What is the importance of human life to attain Moksha?

We have heard that human life is precious. However, do we know why it is valuable? What is the importance of human life? How are we as human beings different or unique, when compared to other creatures?

Read on to find the answers.

It is only in the human life form that one binds karmas. No other life forms bind karmas. In other life forms, one only experiences the effects of karmas bound in human life. In the human form, one causes new karmas and also experiences the effects of past karmas. Based on the types of karmas bound (merit or demerit), one gets a new life form (new birth). That is why it is possible for a human to go to any of the four major life forms.

The four major life forms

There are four major life forms namely, celestial, human, animal, and hell. Human life is like a junction point. Here if you have a debt, which means that you have bound bad karmas; you go to the animal kingdom to experience their effects. If your debts are excessive, you take birth in hell and settle it there before returning to human life. If you accomplish good karmas here, you take birth as a more elevated human being and live an entire life full of happiness. If you are a superhuman who instead of enjoying one’s own pleasures gives them to others, you become a celestial being. Such a person goes to the celestial kingdom to enjoy the benefits of credits. The celestial beings have a lifespan of a hundred thousand years. Once the credit is used up, they end up taking birth again in the human form.

Human Life to Attain Moksha:

Apart from the human life form, in places where no karmas are being charged, living beings there ask, “Why are we in this prison?” It is a place of freedom where karmas are bound because, here, there is a choice. The other three forms (celestial, animal, and hell) are all ‘jails’ because there is no choice. It is only in the human life that one can intend to come out of the life cycles and achieve Moksha (liberation).

Only humans can attain Moksha, which is the key importance of human life. Here is how:

From the above discussion, we can understand that one binds good or bad karmas in human life and suffers the consequences in one of the four life forms. After coming back to human life, one again binds new karmas for the next life while the previous life’s karmas are being discharged. However, if one does not bind any new karma in this life and merely finishes all old karmas, one can attain Moksha.

Let us see what Param Pujya Dadashri says on this in the following conversation:

Questioner: Is it only in the human life form that karmas are bound, including the good ones?

Dadashri: Both good and bad karmas are bound here. The humans bind karma. If they cause harm or misery to people, they go to the animal form or life in hell. If their karmas give happiness to others, then they return to human life or go to the celestial level. So, the life level depends on the type of karma bound. Once the level is decided, one has to go through that level, experience the effects and return to the human form.

Only humans have the right to bind karma, no one else. Those who have this right must wander through all the four life forms. If they do not do karmas at all, not an iota of cause karma, they are liberated from this cycle. One can attain liberation only in the human form. There is no other place from which one can achieve liberation. Have you ever seen anybody not doing any karma?

Questioner: No, I have not.

Dadashri: All these animals you see, they all eat and drink and fight, and still they do not bind karmas. Likewise, it is possible for a human being not to bind any karma while living. This happens when they do not become the doers of the karma, and remain as the sufferer of past karmas. When they come to me and receive this knowledge of Self-realization, they become free from all doership of karma and thereafter only the experiencing of previously created karma remains. The ego is the doer of karma.

Path to attain the main goal of human life:

The ultimate purpose of a human birth is to attain liberation. One has strived to look for this path for countless past lives, but he has not found it. It is possible to attain liberation from the human life if one finds the right path. Fulfillment of this ultimate purpose of human life happens only when one meets a Gnani Purush. All your work gets done when you meet Him!