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Dharma in hinduism essay
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Rādhakrishnan declares that next to the conception of reality, dharma is the most significant concept in Hinduism (qtd. in Creel 161) , while Badrinath notes that dharma is the fountainhead from which all Indian thought proceeds (Essays, 29). Dharma like many concepts in Hinduism is difficult, if not impossible, to define adequately, though many attempts have been made to do so (Larson 146). The Grand Sire Bhishma in the Mahābhārata make this point while conversing with Yudhishthira, “It is difficult to say what righteousness [dharma] is. It is not easy to indicate it. No one in discoursing upon righteousness can indicate it accurately” (Ganguli, Santi Parva CIX 237-38). Koller delineates the problem of defining dharma: Dharma is “one of the most basic and pervasive concepts in Indian thought … [and] is an extremely complicated concept, embracing many differing, though related, meanings, and extending to a wide range of referents” (131). The importance and ubiquity of this idea makes the task of proper definition vital for understanding Hinduism. One of the best sources for understanding the concept is found in the Bhagavadgita, which serves as a veritable handbook for dharma.
The most common English translation for dharma is religion but this is a demonstrably problematic translation (Sharma 307-08).The word dharma comes from the verbal root dhṛ meaning to uphold, sustain, or integrate, thus dharma is that which sustains and integrates, and the meaning of “dharma is the essential nature of a thing, without which it ceases to be” (Tejoymaynanda 22). This wide conception of dharma stands in contrast to some others that tend toward the laconic and cursory. Larson offers a very succinct and insufficient definition of dharma as “correct usage” (147), while Ingalls provides a similarly limited explanation of dharma as “an ideal or goal of human morality” (45)
From the beginning of humankind, people have constantly had to deal with inner battles. Many of these issues cease to exist as time goes on, while new ones arise to take their place. There is one issue, however, that has remained consistent throughout time – morality. For centuries, humans have fought against the outside world and themselves to keep their morals properly aligned. The issue of morality is so dominant that it is still plays a vital role in today’s society. This can be seen in wars, law systems, codes of conduct, and religious texts. An example of a religious text where this can be seen is in pages 185 - 188 of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna, also referred to as “The Blessed One”, guides Arjuna through his inner struggles between
Hinduism is a broad and encompassing religion. Due to such, the study and answer of any specific question in this religion is difficult. In order to adjust for this, I am going to look at the gunas, the various life goals, life stages, and social castes and see the specific impact that each of these have on morality and ethics in Hinduism.
Reflecting on the Bhagavad Gita, the passages seem to be contradicting. Arjuna seems to have no idea what to do in the face of the enemy. In the 1st chapter he does not want to engage in fighting. The idea of killing brothers, fathers, uncles, etc., bothered Arjuna immensely. To quote, "These I do not want to kill even though they should kill me, O Madhusudana, not even for domination over these 3 words, how much less just for this earth!" (Passage 35)
The story of Arjuna and his conversation with Krishna, begins before the start of a war with Arjuna’s grandfather. In the Hindu faith Krishna is known as an avatar for the God Vishnu. Vishnu is the as their God/Creator all things. This conversation between the two, is told as an epic poem, known as “The Bhagavad-Gita”. In this poem, Krishna is presented to Arjuna as his charioteer. It is in this conversation that Krishna that he reveals who he is, and delivers onto Arjuna his 18 teachings, of the universe. The Bhagavad-Gita presents many ideas ranging from the true spirt of man, to the sacred duty (dharma) of the individual, society, and the universe. The aim of this paper is to examine these ideas. I’ll first discus Dharma, where it comes from, and how to obtain it. Then I will
...ely resembles the dharmic action of the Bhagavad-Gita. The fundamental concept of dharma, or proper conduct, is paralleled in the Analects when Confucius provides many examples of how one can remain morally sound. The reason for moral or proper conduct differs in the two texts; while the Bhagavad-Gita presents proper conduct as a step towards liberation from samsara, serving the individual’s needs, the Analects present moral conduct in order to maintain a properly functioning society, serving the society’s needs as a whole. In Western society the goal of Eastern religions are often compared to Heaven; however, Heaven in Hinduism and Confucianism is not a place one goes to at the end of his or her life. Instead, Heaven in Hinduism is a heavenly realm in which the gods reside, and Heaven in Confucianism is a ruling force that instills and enforces values and morals.
The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most famous, and definitely the most widely-read, ethical text of ancient India. As an episode in India's great epic, the Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita now ranks as one of the three principal texts that define and capture the essence of Hinduism; the other two being the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. Though this work contains much theology, its kernel is ethical and its teaching is set in the context of an ethical problem. The teaching of The Bhagavad Gita is summed up in the maxim "your business is with the deed and not with the result." When Arjuna, the third son of king Pandu (dynasty name: Pandavas) is about to begin a war that became inevitable once his one hundred cousins belonging to the Kaurava dynasty refused to return even a few villages to the five Pandava brothers after their return from enforced exile, he looks at his cousins, uncles and friends standing on the other side of the battlefield and wonders whether he is morally prepared and justified in killing his blood relations even though it was he, along with his brother Bhima, who had courageously prepared for this war. Arjuna is certain that he would be victorious in this war since he has Lord Krishna (one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu) on his side. He is able to visualize the scene at the end of the battle; the dead bodies of his cousins lying on the battlefield, motionless and incapable of vengeance. It is then that he looses his nerve to fight.
