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Thread: Hindu Morality

  1. #1
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    Hindu Morality

    To me, it seems that Hinduism doesn't have an absolute code of morality. The Bible, Qur'an, and Tradition of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches lay down strict moral codes - thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, etc.

    I haven't come across this in Hinduism. Is there an absolute moral code found somewhere in Hinduism, that says for example: Murder is wrong, stealing is wrong, adultery is wrong, sex before marriage is wrong, homosexuality is wrong, abortion is wrong? Is such a thing found in Hinduism? If so, where?

    I know the Mahabharata talks about living a moral life, but what things are defined as moral and what things are defined as immoral? For example: fornication or sex before marriage. Is there anywhere in Hinduism that says that sex is only for within marriage and that any sex outside of marriage is wrong? The Kama Sutra seems to talk about concubines, and also eunuchs doing things with men that I won't mention here.

    To me, it seems that the the longer you look in the Hindu scriptures, you will find a passage that agrees with your position.

    Can anyone help me with this? For someone coming from a Christian worldview, it is important to me.

  2. #2

    Re: Hindu Morality

    Hello Scott,

    I think a partial answer is that Hinduism says karma is 100% exacting...others may help us with our karma to some degree but the price of it still must be paid. Thus if we do this or that good or bad action, then a this or that good or bad action will come back to us...with many possible and unexpected magnifications!

    Om

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    Arrow Re: Hindu Morality

    All of these topics have been discussed at length here on HDF, so please have a search through this site for the answers you require.

    When Moses came down from the mountain, he had Hindu scripture in his hands!

    “No killing” is ahiMsA
    “No false witness” is satyA
    “No stealing” is asteya
    “No adultery” is brahmacarya
    “No coveting” is aparigraha
    “No blasphemy” is shauca
    “No other gods” is saMtoSa
    “Remember the sabbath” is tapaH
    “Respect your parents” is svAdhyAya
    “No worship of graven images” is IshvarapraNidhAnAni

    And the ancient oath to yama is ahiMsAsatyAste or “Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all the days of my life”, without which no man may be considered a true kRSTaya. In fact, there is no morality in “krishtayanity” that was not already implicit (in its purest form) in hindu dharma!

    vaidika dharma = Arya dharma = kRSTaya dharma
    Last edited by sarabhanga; 20 January 2008 at 06:43 AM.

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    Re: Hindu Morality

    Namaste Scott,

    You may also want to take a look at the Hinduism Today article called Hinduism's Code of Conduct. It speaks of the extended list of ten yamas and ten niyamas compiled from various texts.

    Aum.



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    Re: Hindu Morality

    Namaste Bob.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob G View Post
    Hello Scott,

    I think a partial answer is that Hinduism says karma is 100% exacting...others may help us with our karma to some degree but the price of it still must be paid. Thus if we do this or that good or bad action, then a this or that good or bad action will come back to us...with many possible and unexpected magnifications!

    Om
    The doctrine of karma in Hinduism is not a case of 'as you sow so you reap' or 'an for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' repayment. If that be the case, a person who commits ten murders may have to be reincarnated at least ten more times to be slain by his victim! However, in my boyhood days our grandma used to scare us saying, "If you hurt a bird, in your next birth you will be born as a bird and the bird as you and it will hurt you the same way!" As we grew up, however, we understood that the real intention of her message is not its verbatim meaning, only an exaggerated caution against creating karma.

    Karma in Hinduism doctrine manifests in kinds: for example, causing injury to another person might be repaid by the doer of that act either in this or another birth in the form of an illness or a negative mental state. Swami Sivananda has written a book that he has titled "Karma and Diseases" (downloadable at http://www.sivanandadlshq.org/downlo...madisease.pdf). In the same way, a serious illness, misfortune or accident might clear up many karmic debts of the past.

    Therefore the 100% exacting is only in quatum not in the same currency.

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    Re: Hindu Morality

    Quote Originally Posted by ScottMalaysia View Post
    To me, it seems that Hinduism doesn't have an absolute code of morality. The Bible, Qur'an, and Tradition of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches lay down strict moral codes - thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, etc.

    I haven't come across this in Hinduism. Is there an absolute moral code found somewhere in Hinduism, that says for example: Murder is wrong, stealing is wrong, adultery is wrong, sex before marriage is wrong, homosexuality is wrong, abortion is wrong? Is such a thing found in Hinduism? If so, where?

    To me, it seems that the the longer you look in the Hindu scriptures, you will find a passage that agrees with your position.

