Response Paper to Hinduism Unit
Paper in Response to the Hinduism Unit
Beyond the fact that Hinduism is the oldest and most intricate religion to have existed throughout the history of human civilisation, its precepts prescribe a way of life based on the values of righteousness and service. The religious phrase is based on four fundamental principles: dharma (obligations), karma (desires), moksha (liberation), and artha (inspiration) (prosperity). “Dharma” is considered to be one of the most important notions in Buddhism, and it is synonymous with the concepts of “duties,” “principles,” and “rules,” as well as the road of righteousness. The manner a Hindu person lives his or her life is defined by the Vedas, which are sacred texts. It is said in the Gita that one’s holy responsibility in the universe informs one’s understanding of dharma, or the code of ethics (Patton L., Pg. xxi). It is believed that the Vedic beliefs aid in the derivation of the philosophy of karma, which is classified as a “moral law of cause” that connects the concepts of afterbirth and cycle of life with the thought of reincarnation and states that all actions, whether good or bad, have repercussions. Comparing the Bhagavad Gita to contemporary vrat literature, the concepts of Karma and Dharma have fundamentally different interpretations in the Gita.
Karma has traditionally been understood as the performance of duties without expecting a reward, as explained by – “The Person who does what must be done, and does not resort to the fruit of action, is an ascetic and practitioner of yoga, not the one who does not have a fire and does not perform rituals.” According to the holy Hindu text (Gita) (Sixth Discourse, Passage 1), this verse describes a specific dialogue in which Lord Krishna instructs his disciple Arjuna to carry out his Karma (due) without regard to the outcome. The Bhagavad Gita contains a variety of views of Dharma, each of which might be personal and distinct from the rest of the community. ‘Better one’s own dharma, even if it is ineffective, than the dharma of another, especially if it is effectively performed!’ It is preferable to die according to one’s own Dharma! “Fear of another’s dharma is merely a source of anxiety.” In the third discourse, verse 35, Lord Krishna emphasizes the importance of Arjuna performing his own dharma and not rejecting the idea of killing his own family members during the Mahabharata war on the battlefield of Kurukshetra by neglecting and redefining his own definition of dharma, as suggested by Lord Krishna. According to the interpretation of Vedic Literatures, “dharma denotes correct behavior, practice, and ethics rather than a required set of beliefs,” and that “dharma implies correct action, practice, and ethics.” ) (Flueckiger J., Chapter 1 on page 3). Rather than a collection of laws, Dharma, according to the Vedic Literature, is a set of personal values and beliefs.
The Vedic Literatures also provide an explanation of Dharma that is based on context and plurality. “In everyday life, there is no assumption that there is a single dharma that is appropriate for everyone to follow.” (Flueckiger J., Chapter 1 on page 6 of the book). Taking the example of a human being, his or her dharma may be different (depending on his or her caste and jati views) from or in addition to that of a married lady (stri dharma). as compared to the situation of a widow woman The Vedic literatures state that each individual’s Dharma is determined by his or her environment. Additionally, the concept of Polytheistic Imagination was introduced, where Hindus welcome diversity and context-specific traditions in their religious practices. The same is true for karma: according to the Bhagavad Gita, every human being has a fixed life cycle, and his or her actions influence the afterlife; but, according to the Vedic literatures, the performance of a vrat can change a person’s destiny in the current life. Furthermore, “Transformations are made to it that allow the establishment of a particular karma to continue to be a major motivator in modern devotional practices” or “for the gain of merit, for the establishment of a particular karma, for the accumulation of merit through some social method, for the accumulation of merit through superior knowledge, all of these are implied by vrat” are examples of what is meant by “vrat.” Wadley S. (Wadley, S., p. 149) According to the Vedic literature, this theory runs counter to the traditional belief in “karma,” which is highlighted by the Bhagavad Gita, which states that one should not be concerned with the outcome and should simply perform their duties. However, the Vedic literature suggests that the outcomes can be altered through vrats and good karma.
The terms “dharma” and “karma” have comparable connotations in the Bhagavad Gita, although they are explained in a somewhat different way in the Vedic texts. According to the Vedic Literatures, the concepts of dharma and karma in the Gita can be used to interpret Hinduism as a religion with a set of rules, whereas it can be considered as a way of life. Both interpretations, whether through the Bhagavad Gita or through the Vedic literatures, are contextual, and it is up to the person to decide how they want to understand Hinduism and what they want to incorporate into their everyday lives in terms of what their Dharma and respective Karma should be.
References
The Bhagavad Gita
The book Everyday Hinduism (by Joyce Flueckiger, pages. 1-9).
Vrats: Transformers of Destiny” by Susan Wadley
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