What's the point in striving for moksha?

Question

Whatever we see around us (manifestation and everything) is nothing but Brahman's play/leela. This is told in a few texts. 

Brahmasutra 2.1.33

लोकवत्तु लीला कैवल्यम्। lokavattu līlā kaivalyam। Brahman's creation is mere sport as is seen in the world.

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In Tantantre as found in Sarvollāsatantram:

ब्रह्मखेला जगत्‌ सर्वं ब्रह्म-रूपमिदं जगत्‌ । सर्व हि खल्विदं ब्रह्म तदन्यन्नास्ति किन्चन ॥ २८ ॥

This whole world, is a sport of Brahma. This whole world is Brahma. Infact there is nothing else other than Brahma.

This leela or creation/manifestation is cyclical as per Hinduism, which means it has no beginning and has no end. It will go on for all eternity. 

Now, the question that comes to my mind is, what's the point in attaining moksha? ... Even if a thousand men attain moksha and go to vaikuntha/kailash or simply become one with impersonal brahman, a million more waves will appear in the infinite ocean. 

This means, there will never come a time in the distant future (not even in the golden age, satya yuga), when all jivas in the universe will attain moksha and will put an end to this cyclical creation/manifestation. 

If this were to happen, then the shastras never would have said that maya is beginingless. The shastras never would have said that creation-destruction is cyclical/eternal.

Brahman keeps on manifesting and unmanifesting and never wants to stop this play. 

If Brahman never wants to stop this cycle of leela, then what's the point in striving so hard for moksha? ... Wouldn't it be better instead to indulge ourselves in sensual pleasures, knowing that there's no ultimate escape from samsara?

Even the liberated ones would have to come back in this world to end the suffering of others and to turn them towards God. 

Even though these liberated ones will operate within samsara with a liberated/unattached attitude, they will (out of compassion) absorb other people's bad karmas and diseases into their own holy bodies. Take the case of Ramakrishna. He ended up with cancer because he absorbed other peolple's diseases.

My point is, there will be suffering even for the liberated ones in this samsara, no matter how much they are absorbed in Godhood or say to the world that they are unaffected by suffering. They will be affected, atleast their bodies, if not their true SELF. 

As long as this play of creation will go on, there is no ultimate escape. A few will depart from this worldly stage, and countless more will enter the stage.

Even after fully knowing this fact, the liberated ones keep on incarnating in this world, to educate the masses and to end their suffering, knowing perfectly well that the total number of jivas present in this cosmos will never attain moksha at a certain time in the future. If they do, then this game/leela of Brahman will come to an end, which means there wouldn't be any further creation/manifestation. And we know for sure,  that's not gonna happen.

What do you have to say about this?  :)

Answer 1

If this were to happen, then the shastras never would have said that maya is beginingless. The shastras never would have said that creation-destruction is cyclical/eternal. If Brahman never wants to stop this cycle of leela, then what's the point in striving so hard for moksha?

This sounds an intelligent and interesting question! Following is attempt of answering this question based on the doctrine of Ajat Vada.

Gaudapada, grand guru of Adi Shankaracharya, has written commentary on Mandukya Upanishad which is said to be the most important Upanishad among all primary Upanishads. His commentary is known as Mandukya Karika. Adi Shankaracharya again wrote commentary on this work Mandukya Karika. You can read its English translation at Internet Archive. The same is available in useful text form(at) from Wisdom Library and I'm quoting from there.

As per this doctrine, the whole concept of creation-dissolution is revocable (not absolute). Have a look at what the absolute truth is as per this doctrine:

न निरोधो न चोत्पत्तिर्न बद्धो न च साधकः ।
न मुमुक्षुर्न वै मुक्त इत्येषा परमार्थता ॥ ३२ ॥

na nirodho na cotpattirna baddho na ca sādhakaḥ |
na mumukṣurna vai mukta ityeṣā paramārthatā || 32 ||

2.32 There is no dissolution, no birth, none in bondage, none aspiring for wisdom, no seeker of liberation and none liberated. This is the absolute truth.

Talking about the birth of Jivas:

न कश्चिज्जायते जीवः संभवोऽस्य न विद्यते ।
एतत्तदुत्तमं सत्यं यत्र किंचिन्न जायते ॥ ७१ ॥

na kaścijjāyate jīvaḥ saṃbhavo'sya na vidyate |
etattaduttamaṃ satyaṃ yatra kiṃcinna jāyate || 71 ||

4.71 No kind of Jīva is ever born nor is there any cause for any such birth. The Ultimate Truth is that nothing whatsoever is born.

