India was the center of a range of different religious traditions during its early civilization and many of them shared similar features and concepts. Collectively, under a single term Hinduism – these traditions share a common belief in reincarnation, called samsara. While a related belief is that one can be freed of this cycle by leading a good life – like any other eastern school of thought moral philosophy also forms the basis of these concepts.
Similar to Greek philosophy, the Indian religious dogmas believed in an immortal soul, that is reformed based on karma – the moral rule that dictates and determines cosmic action and reaction. This ideology considers moksha as a human’s primary aim – meaning the liberation from this series of reincarnations is our true purpose, which can be only achieved by true devotion to God, performing moral and ethical duties, and subsequently through dharma – our actions. Although these notions are similar to Western moral philosophies, in the East they were inexplicably tied to religion.
