Hindu Morality

The Paths of Liberation: The Three Yogas Hindus turn to the Bhagavad Gita to learn how to achieve the ultimate goal of moksha, or liberation from the eternal cycle of rebirths In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna describes three yogas (paths or disciplines) that lead to liberation: knowledge, devotion, and action

The Path of Knowledge This path stresses the quest for spiritual knowledge and truth One goal is to understand that atman and Brahman are one because the illusion (maya) of the world is powerful Hindus train their minds through meditation to see the world as it truly is Hindus who follow this path must study with a guru

The Path of Knowledge (cont’d) Best way to train the mind is through meditation Allows Hindus to go beyond the conscious self and detach from the world of illusions so they can then see the true nature of atman

The Path of Knowledge (cont’d) Meditation: concentrating/focusing the mind to control one’s thoughts Involves special positions and breathing exercises to help people clear minds Two meditation techniques using a mantra - a word, phrase, or sound that is repeated using a mandala - a symbolic circle diagram that represents the universe or the self

The Path of Devotion In this path, Hindus choose a particular deity and spend their lives worshipping it. They see their religious identity tied to one preferred deity, but it does not exclude the worship of other deities.

The Path of Good Works It involves Hindus doing their dharma, or duty, to the best of their ability. This is different for everyone depending on caste, job, social status, stage of life, etc. Also known as karma yoga

The Path of Good Works (cont’d) Hindus are not to act in the hope of being rewarded with good karma. They try to act according to what is required by dharma. This path stresses discipline, ritual action, and moral choices.

The Laws of Manu Another Hindu scripture that governs actions and virtues It contains instructions for living according to caste and acting according to duty. Themes: patience, discipline, truthfulness, knowledge, and living according to the four stages

Family

Family Life Traditionally, men and women have separate roles in Hindu society. In urban areas and Western countries, gender roles are less structured.

Gender Roles & Marriage Dowry: money or other valuables brought to a marriage by the bride Many traditional Hindu families pay or require dowries, even though it is illegal in India.

Marriage Hindu society has a tradition of arranged marriages, especially in India Friends, neighbours, or paid matchmakers may arrange marriages. The couple does not date and are never left alone.

Marriage (cont’d) Matchmakers must: Possess wisdom of what makes a successful marriage know their own children well consider character, education, caste, tradition, background give the couple a say in what happens; if either disagrees with the match, the search starts again believe that love develops after marriage, not before

Marriage (cont’d) “Love marriages” are becoming more common Hindus are also marrying Hindus of other castes and non-Hindus