This saying attracts to the rise of two return/back questions.

1. You're saying that there is no creation but scriptures talk the opposite thing. In addition to the providing the concept, scriptures also describe the process of creation.

   Here is the solution response given by this doctrine:

   मृल्लोहविस्फुलिङ्गाद्यैः सृष्टिर्या चोदितान्यथा ।
   उपायः सोऽवताराय नास्ति भेदः कथंचन ॥ १५ ॥

   mṛllohavisphuliṅgādyaiḥ sṛṣṭiryā coditānyathā |
   upāyaḥ so'vatārāya nāsti bhedaḥ kathaṃcana || 15 ||

   3.15 (The scriptural statements regarding) creation as illustrated by examples of earth, iron, sparks, etc., or otherwise, (only) serve the purpose of (ultimately) explaining the unity (of Jīva and Brahman). (Really speaking) multiplicity does not exist in any manner.

2. Ok. But what about Maya? which is beginnings and endless!

   धर्मा य इति जायन्ते जायन्ते ते न तत्त्वतः ।
   जन्म मायोपमं तेषां सा च माया न विद्यते ॥ ५८ ॥

   dharmā ya iti jāyante jāyante te na tattvataḥ |
   janma māyopamaṃ teṣāṃ sā ca māyā na vidyate || 58 ||

   4.58 Those Jīvas (entities) or beings are said to be born. But that birth is never possible from the standpoint of Reality. Their birth is like that of an illusory object. That illusion, again, is non-existent.

This clears most of the questions, still one more question may come "If there's no creation and even Maya doesn't exist then how came we all fall in this trap which sounds like endless like Maya?" I had also asked a question on this significance of Maya long ago. I am not sure whether we can have fully satisfactory answer to this question but this answer introducing three levels of reality may be helpful.

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Now, touching to other questions asked in the question body:

Wouldn't it be better instead to indulge ourselves in sensual pleasures, knowing that there's no ultimate escape from samsara? Even the liberated ones would have to come back in this world to end the suffering of others and to turn them towards God.

No scriptures tell that there is no ultimate escape from samsara and no scripture would tell that even liberated ones have to come back.

Last chapter of BrahmaSutra, the text which is cited in the question also, elaborately provides the clarity on the difference between who (after attaining the knowledge of Brahman) goes through the BramaLoka & then attains the Moksha and who (after attaining the knowledge of Brahman) directly attains Moksha and at last concludes (Read the last sutra, a concluding statement from Brahmasutras quoted below) that whichever path they goes with but ultimately after attaining Moksha, they never return back.

Sutra 4,4.22:

अनावृत्तिः शब्दात्, अनावृत्तिः शब्दात् ॥ २२ ॥
anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt, anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt || 22 ||

anāvṛttiḥ—Non-return; śabdāt—on account of scriptural declaration.
22. (There is) no return (for these released souls); on account of scriptural declaration (to that effect).

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You may also have a look at similar questions on this site

• Is Moksha a permanent state?
• If liberation does not lead back to bondage, how can time be cyclic?
• What will happen if all souls inhabiting Earth attain Moksha?

Answer 2

The simple answer is to end this endless suffering which is the endless cycle of rebirth. We (the Jivas) have understood the need for striving for Moksha while being in the mother's womb already as per Garbha Upanishad.

Quoting from this PDF:

Enabled by the five-fold self, the intelligence of the five elements emerges, and he meditates on the imperishable syllable Om. With the knowledge of the syllable, he understands the eight natures [five sense organs, the mind, intellect and ego] and their sixteen modifications belong to the self residing in the body.

Whatever is consumed or drunk by the mother passes through the nerves and vessels to the child, becoming the source of his satisfaction. During the ninth month, all outer signs attain completeness. And he is reminded of his previous birth, and recounts the good and bad deeds committed.

He thinks: I have seen thousands of wombs, eaten several kinds of food and sucked many breasts. Born and dead again and again, I am immersed in grief but see no remedy. Thinking of my good and bad deeds, I am suffering alone, although the bodies that enjoyed the fruits are gone.

4

When I get out of this womb, I will take refuge in Sānkhya-Yoga, which destroys misery and yields liberation; when I get out of this womb, I will take refuge in Maheśvara, who destroys misery and grants liberation.

When I get out of this womb, I will take refuge in Nārāyana, who destroys misery and grants liberation. When I get out of this womb, I will meditate on the eternal Brahman.

But the moment it is born it forgets all this knowledge. And that's due to Maya. But the reason why one must strive for Moksha is well documented in the Jiva's own words/thinking.