This is because both of them focus on meditation with the purpose of reaching the inner self and gaining deep insights from this experience. The Eightfold path involves eight steps: right views, intent, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. Many of these steps are essential in raja yoga; for example, in order to follow raja yoga, individuals should have moral preliminaries. They should abstain from “injury, lying, stealing, sensuality, and greed” (Smith 44).
These moral preliminaries can be achieved by following the Eightfold path, which requires people to adjust their beliefs, figure out what they really want, watch their speech, and shift their conduct toward “selflessness and charity” (Smith 107). Hence, by using the Eightfold Path, raja yoga will lead to the same goal – achieving high concentration through meditation, but with a more profound effect on the overall life of the individual.
In conclusion, the four Hindu paths are similar to the Four Noble Truths because both of them disapprove of self-interest and call for achieving a deeper self. From all Hindu paths, raja yoga would best utilize the Buddhist Eightfold Path because both of them are focused on meditation and concentration. The Eightfold Path could enrich raja yoga by paying attention to such aspects as the individual’s beliefs, conduct, speech, and occupation.
Works Cited
Novak, Philip. The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions. HarperCollins Publishers, 1994.
Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions. HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.