Hinduism is a religion filled with many philosophical thoughts about the soul, following one's duties, achieving liberation, and understanding the consequences of karma. Many of the beliefs in Hinduism make a person think about life and their actions that they do every day as it can influence your next life. Hinduism also sometimes leads one to wonder whether all these various beliefs and philosophical thoughts are true or not and if one does not follow one's duties (dharma), whether or not the consequences really occur in the present life and the next life. Atman, which is the soul, is constantly thirsty for things and always wants something even after obtaining our desires; it is a continuous process (Embree 33). The Self (atman) is overwhelmed by pleasure and pain, which is true in life because there are always desires that give us pleasure and make us happy (Embree 36). But you also have to remember that life has its ups and downs, there will always be a moment of pain in life. No one is ever satisfied in life, we want more and more every day. According to the Upanishadic thinker, the material world is not very important, only you, your soul and the actions you perform matter (Embree 36). Nothing is more important in the world than your personality, which is the self (atman). I completely disagree with the Upanishadic thinker that the material world does not matter. It matters because our actions, and how our soul feels in certain situations, all come from the material world. Yes, our actions are equally important, but the material world pushes us to our soul-performed actions. Every act we do, every thought and every desire, shapes this and our future lives. Karma, action and consequences of action......middle of paper......rma at a young age. A person must be able to follow their dharma regardless, because it may not always be the right action, but they must be satisfied because it is your dharma. Arjuna in the Mahabharata did not want to kill his own people, because he knew it was a sin. Krishna convinced him that he would be committing a sin if he did not perform his duty (dharma) as a warrior, because a warrior's duty is to fight (Embree 281). Hinduism can relate everything and that is why it is easier for many to understand the whole concept of Hinduism, atman, follow one's duties, achieve liberation and understand the consequences of karma. You have to fulfill your dharma in your life and do good karma to have a better soul in the next life or to escape the cycle of samsara. If it is not achieved or realized, liberation cannot be achieved.