The Social Dimensions Of Dharma

The quest towards developing the ideal human character is sought after in both the Bhagavad-Gita and Confucius’ The Analects. In the Bhagavad Gita, the concept of sacred duty is prevalent throughout the text, as the warrior-prince Arjuna faces a moral dilemma throughout the story. In Confucius’ The Analects, filial piety is a virtue which impacts an individual’s character in relation to the Confucian religion. Sacred duty within the Gita requires the protection of one’s dharma, which is defined as the religious and moral law that manages an individual’s actions. Within Confucian thought, filial piety is a virtue of respect for one’s elders, ancestors, and parents within a community. Despite the differences between the contextual meanings of developing the ideal human, both the Bhagavad Gita and The Analects utilize their teachings towards developing ideal human character within the themes of sacred duty and filial piety with the goal of establishing a set of communal ethics to be maintained through different caste systems, essentially protecting the existing social structure. To argue this claim, I will begin by analyzing the similar intentions of deviating from selfish actions and thoughts to develop ideal human character. I will then express how the nature of this character leads towards the development of one’s sacred duty and filial piety. I will then connect these two ideas to show how together they work to develop a communal set of ethics aimed at maintaining order

The beginning of this class consists of two sections, Hinduism and Buddhism, both of which we have learned a lot about. Within these religions we see some differences and some similarities that one could relate the two with, and one of those is the term Dharma. When examining Dharma in both Hinduism and Buddhism, people may notice that they are somewhat similar, but they will also see that there even more differences within this term. To better understand this term, we must first define it within the religion and then see what they have in common with one another, if anything at all, and finally notice where the big differences are between them.

Ethical dimension are the key elements, values and behavior to any religion. It provides the link between beliefs and actions someone chooses. Religious ethics are patterns of action that a religion follows.

Write an essay of 1,000 – 1,250 words that analyzes key beliefs in Hinduism by addressing the following concepts:

My Dharma is to be an engineer, it’s what I feel it’s the job I’m meant to pursue. Since I was a young child, I genuinely enjoyed math and was pretty good at it. One day my class took a trip to an engineering center and I knew immediately that an engineer is what I wanted to be. Ever since that trip, my goal has been to become an engineer that improves life for the whole world. In order to accomplish that goal, I put a great deal of effort into my education. I do my homework thoroughly, take notes and pay attention in class, and study for tests. I also wish to take math courses over the summer so that I can accelerate myself for college. This way, when I’m in college, I can have a deeper understanding of the material. My Dharma is to be an

Dharma in Hinduism pertains to one’s duty towards their caste, For example a warrior’s job is to protect and serve his people. Among all parts of Hinduism, dharma is especially seen in the Ramayana, where there are many specific instances where dharma plays a key role. The Ramayana explains the story of Ram in which he works towards fulfilling his dharma and overcoming the obstacles he faces. Ram is faced with trial by exile, but before that is faced with the dharma of being a son of a king who does not go back on his words, a warrior, a husband, a brother, and a soon to be king, Ram successfully finds his way to fulfill his duty towards, his father and wife but inadvertently performed his duty towards his kingdom and cast.

In Hinduism, there is a belief that if people do their duty to please their god and follow their moralities then they will achieve their Dharma. Dharma is known as a duty that Hindu’s follow in order to end samsara and reach moksha. Each individual's dharma varies from one and other. Everyone’s dharma is different because every person is at a different point in their life in which, there goals and desires will be different from one and other . This responsibility that Hindus follow was found in the Upanishads which is the fourth section of each of the Vedas. The Upanishads contain the moral values and virtues of hinduism such as dharma. Many Hindus devote their life to achieving their dharma so that they can reach moksha. In multiple religions

Hinduism and Buddhism are both eastern traditions with much to say about the human condition as well as the reason human beings exist at all. In some ways they are different while also being similar in other ways. In this essay, those differences will be discussed and the similarities examined for their message. In conclusion, we will examine what these two faiths offer to the human beings of the twenty-first century.

