Ultimately, our actions make us better people, not our beliefs - Doctor Sleep
From the intellectual side (Philosophy; and Science), now to the practical side of Hinduism- Living in Society; and Status of Women (PART IV).
Society is made by Individuals. In this PART, I am discussing what kind of Action, Thoughts and Values are expected of an Individual as per Hindu scriptures. And being a Hindu is NOT a precondition for abiding by them.
1. KARMA/ACTION
Karma, only our Karma determines our state. Our Karma in turn is determined by our awareness. Understanding this is what Hinduism is- a principled way of life.
i. Dharma (Moral, Ethical or Lawful Duty, or Virtue, or Right Action/Karma at the Right Time) questions what we as Aware humans give to the Society, never vice-versa.
ii. Dharma that bestows a Personal Gain is lower than Dharma that prospers Collective Good. Example- a highly capable and astute candidate stepping down from an election for the hatred of dirty politics or for becoming a sage is not a right Karma. Reach the Absolute Awareness by making Karma your Dharma.
iii. Krishna (Vishnu incarnate) was unambiguous when He held humans accountable for their Karma. The Absolute Energy or Parmatma decides nothing for a person- their action, their responses or even the result of their actions.
iv. Karma is paramount in Hinduism. For Hindus, saying humans are changing the climate and causing environmental destruction is not hubristic.
v. We are ONE. As long as a single soul hurts, no one achieves Complete Joy.
vi. Expectations are considered to be the root of hurt, envy, greed, revenge, sorrow, entitlement and wrath- emotions that bring upon utter disappointment and encourage crimes and sins.
Hinduism, especially Bhagwad Gita, instructs practising Karma without expectations, and surrendering it before the Highest Awareness (or our Complete Potential).
Karma done this way is bereft of pain & joy, hurt & love, victory & defeat. It makes one a Karma Yogi.
vii. Dharma is joy in itself, it is not a destination to it. Adharma is sorrow itself, not a path to sorrow in future. That is why a person on Dharma is calm; on Adharma is agitated.
2. SINS
Every time one harms someone is when a sin occurs. It is that simple!
There are obviously some sins greater than the other. E.g. disrespecting or hurting a Guru (teacher); slaying women, children, bovine and agricultural fields; massacring other forms of life etc.
However, Dharma does not have a single definition. It is subjective.
There are some situations where there is a dilemma between two ethically/morally correct decisions/actions, called Dharma-Sankat. This is where the profundity of Hindu philosophy comes into play, and the action chosen then decides the sin from virtue.
Hinduism imposes no coercion; it teaches self-control.
3. CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened”- John F. Kennedy
i. When a society outgrows old traditions and customs, they start festering, prohibiting growth, prosperity and righteous administration.
When this happens, Dharma guides to jettison those customs and start anew with principles of Knowledge, Justice, Devotion, Love, Harmony, Patience, Compassion, Service and Integrity.
The new customs and traditions should evolve likewise. They should be made for all, but imposed on none.
4. HOMOSEXUALITY/TRANS-SEXUALITY
i. Shiva and Shakti analogy is used to replicate marriage in human lives. Shiva and Shakti seek each other out- and not as bodies, but Energy/Souls. Marriage in Hinduism is union of this Energy/Souls and not bodies. Bodies are changeable, mortal garbs.
Hence, same-sex marriages cannot be an Adharma (a sinful or immoral or unlawful action) going by Hindu foundations (see Harihara; Bhagiratha- born of two women in some versions; Ayappa; Mitra-Varuna etc.).
ii. Many gods and goddesses are shown as transvestites, transsexuals; or even varying their Genders as different Manifestations (see Mohini; Aravan; Brihannala; Shikhandini, Vinayaki, Narsimhi, Maheshvari etc.). Since Vedic times, all Entities were comfortable in expressing Female and Male attributes.
Erotic! sculptures in ancient Hindu temples; deities for various sexes and orientations etc. can be easily found.
I have already stated. It is all about Energy in Hinduism. And Energy has no gender, colour, shape.
