The overarching theme in Dante Alighieri's, The Divine Comedy, is an
individual's journey to go back to his creator: God. This goal is not unique to Medieval Christianity, the Christianity practiced during the Middle Ages. In Hinduism, the goal is also to return to one's creator. The path by which this occurs varies between the two ancient religions, but nevertheless the concept of the outcome remains the same. Dante takes his readers through the journey of afterlife and reaching God, while in Hinduism the journey to reaching God is breaking the cycle of reincarnation. Although Hinduism and Medieval Christianity differ, both religions share the underlying goal of going back to God, who they believe is the creator of life.

In order to understand how Dante's Christianity and Hinduism parallel one
another, it is imperative to understand the theology of Hinduism. This begins with karma. If a staunch follower of the traditions does not believe that karma is the pattern of action in life or that a being is inherently the heir of his or her own karma, then justifying the concept of “being reborn“ becomes impossible. Hindus believe in karma just as Christians believe in salvation and Heaven, to ultimately reach God.

The Law of Karma correlates with Dante's placement of souls in The Divine Comedy. Dante places souls who were extremely sinful in the Inferno, Hell. In Hinduism, individuals who acted immorally are reincarnated into another life form. Dante implies that the souls in the Inferno, Purgatorio (limbo), and Paradiso (Heaven), were placed there due to their own actions while they were alive. This parallels the concept of karma because an individual's actions in one life determine their destiny in another life, or afterlife as described by Dante.

Throughout an individual's lives, he attempts to fulfill his dharma, the reason an individual acts, one's duty. It states the way one is to act and live according to their state. Fulfilling one's dharma relates to instances described in The Divine Comedy. Dante stresses the importance fulfilling ones duties in the Catholic Church and how it is crucial that each member of the Church takes their job seriously. This adherence to duty is essential in the position of the Pope. Since the Pope is believed to be influenced by the Holy Spirit, it is extremely important that whoever occupies this position, upholds it with a great deal of responsibility.

Many people trust the Catholic Church, and if popes are misusing that power, then it is more deceitful and morally wrong than if another individual had committed such heinous acts. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit of the Catholic Church did not stop Pope Boniface VIII from selling indulgences to the Roman citizens. Although Dante respected Boniface VIII as “officially Christ's Vicar on Earth,“ he placed him in the Inferno, the bottom tier, because he took advantage of his power and did not fulfill his duties.

Dante expresses how souls in the Purgatorio, the middle tier, all desire to reach God and can do so by moving up the terraces of Purgatory. This resembles samsara, the cycle of birth, because individuals want to be released from the cycle but can only do so by having good karma; just as souls in Purgatory must want to genuinely become better spirits and have “nothing but their desire to be made clean move them to accept their pains, and nothing more is needed.“ If a spirit in Purgatory solely wants to get closer to God, they will not move up in Purgatory because their intentions are not sincere. The sprit in Purgatory must want to better itself and not want to move closer to God until it is truly ready.

Similar to how samsara and moving up Purgatory parallel one another, moksha and Paradiso do too. Moksha is when an atman does not get reincarnated any more. According to the Bhagavad-Gita, it is impossible to get out of moksha once it is achieved. When Dante is in Paradiso, Heaven, he realizes how some humanly desires must be overcome to truly be apart of Heaven and reach God. Those same wants and desires are what inhibit followers of Hinduism to reach moksha.

Although there are many similarities between Hinduism's reincarnation and the afterlife depicted by Dante, there is one major disparity; in Hinduism a person is reborn into another life form whereas in Medieval Christianity, the soul only has one life to be placed in the Inferno, Purgatorio, or Paradiso.

In Hinduism, an atman is reborn into another life as something different, and is either closer to God than in its previous life or further away. Although this relates to Purgatory, it contradicts the souls placed in the Inferno.

In Hinduism, if an individual does bad deeds in one life or fails to fulfill their duties, then they will be reborn further away from God in the next life, no matter how bad the deed. This differs from The Divine Comedy because if an individual commits a horrid crime, such as adultery, deceiving others or being a bystander, then they will be placed in a particular level of Hell. Once a soul is placed in the Inferno, it is to remain there for eternity.

Regardless of this main difference between Medieval Christianity and Hinduism, the unknowable judgments of God remain the same across both religions. In Medieval Christianity, Dante states that only God knows what is to come and holds all of the answers. This indicates that a soul's journey is result of Gods judgment, and not all souls will end up in Paradiso, even after leading a good and ethical life. For example Virgil is not able to enter Paradiso, even though he is a very good and wholesome soul. The enigmatic judgment of God is also seen in Hinduism. God has a predetermined path for all atmans. This path exemplifies all of the dharmas each atman must fulfill before reaching moksha. God determines the path, and the atman does not know what duties God wishes it to complete. This means that even though an atman, in the form of a human, leads a life filled with good, if that individual does not fulfill their duties only known to God, then they may not move closer to reaching moksha. Regardless of the many differences between Dante's Christianity and Hinduism, followers of both religions seek to return to their creator, God.

The article was first published in The Asian Voice in London, UK. It can be found at:
http://epaper.asian-voice.com/PUBLICATIONS/AV/AV/2013/08/10/ArticleHtmls/The-Journey-to-One-self-10082013008009.shtml?Mode=1#.

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