Dharma is defined as “the religious and moral duties of an individual; duties vary according to class, occupation, gender or age;” according to slide five of The Ramayana lecture PowerPoint. It is also one of the four main principles that guide individuals in their Hindu beliefs. It is important to think of Dharma as a way of life. One must always fulfill one's duties, live by society's laws, and always behave appropriately according to one's station in life, by doing this an individual is earning merit for their next life as reincarnation is one of the other main principles in Hinduism. The moral focus in The Ramayana is dharma and the story is used to teach people about dharma.

Advanced technology and luxurious items seem bring humans into a “Modern World.” However, it seems these 21st Century technologies and items have brought more dissatisfaction, the duhkha. Death, blood and war, these words appear in the newspaper almost everyday. Despite those external dissatisfactions, internally human kind becomes more selfish and lonely. As a matter of fact, a hypochondria is becoming so popular that one in seven adults is facing it. In our society today, Buddhism, especially Mahayana Buddhism, becomes a cure to the duhkha that we are facing today. The Dharma of Mahayana Buddhism becomes very helpful to resolve many, even all the problems humans are facing today.

Dharma is the duty that people must fulfill in order to achieve their life’s purpose. In the Hindu religion, it is what guides the followers’ life choices and actions. Only the utmost just decisions and choices will lead down the path of obtaining dharma. At first glance, the Indian epic, The Ramayana, is a love story about a prince who is banished to the forest and an evil creature subsequently kidnaps his wife. However, it serves a much greater purpose in the Hindu culture. The Ramayana serves as a guide to living a life of moral righteousness. Rama and Sita are role models of how men and women should interact with each other and with society. There is multiple times throughout the epic that Rama faces morally difficult decisions that he flawlessly surpasses, a feat that his human peers surely would not have had the mental strength to accomplish. Rama is the supreme example of how to live a moral life. Rama’s dharma is to destroy evil, and throughout the book the difficult choices he makes and the heroic actions her performs are what guide him in his quest to fulfill his duty. Other characters in the epic, such as Ravana, are faced with the same moral dilemmas and chose incorrectly, which ultimately lead to their demise. Rama’s profound greatness is a result of his ability to place dharma above all other humanly desires and personal interests.

Hinduism is the third most practiced and one of the oldest religion in the world. It is mostly practiced in south Asian countries like India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. India is also called “Hindustan” because it has the majority of the people who practice the religion. It has been evolving over thousands or years and will continue to. One of the things that are admired the most by Hindus is the rivers and the most favorite of them all is the Ganges River. It is the symbol of purity and holds the sacred power to purify.

Dharma is a central term mentioned to greatly in the Buddhist text, its meaning refers to the teachings of Buddha and the

The concept of dharma is the most central and core concept of Hindu philosophy, "all the other principles and values flow from the beautiful fountain of Dharma" (Srinivasan n.d., 1). Consequently, the Hindu scriptures present many examples of its importance in a variety of ways. The two epics Mahabharata and Ramayana are particularly interesting in their presentation of dharma.

Hinduism encompasses a vast sum of traditional religious beliefs, practices, customs, and so on of the Indian people (16). The faith is so deep in tradition, that its roots make it difficult to specifically define the religion. An important theme throughout Hinduism, however, is the understanding of the omnipresence of the divine in every alive being (17). The first way in which Semitic and Indian religions differ in origin is that 1) Semitic religions practice monotheism whereas Indian faiths practice polytheism. Secondly, 2) Semitic faiths are concerned with following the laws of Moses, of walking a straight moral path. Obedience to God’s laws are essential and sins must be repented. Indian faiths did not originate with the same intent, and to an extent, they embrace the insufficiencies of man. They also differ in that 3) Semitic faiths abide closely to the laws of Moses; they do not question the morals and values placed in front of them. It is also very difficult to please God, as it requires the strength to resist temptations to sin. Indian faiths, however, question God, existence itself, and answers relating their place in the world. This open-mindedness is encouraged, and it is relatively easy to be in good favor of the gods (21). Lastly, 4) there is a significant emphasis on nature in Indian religions. Whereas Semitic religions are focused on ethical preaching, the Indian are much more concerned with nature. The Vedic roots of the Indian religions were very focused