Arjuna gives up now, he will be full of shame, and a man who has given up
More than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life and a philosophy that is most concerned with spirituality and enlightenment. The idealism of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas, which are the Hindu religion's oldest scriptures and are considered to be a direct revelation of God. The Upanishads are writings that take their themes from the Vedas. The Upanishads, however, seem to be more along the lines of allegories that give a fleshy quality to the religion rather than a very dry and out of touch feel that can be found in other religious texts. Lastly, the Bhagavad-Gita is a collection of teachings that are based on the conversation between Arjuna, a soldier for one of two warring families, and Lord Krishna, who appears as Arjuna's charioteer. In these conversations the two discuss everything from the purpose of life to the basis of reality. Much like Christian proverbs, the teachings of Lord Krishna give advice and general good sense and...
In the article, “A Prophecy of the Death of the Dharma” by Jan Nattier, people found a prophecy that that the Buddhism will only last approximately 1500-2000 years after the death of the Buddha. There is many Prophecies that people found in the past. It was written in an ancient language that took scholar a lot of time to read and interpret it meaning. What they found is the decline of the Buddhism religion. It specifically focuses on the Dharma, or the word and what the Buddha’s teach. One of the prophecy said that the enemy will invade northwest India. But at the end the king of Northwest India will able to defeat the invader. He was rose in power, but he was worried about the sin of killing many lives. He wants to find a way to remove the sin. So, he invited monk and all other religious figure to his palace and bagging them to help him. He rewards those people with generosity, including celebration party and another goods stuff. However,
The Bhagavad-Gita teaches many things, and amongst these, morality and moral law are developed for the Hindu religion. What Krishna, the primary Hindu god, declares in this somewhat epic poem to be the "basis of good in this world" (stanza 3, pg. 620 of text) is for people to take action. Action, as he goes on to state, is within the very nature of our beings to do. Krishna even states that "without action you even fail to sustain your own body" (stanza 8, pg. 620 of text). Thus, Krishna feels that action is very important and key. To take this concept as a relation to ethics, Krishna tells Arjuna, the warrior he is talking to in this poem, that "Action imprisons the world unless it is done as sacrifice; freed from attachment, Arjuna, perform action as sacrifice!" (stanza 9, pg. 620 of text). Thus, Krishna is prescribing that, in order for an action to be considered good, the good that he already declared to be the basis of all good in the world, one must detach himself from the action being performed and perform the action sacrificially. The detachment aspect is incredibly important to Krishna, for he proclaims that in "performing action with detachment, one achieves supreme good" (stanza 19, pg 620 of text). By doing this, Krishna believes that the world is preserved, for other people will follow the warrior's actions and imitate them in their own lives. A leader, such as a warrior or king, "sets the standard for the world to follow" (stanza 21, pg. 621 of text), as Krishna says and thus must take whatever action is necessary for the world to not be destroyed, to set examples of goodness and right in his own actions. By separating himself from these actions, thus becoming detached, he can achieve this. Another main reason that Krishna feels detachment is necessary is this: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty." (Bhagavad-Gita 2.47). Thus, so long as one does not profit from his own actions, the action itself is good. And, this is Krishna's prescription for leading a life of morality and duty is the moral law to follow in order to achieve this.
Hindu thought sharply contrasts Western thought. A central theme in the Hindu religion is following one's dharma, which is an individual's "spiritual duty" (McCrae October 30 2003). This duty is "not bounded by a law code, and there is not one path to salvation" (McCrae October 30, 2003). Because there is no law code, morality is ambiguous. Its definition is unique to each individual. In The Mahabharata, fate (which works interchangeably with dharma) presides over what is traditionally right.
One of the most renown and respected works of Buddhist literature, the Dhammapada forms part of the oldest surviving body of Buddhist writings, and has been considered as the authentic teachings of the Buddha himself, spoken by him in his lifetime, and memorized and handed on by his followers after his death. The title Dhammapada, is a compound term composed of dhamma and pada. Together the term translates to Verses of Truth or the Path of Truth. It is a conglomerate of individual verses and phrases collected to aid in communicating the way of the Buddha. One of the many verses from this compilation is the Dhammatthavagga, or what accords with Dharma. This section talks about what Dharma is in relation to this religion, as well as conveying
‘One is one’s own refuge, who else could be the refuge?’ said Buddha. This section in the article of Buddhist Attitude of Mind explains Buddhas stand point about what does taking refuge really mean, and where and in whom people have to find their shelter. Based on this section, Buddha admonished his disciples to ‘be and find refuge only in themselves’, and never to seek refuge in or help from anybody else. He encouraged and stimulated each person to develop himself and work out his own emancipation. According to Buddha, only a person has the power to liberate himself from all bondage through his personal effort and intelligence. The Buddha says: ‘You should do your work, for the Tathagatas only teach the way.’ The Buddha is called a ‘saviour’,
I was to read chapters 7 through 9 of the Bhagavad Gita. Chapter 7 which is about Wisdom and Realization begins with Lord Krishna as being the Supreme Truth, the supreme cause and sustaining force of everything, both material and spiritual. It states “ I will teach you the essence of this wisdom and its realization; when you come to master this there is nothing further that needs to be known (7.2 pg. 99).” Though many seek vijnana, only a few reach it, because it requires such a mastered dedication to the divine through yoga and meditation. Krishna is revealing the truth of himself, not some other kind of truth.
Hinduism has been a religion for a long time, the Buddha was a Hindu before seeing how terrible the world was, he then found the religion Buddhism. Since the creator of Buddhism was Hinduism as a child, it is only expected for the two religions to be similar. While the two religions are similar they are also quite different as seen by their creation stories. The creation stories are these religions way of explaining how the world started. With most religions the creation story gives the most basic beliefs of the religion as this is where their religion supposedly starts its life. The two stories this paper focuses on is no different, and since they technically have the same origin, it can be obvious as to how they would be similar. However, in the case of the idea of social order and moral decline, they can be different too.