5. JUSTICE
“In matter of conscience, the law of majority has no place.” - Mahatma Gandhi
i. Truth and Dharma might receive a transient setback, but they do win. Believe in Good, and in the temporary moments of failure never suspect actuality of Good. Good is the Supreme Power/Energy for those who Believe in it.
ii. Hate the sin, the crime; not the sinner, the criminal.
This is a resounding lesson in Bhagwad Gita. Krishna explains to Arjuna how Krishna was everyone in the battlefield.
Krishna spoke as the voice of the Absolute Energy or Awareness. All contemporaries of the incarnations of Absolute Energy were in fact Absolute Energy playing several parts to teach mortal humans the way to live.
Hence, we learn from them- what not to do from Ravana, Hirankashyapu, Hiranyaksh, Mahishasura, Kans, the Kauravas and Pandavas etc., and what to do, too.
There are no villains, no heroes in Hinduism. There is sin, and there is virtue.
iii. The way a Society serves Justice to the violators, shapes it intrinsically.
For example- When we as society are enraged and desire rapists be sliced, diced, seared and lacerated, that perhaps is not Dharma. Bodies do not matter, and so does the harm inflicted on them. The right path would be to end their vicious lives, and give their soul another opportunity to amend.
iv. Society must be resilient to honour Justice, and Justice must never yield before Adharma.
6. CASTEISM
A tricky topic. Varn (Caste System) in Hinduism was not discriminatory.
It was based on who did what- Brahmins, the intellectuals- the ones to keep Dharma omnipotent. Kshatriyas, the warriors. Vaishyas, in charge of services- farmers, merchants, traders etc. Shudras, other jobs- workers, artisans, charioteers, servants etc.
This was supposed to keep the society structure stable- by using people’s best talents for the work. It had nothing to do with what they were born as. What they excelled at, mattered. In fact many of the greatest scholars, authors, poets in Hinduism have been Shudras- Ved Vyas (wrote Mahabharata), Valmiki (wrote Ramayana), Tulsidas (wrote Ramacharitmanas), Kabir (the great poet) etc.
The rub is human ego.
Perchance humans are quick to judge, and rummage for ways of exerting authority. Somewhere the distribution of jobs became the medium of humiliation, and the arrangement went awry.
The Shudras were made pariahs (outcasts) in their own villages and towns, despite their crucial services in the society. It became worse when the British ignorantly squashed the several backgrounds of India into these 4 categories.
The thoughtless and short-sighted reservations system turned a perhaps resolvable-with-education issue into permanently political. Now it is The bone of contention- the jugular vein of India- a topic that engulfs the country in flames of violence and hatred every time it comes up.
The unthinking differences of the past have now transformed into Hatred. The only solution to this will come from Peace. The younger generations have to let themselves free of the political grip cast on them for ulterior motives of the parties. This behaviour would never let the youth take united steps in meaningfully eradicating this differentiation between Indians. I’ll leave those details for discussion another day.
A helpful step- If you choose birth as a marker for getting equal opportunities, the discrimination will happen by birth, too. We desperately need other marker(s).
WHAT DOES ALL THIS SIGNIFY?
There is no element of violence, supremacy or dogma in Hinduism as an institution.
The thing is- and I speak for all religions- a religious person cannot ever cause harm. Religion is unifying. A religious person’s Aim is to Search Within them, and there they find Absolute Awareness and Consciousness of Being One with the Elements. It is not a Person that they are looking for.
For instance, Hindus are aware that being in ‘Mrityu Lok’ (the world as we know it) is inseparable from adversities, challenges and pain. Their battles are never with an external person or somebody else’s way of life. It is inherent.
While the above does straighten the equation between Hinduism and Society, there has got to be a flaw in the treatment of at least some in the society.
Religion is certainly not famous for honouring women.
Woman of today has the same complaint with Hinduism of Today.
We must see what must it be like in Hinduism of Yore in PART IV.
Those who indulge into any form of violence in the name of religion, do not understand their Religion, without exceptions.
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