Pronunciation: (mOk'sha), --n. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism: freedom from the differentiated, temporal, and mortal world of ordinary experience. Also, mo'ksa. Also called mukti.
There are four paths to Moksha/mukti, and the simplest is Bhakti or Bhakti Yoga. Believers will invoke the spirit of Brahman to manifest itself in an idol (in the most positive, non-judgemental sense of the word) that they then worship and make offerings to. The relationship between the devotee and the divine is that of submission, reverence, and adoration: "Whatever you do, eat, offer as an oblation, give as a gift or undertake as a penance, offer all that to me, O Arjuna" (Bhagavad-Gita).
The second path to Moksha is Yoga, which is basically exercises and meditation under the guidance of a guru. This focuses more on the individual's relationship with the divine, and the objective is to push out all outside distractions- i.e. worldly desires, imminent nuclear war, crying babies, and the like.
The opposite path to Yoga is Karma, which requires selfless action as a part of your Dharma. This means that one must be involved in the world of maya, which is why many consider it to be so different from the more personal path of Yoga. However, in the Bhagavad-Gita, the path of Yoga is reconciled with the three other paths, as Hindus are instructed to serve the world but not be trapped by it. In other words, go ahead and feed the homeless but don't get too involved with organizations or relationships, because those things are temporary and still contain maya.
The final path to Moksha is Jnana, which is the most difficult path, as it is only possible during the last two ashramas of Vanaprastha and Sannyasin. It requires careful study of the scriptures and of the self for enlightenment and Moksha.
Hindus have innumerable paths with which they can come closer to the divine- through study of the Vedas, meditation on the atman and Brahman, good works, devotion to an ishwara (personal god), and some even believe that one can attain Moksha without believing in a god (atheistic). Also, the degree of intimacy between a believer and the divine varies, although it tends to become more intense as one reaches the last few stages of life. Of course, that is rather common in any religion, as one comes closer to death and to the possibility of eternal life with or without the Ultimate Reality.
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