Sanatana Dharma
The Duties in life that apply to all people everywhere at all times; eternal truth. is known as the Eternal Way. The central idea in Hinduism is that it shows a ‘way’ or path through life and duty. This word has various meanings which have to be understood from the context in which it is used. It can mean religious duty. is this path through life. Hindus try to follow their dharma in order to be good Hindus.
To really understand dharma, three things need to be connected:
- The aims in life for Hindus. - the four purposes of living
- The social divisions described in scripture as necessary for society to function properly, but used by some humans to justify a hierarchy in society. Sometimes called 'caste'. - the ‘position’ in life a person is born into
- Life stages described in scripture as 1 - student; 2 - householder and parent; 3 - retirement and grandparent; 4 - sannyasin: a life of complete renunciation (most Hindus don't get to, or attempt stage 4). - the stage of life a person is in at present
These three words can be merged into one big idea – The duties a Hindu has depending on the caste they are in and the stage of life they are at..
Purusharthas
Hindus recognise four purposes (or goals) of human life, known as purusharthas. Each of these aims is good, and they build upon each other.
- This word has various meanings which have to be understood from the context in which it is used. It can mean religious duty. is the aim of carrying out spiritual duties, which include worshipping, learning and devoting oneself to the gods and goddesses.
- The Hindu concept of desire, longing or sensual pleasure. is the aim of enjoying the good things in life – love, desire and pleasure.
- A term used in Hinduism to mean wealth acquired by honest means. One of the four aims in life described in scripture. (The others are Dharma, Kama and Moksha.) is the aim of success in work – earning money, providing for a family and doing a good job.
- Escape from the cycle of reincarnation. Term used in the Hindu religion. is the aim of liberation. It is a blissful state where the The essence of a being. Can refer to body, mind or soul, depending on context, but usually indicates the soul that is reborn. is no longer reincarnated but becomes one with In Hindu belief, the absolute reality that is the true essence of all existence, God..
| Source of wisdom and authority | What does it mean? |
| The Katha Upanishad (2.2) teaches: “Both the good and the pleasant present themselves to a person. The calm soul examines them well and discriminates. Yea, he prefers the good to the pleasant; but the fool chooses the pleasant out of greed and avarice.” | Everyone has to choose between pleasures and doing good in life. Someone who makes a calm (careful and unhurried) choice will select goodness. But a greedy person may just choose pleasing themselves. |
| Source of wisdom and authority | The Katha Upanishad (2.2) teaches: “Both the good and the pleasant present themselves to a person. The calm soul examines them well and discriminates. Yea, he prefers the good to the pleasant; but the fool chooses the pleasant out of greed and avarice.” |
|---|---|
| What does it mean? | Everyone has to choose between pleasures and doing good in life. Someone who makes a calm (careful and unhurried) choice will select goodness. But a greedy person may just choose pleasing themselves. |
| Source of wisdom and authority | What does it mean? |
| The Bhagavad Gita teaches (2.62–5): “While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, complete delusion arises… – “But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through the ruling principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord… – “For this person … the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such satisfied consciousness, one’s intelligence is soon well established.” | Daily life requires us to use the senses of touch, sight, hearing and so on. However, using these physical senses stops us noticing how attached we are to physical things instead of spiritual realities. Following the Hindu path can free a person from these attachments, bring them the mercies (help) of the divine and make them less miserable. |
| Source of wisdom and authority | The Bhagavad Gita teaches (2.62–5): “While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, complete delusion arises… – “But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through the ruling principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord… – “For this person … the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such satisfied consciousness, one’s intelligence is soon well established.” |
|---|---|
| What does it mean? | Daily life requires us to use the senses of touch, sight, hearing and so on. However, using these physical senses stops us noticing how attached we are to physical things instead of spiritual realities. Following the Hindu path can free a person from these attachments, bring them the mercies (help) of the divine and make them less miserable. |
Question
What are the four aims for Hindu living?
The four aims are dharma (which means duty), kama (which means pleasure), artha (which means success) and moksha (which means liberation).