Many religions begin as individual quests, but almost all religions are eventually incorporated into a cultural system. The Path of Knowledge and Classical Hinduism of India, as well as Confucianism and Daoism of China, are all examples of how religions ultimately adapt into the cultural society. Once a society finds a need for change in a practice or spiritual goal, a transformation usually occurs in the religion and is integrated into the culture.
             In India, the goal of the Path of Knowledge is to try to achieve freedom from rebirth as well as freedom from death. It became necessary during the Upanisadic period because as the cities were growing and people had more leisure time, they began to think that the Path of Action was unsatisfactory. The culture adapted the Path of Knowledge because the Path of Action only gave worldly pleasures that did not last and would eventually waste away. Sacrifices became unnecessary. People began to think knowledge was more important than social and spiritual duties. Then evolved the idea of Karma, action, Samsara, the cycle of life, and Moksha, spiritual liberation. If people had good karma, it would release them from samsara, and they would attain moksha. The only problem with this system is that it did not exert a cohesive force in society, it did not reinforce social harmony. Religion was perceived as individualistic. People tried to achieve moksha on their own.
             The goal in Classical Hinduism is individual happiness, social harmony and spiritual salvation all together. There were four goals for man, knowledge, pleasure, wealth, and salvation. In each stage of life one of these goals is achieved. A student's goal was knowledge. His duty was to study the Veda, chastity, and serving his teacher. A householder's goal was pleasure and wealth. This was achieved through marriage, vocation appropriate to one's class and procreation. Next is the forest dweller. He att...