    Can anyone help me with this? For someone coming from a Christian worldview, it is important to me.
    Namaste Scott: Virtue is throughout the texts of Hinduism, but other than the yamas and niyamas, I know of no set standard like that of the ten commandments, that is so predominant in that religion's themes. You also have to consider the extreme vastness of Hindu scripture. Personally, I look to the yamas and niyamas, and my own common sense, as well as my Guru's thoughts on the matter. It is a good starting place for basic interfaith dialogue..a comparison between the ten commandments and the yamas. I think in the west it presents a bit of a problem, especially when some gurus look beyond virtue, and start teaching yoga etc., without first dealing with virtue. Then the unvirtuous student learns stuff he's psychically not prepared for as he's not yet sealed off the forces from below the muladhara. In the east, at least in my experience, virtue is taught from a young age, and entire communities practice it, so people more or less absorb it, or in another way, have their heads in the sand. (You only learn about what you get exposed to.) I do see a negative trend in this regard. In the west, especially on television, we are totally surrounded by unvirtuous conduct. Aum Namasivaya
    Last edited by Eastern Mind; 20 January 2008 at 03:49 PM. Reason: spelling

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    Re: Hindu Morality

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~
    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Namaste Scott: Virtue is throughout the texts of Hinduism, but other than the yamas and niyamas, I know of no set standard like that of the ten commandments, that is so predominant in that religion's themes.
    Namaste EM, Scott (et.al)

    sarabhanga has a nice list above that resonates well and gives you the 'core' offer ... you can also consider the Laws of Manu. Here's one site, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm

    pranams
    Last edited by yajvan; 20 January 2008 at 07:19 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  8. #8

    Re: Hindu Morality

    Hello Saidevo,

    I agree with your post; good expounding by you. (the drift of what you said was also intended by me in the words, "with many possible and unexpected magnifications!")

    Om



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    Smile Re: Hindu Morality

    Namaste Bob & Saidevo,

    " I think a partial answer is that Hinduism says karma is 100% exacting...others may help us with our karma to some degree but the price of it still must be paid. Thus if we do this or that good or bad action, then a this or that good or bad action will come back to us...with many possible and unexpected magnifications!"

    All karma must be burned! And all Karma ends up being burned.

    " Therefore the 100% exacting is only in quatum not in the same currency. "

    Yes 100% is the quantum and the currency is pain. Unless you resort to yoga and start your on independent ecological burning process, stopping the identification with the "unexpected magnifications" .
    Less pain brighter mind, less errors longer life.


    Om namah shivaya

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    Re: Hindu Morality

    SCOTTMALASIA:
    Hindu Morality
    "To me, it seems that Hinduism doesn't have an absolute code of morality. The Bible, Qur'an, and Tradition of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches lay down strict moral codes - thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, etc.

    I haven't come across this in Hinduism. Is there an absolute moral code found somewhere in Hinduism, that says for example: Murder is wrong, stealing is wrong, adultery is wrong, sex before marriage is wrong, homosexuality is wrong, abortion is wrong? ..............."



    Moral codes are nothing but laws written by humans to keep some order in this world. There is absolutely nothing wrong. As we all know without these laws there would be total chaos or anarchy.
    It is my view that Ten Commandments or the equivalents in Hindu scriptures as explained by Sarabanga or Manus stuffs are human ways of putting order in our lives, so we can have a meaning to this life and enjoy to the full extent. I am not downplaying these good moral rules , and in fact I do appreciate greatly that people in ancient days did recognize the need for such rules. These commandments have profoundly influenced in the write ups of the laws of modern world.
    But I do have a problem in listing these laws in a divine sense. How many laws are good enough to keep us out of trouble? Is Ten enough? Or twenty enough? As humans we keep inventing more laws even today for betterment of ourselves. The dark side of these laws is that we as human beings in no way can strictly adhere to every law at all the time. I am sure all of us even for a transient period of time, have expressed anger or felt lust seeing a curvaceous woman. Hey, we live in this real world; no one is a saint here. But most of us do have conscious minds to correct our thoughts and control our speed limits. Let us be honest about it.
    If we consider God as Love, then these laws and Dharmas would become secondary things. Love is powerful; it comes to us only in total freedom. Geeta puts it very nicely in Ch 2 verse 47. We as human beings have all the rights, meaning full freedom. Geeta does not say God has the right over human beings in their actions. Good or bad, we human beings have to make conscious decision about any action we perform. Imagine the flipside of this beautiful verse, no freedom means no love. Without love there is no law or Dharma.

    Love..................VC

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