You are 100% stating " Eastern religions don’t really have notions of heaven like those in the West. Instead, they usually offer some kind of release from illusion and suffering in the present world. "
Heaven & Hell are very important in Islam & Christianity. In Hinduism they are NOT important.
“ The words heaven and hell have connotations that have crept in as a result of exposure to western culture†even though the words heaven [SWARGA ] & hell [NARAKA ] appear in Rig Veda.
Only thing I infer from reading Vedas & Upanishads, is heaven [SWARGA ] and hell [NARGA ] are NOT permanent places where soul rests but “way stations†for short sojourn. After that they come back to earth again to continue their life.
Man’s problem is his ignorance of his true nature that he is the immortal soul due to MAYA [illusion] and until and unless he realizes that he is the immortal soul – ATMAN within and not the perishable body, he will continuously undergo going to heaven & hell.
Adi Sankara stated, even celestial beings crave to have a human body since only being a human one can attain self-realization.
Heaven & Hell are very important in Islam & Christianity. In Hinduism they are NOT important.
“ The words heaven and hell have connotations that have crept in as a result of exposure to western culture†even though the words heaven [SWARGA ] & hell [NARAKA ] appear in Rig Veda.
Only thing I infer from reading Vedas & Upanishads, is heaven [SWARGA ] and hell [NARGA ] are NOT permanent places where soul rests but “way stations†for short sojourn. After that they come back to earth again to continue their life.
Man’s problem is his ignorance of his true nature that he is the immortal soul due to MAYA [illusion] and until and unless he realizes that he is the immortal soul – ATMAN within and not the perishable body, he will continuously undergo going to heaven & hell.
Adi Sankara stated, even celestial beings crave to have a human body since only being a human one can attain self-realization.