Hinduism / Nataly Morales

What is the human condition?

In Hinduism, the human condition is that our flesh form is, well, simply that--a form in which Atman decided to present itself here on earth. The body in which you and I are in right now may be just one of thousands that have walked this earth. The human body is only a being that reincarnated as such because of karma that had built up throughout many lifetimes. It is the dharma (duty) of the reincarnated body and soul to accept the built up karma and live in the human condition and be the best human being possible. Hopefully, one day in one of the lifetimes we may live, whether that be as a sheep, tree or human being, we can achieve a state of complete understanding of our connection to Atman and everything around us. That’s the ultimate goal, if you will, of Atman in human condition--to wake up and realize that, we are all one, without one the other doesn’t exist. God is you, me, the trees, the dirt, the infinite space. So, in a way, perhaps the human form or human condition is actually a barrier or obstacle. Perhaps it isn’t such a good thing to be human because our minds, temptations and materialistic/selfish tendencies keep us from reaching moksha.

How do we move from problem to solution?

The best way to move from the problem of dying and reincarnating after many lifetimes is to avidly practice at least one of the four yogas. The beautiful and reassuring aspect, in my opinion, about Hinduism is that it can fit any person’s life at any stage of his or her life. Therefore, perhaps one yoga suits someone better than another person. The way I understand it, after hearing the lectures over Hinduism, is that it doesn’t matter what yoga a person chooses as long as they devote themselves to that yoga once they found which one speaks to them more. It could be that Bhakti yoga fulfills you as a human being more than Karma yoga. It could also be that Jnana yoga helps you reach moksha better than Raja yoga. Whatever the case may be, I do personally believe that in order to be the best human being possible while given the chance, a person should choose at least one. And perhaps a person chooses as young as 10-years-old to meditate to get moksha and they continually do it until they pass, but they come back yet again. Does that mean that they didn’t do it right? Maybe. It could be that their heart and mind weren’t fully open and they didn’t fully wake up, and I would say that maybe that had something to do with the yoga they decided to practice.

What is the best solution to this condition?

Ultimately, the best solution to the condition would be to reach moksha, an absolute state of being liberated from our human condition. Once a person realizes that their is no earthly possession that can satisfy our desires and that there is absolutely no wall or special, mystical, divine attribute that separates us from Atman, because we are in fact Atman, then, that person can leave this earth and never have to return as a reincarnated anything.

How best to live the solution in our own lives?

I think that being someone that is so new to the Hinduism theology, the best way I know how to live the solution right now is to be as loving and aware of my karma as I possibly can be. I think that if this life is meant to be my last one or even if it’s meant to be my 100th and I’m supposed to live 1,000 more, I can still practice a yoga. I can still be kind to my fellow humans, animals, environment and even myself--basically, I should be kind to Atman. That sounds like the best solution I can come up with for now in this stage of this life.