deathmoksha

Deathmoksha is a relatively recent term that blends the concepts of death and moksha. It is typically used to describe the idea that death or the dying process can constitute or symbolize liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara). As a coinage, it does not have a single, canonical definition and appears mainly in contemporary spiritual writing, discourse, and some fictional or speculative contexts.

In traditional Indian philosophy, moksha refers to liberation from samsara and can be understood in different ways across schools—often through self-realization, wisdom, or grace. Deathmoksha, by contrast, is usually framed as liberation that occurs at or through death, such as the soul attaining freedom upon leaving the body or as a metaphor for ultimate release at the end of life. It may also be used to discuss near-death experiences or spiritual narratives where death is viewed as the definitive release from karmic bondage.

Relation to established ideas varies. The term overlaps with mahasamadhi, the deliberate or conscious departure from the body by a realized person, but deathmoksha remains informal and largely metaphorical. Critics warn that equating death with liberation can downplay the role of ethical practice and spiritual work conducted during life, and that it may obscure differing doctrinal paths to moksha across traditions.

Overall, deathmoksha appears mainly in modern commentary and fiction as a lens to explore mortality, freedom, and transcendence, rather than as a settled doctrinal category.