1.

1 Hinduism

HINDUISM – oldest living religion in the world

VEDAS AND THE UPANISHADS – canonical texts of Hinduism

• Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata prove to be equally rich resources in understanding the
meaning of one of Hinduism’s most fundamental ethical concepts — DHARMA

BHAGAVAD GITA – Song of the Lord

- part of the Mahabharata

- one of the most famous and oft quoted texts in the discussion of Hindu ethics particularly in
so far as the question and meaning of ‘moral duty’ is concerned

• Hinduism is also considered a philosophy

SAT-CIT-ANANDA (Absolute Being-Consciousness-Bliss)

The Hindu mythological rendering of the origin of the universe

- begins with the story of the One-Self wrapped in nothingness

- There was only void
- “There was then neither non-entity nor entity; there was neither atmosphere nor sky above
- Death was not then, nor immortality; there was no distinction of day or night.”
- There was only darkness and “all was undistinguishable water
- But then Desire arose in this void. The One-Self looked and realized that it was alone. This
caused it loneliness and desire for a companion. It then divided itself into two, and the
master and the mistress came into being. Then it wanted to be unified again. Unifying and
dividing in various forms, it brought the rest of creation into being.

BRAHMAN – name of this Absolute Being that poured forth all of reality

- The Alpha and Omega of reality

- The corporeal self is just a sheath covering of this true supreme self or reality, for Brahman
is itself creation

ATMAN – when Hinduism refers to Brahman as the supreme self, it uses the term Atman

- —inner self, inmost soul, or breath of life

- Atman is Brahman— the inner self is also the absolute being and principle of reality.

MAYA – illusion

DHARMA – duty

KARMA – fruits of action

NISKAMAKARMA (No-pleasure-action)
Samsara – transmigration

- The splintering of the Absolute Self of the Divine into individual selves in creation is what
orients the human life struggle to be liberated from the cycle of Samsara

Maya – condition of being caught in the illusory world is caused by the distorting principle called Maya.

- “magic,” “illusion,” or “the power to distort.”

Avidya – positive-wrongknowledge

• In Hinduism, there are three kinds of acts

1. OBLIGATORY ACT – something that one must always perform precisely because it is one’s
obligation to perform it
2. PROHIBITED ACT – one must refrain from performing a prohibited act precisely because it is
prohibited
3. OPTIONAL ACT – one is always free to perform or not to perform an optional act precisely
because it is an optional act

• Acts are performed or not performed according to the nature of the acts: performed if obligatory,
avoided if prohibited, and may be performed or not if it is optional.

• if one performs a prohibited act, and does not perform an obligatory act, one gains ‘karmic’ particles

KARMIC PARTICLES – stand for the ‘fruits of Karma’ or the fruits of action

- serve as weights or chains that bind the spirit to the world of phenomena
- The more one gains karmic particles, the longer one is to be bound to the cycle of
transmigration

The goal of life and action in Hinduism – detachment from these fruits or consequences of actions

- Acts must be performed/not performed purely for their own sake and not for some reward

NISKAMAKARMA – no (nis) pleasure (kama) action (karma)

- the only way one can gradually be released from the chains of Karma

SAMSARA OR TRANSMIGRATION – Hindu explanation for the cycle of birth-rebirth

- eschatological catharsis of the human spirit towards realizing its true nature
- the overcoming of MAYA (illusion) and AVIDYA (ignorance), and the obsession with the
fruits of KARMA (action) in the world of phenomena

Purusharthas (The Four Ends of Life)

a. ARTHA (Material Wealth) – material needs

b. KAMA (Pleasure) – desire pleasure and happiness
- points to the gratification of the senses
- refer to general well-being or a sense of contentment
 c. DHARMA (Moral End/Duty/Nature) – is plurisignificative
- can be understood as
o a moral end
o duty
o law
o nature
- “that which supports”.
- comes from the root word dhri which means to support, hold up, or bear
- points to the idea that every entity that exists has a role to play, a duty to perform

• SADHU (holy man) and the scorpion

A sage, seated beside the Ganges, notices a scorpion that has fallen into the water. He reaches
down and rescues it, only to be stung. Some time later he looks down and sees the scorpion
thrashing about in the water again. Once more he reaches down to rescue it, and once more he
is stung. A bystander, observing all this, exclaims, “Holy one, why do you keep doing that? Don’t
you see that the wretched creature will only sting you in return?” “Of course,” the sage replied.
“It is the dharma of a scorpion to sting. But it is the dharma of a human being to save.”
(Eastwaran 31)

d. MOKSHA (Blissful Spiritual Liberation) – final aim of spiritual liberation in Hinduism

- It is in part the liberation of the soul from the cycle of transmigration of BIRTH-DEATH-
REBIRTH
- it is also the release from the power of Maya and the enlightenment of the mind to reach
“true knowledge or VIDYA”
- is also the self’s realization of its absolute divine nature
- the blissful end of all pain and suffering
- the ultimate end towards which all our actions must be directed

• The notion of Dharma is intimately connected to the Hindu commitment to the CHATURVARNA or the
four castes

1. BRAHMIN (priests and gurus)

2. KSHATRIYA (rulers, administrators, warriors, landowners)
3. VAISHYA (produces, farmers, merchants)
4. SHUDRA (servants)

• In the Laws of Manu, it is recounted how all of the castes sprang from Brahman

1. from his head (Brahmin)

2. his arms (Kshatriya)
3. his thighs (Vaishya)
4. his feet (Shudra)

DHARMA – not just an obligation one must perform, but also a commitment that makes possible the
pursuit of the other ends
 - means to sustain, uphold, and nourish the society in order to nourish oneself
- the law that maintains order in things or that which keeps them in their rightful place

KRISHNA – the god of war

ARJUNA – warrior

- Kshatriya class
- tasked to protect and fight for his people