Duty and Desire in Conflict The Bhagavad Gita is concerned with the complex relationship between the concepts of duty and desire. Krishna’s counsel throughout the text speaks on the way that duty and desire cause conflict with each other in the minds of men. His views on their relationship are shown during the conversation with Arjuna before a great battle, when Krishna counsels, One who does what must be done without concern for the fruits is a man of renunciation and discipline, not one who shuns ritual fire and rites (Bhagavad Gita 6:1). In this verse, Krishna describes the ideal man of duty as one who can do what needs to be done without regard for any benefits that he may gain. Simply performing the duties is not enough; one must perform
their duties without concern for the outcome, whether it is negative or beneficial. A man who has the ability to cast aside desire in favor of his duty alone is “a man of renunciation and discipline”. A man cannot truly renounce his desires and become an ideal man of duty if he allows his desires to motivate him. From Krishna’s statement, one can infer that concern, or desire, for the fruits of action will cause a man to neglect his duty and shun the “ritual fire and rites” and responsibilities that are necessary. This is why the relationship between duty and desire is a relationship of conflict. Duty and desire cannot truly coexist because desire will always cause a man to become undisciplined, and an undisciplined man can never be an ideal man of duty. The conflict between a disciplined man’s duty and the looming threat of desire is further described in The Bhagavad Gita when Krishna says to Arjuna, Relinquishing the fruit of action, the disciplined man attains perfect peace; the undisciplined man is in bondage, attached to the fruit of his desire (Bhagavad Gita 5:12). In this passage, Krishna describes how a man can become disciplined and therefore attain the ultimate goal of perfect peace. He also discusses how desire interferes with this goal by keeping a man without discipline in a trapped state bound by and to desire. According to Krishna, only a disciplined man can reach a state of perfect peace, and in order to achieve this he must reject (“relinquish”) the fruits and rewards of his duty. However, desire interferes with duty and can cause a man of weak discipline – a man prone to not fulfilling his duty – to become bound (“in bondage”) to the objects of his desire and thus be unable to find true peace. Desire is in direct conflict with a man’s duty because worldly desires bind a man to them and do not allow themselves to be relinquished, but it is necessary that a man relinquish desire in order to perform his duty and become a true man of discipline. This concept of relinquishment ties back into Krishna’s later counsel when he discusses a man of “renunciation”. A disciplined man of duty can renounce and relinquish the desire for the fruits of his actions. Desire conflicts with a man’s duty by actively working against it to draw a man away from his duty and to ensnare him in the realm of worldly desires as an undisciplined man.
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
The prima facie duties that William David Ross has listed include duties of fidelity, reparation, gratitude, justice, beneficence, self-improvement, and non-maleficence. Duties of fidelity and reparation rest on previous acts that one has performed, and acting on these duties are acts such as promise-keeping (duties of fidelity) and making amends for previous wrongful acts (duties of reparation), while duties of gratitude rest on previous acts that others have performed. There is a duty associated with the distribution of pleasure or good regardless of its recipient, and this is termed as duties of justice. An additional duty rests on the mere fact that there are other beings in this world to whom we can be of assistance to: duties of beneficence. Duties of self-improvement claim that there are intrinsic moral reasons for one to improve oneself and finally, duties of non-maleficence states that there are intrinsic moral reasons to not harm others. Duties are placed on the list only when they have been judged to be basic moral reaso...
Human Beings have been divided into different categories .There are certain kind of jobs to do in this world. Whatever the job we do, we have to do it sincerely and it is our responsbility to fulfill all the requirements our job requires from us.Once committed to our job, we have to be sincere, honest, devoted and responsible.
In his sufferings, he makes it his duty to fend for all his men by
provides for them, and they, as his most loyal subjects, keep to his standards of honor and
Middle Captain Shigehira’s plea to the Buddha, before his execution, exemplifies this. Shigehira declared “I was not acting of my own free will when I committed my grave sins; I was merely trying to do my duty. Who that lives can spurn an imperial command?” Regardless of what was commanded, the warrior was obligated to obey. Director of the Military Stores Bureau Yorimasa confirms this decree when he is ordered to restrain an invisible monster.
'Tis the curse of service;/ Preferment goes by the letter and affection,/ And not by old gradation, where
As opposed to Naturalism, the ethical theory of duty occupies a completely different domain. Immanuel Kant, the major advocate of this ethical appro...
“The traditional professing of duty states an intention to serve the community rather than merely to seek income.” (Macionis, Page 384)
... to be the backbone of the Army unless I am willing and able, to do what is right at all times. I must be the standard-bearer. I must be beyond reproach. I must, at all times, conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the corps, the military service, and my country, regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I have recited a creed daily that embodies what makes an NCO. I have lived by that creed and always placed the needs of my soldiers above my own. I have sacrificed in times when I should not have. I have made sure those around me are better off than myself whenever I was able. What I mean with these hollow words, what I hope rings true from the message I am trying to convey, is that I have LIVED with integrity. I have EMBODIED integrity, even when it meant it would harm me; because no one is more professional than I.
...become cattle. This position forms a contradiction between the endeavor to attain human excellence, become a noble being, and the want to give back. This position is, once again, not human. For one cannot become the best possible oak tree and at the same time reach the highest possible potential of a human being. One is either human, or a plant.
When the occupation of a religious man is brought into thought, words like honest, humble, forgiving, or righteous are considered to be associated. Words like hard working, truthful, and effective are brought up when talking about a supervisor. These traits are needed in order to become a high-quality leader among men. From time to time though, selfishness corrupts men. Chaucer criticizes the trait of selfishness as a character trait in The Canterbury Tales.
During the era were Jane lived it was thought to be a selfish for women to show desire, it was a bad emotion that women were expected to control and keep quite. To perform one's duty to society was thought to be respectful and should be put before anything else. Desire is a term to want something or someone very strongly no matter what the outcome is. Duty in contrast, is a moral obligation to something that somebody is obliged to do for moral, legal, or religious reasons , which is thought to be selfless. The decisions made regarding these emotions are significant throughout Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte shows us Jane’s integrity helps her find the balance between duty to herself, and desire to stay.
Firstly, a man may appropriate only as much as leaves ‘enough, and as good’ for others.
"The core of a soldier is moral discipline. It is intertwined with the discipline of physical and mental achievement. Total discipline overcomes adversity, and physical stamina draws on an inner strength that says drive on." - Former Sergeant Major of the Army William G. Bainbridge