Hindu Ethics
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The Hindu Ethics collection gathers important resources about a major religious tradition: Hinduism as Indian religion and dharma and it shows as well the development of a Hindu global spirituality. The purpose of the collection is to build a comprehensive library on the ethical philosophy of Hinduism, based on three main aspects: 1) sources feeding the philosophy of Hinduism, 2) Institutions, which interpret, redefine and propagate the sources, and 3) the themes which are the various facets of application in daily life. The scope of this collection is to be inclusive, encompassing the length and breadth of Hinduism, from ancient lore to modern movements, without leaving out any era, class, creed, sect or school.
Recent Submissions
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The Challenge of the Bhagavad-gita: Krishna, and the Bhakti-Marga" The Bhagavad-Gita is the most popular sacred book in modern India. It was the first Hindu Scripture to be translated from the Sanskrit into a foreign language. There are scarcely less than thirty English translations, the first of which was published under the authority of the Court of Directors of the British India Company, in 1785"
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The idea of salvation in contemporary world religions"In one form or another, nearly all the world's religions and ideologies promise their adherents some form of peace - some way of deliverance from the precarious plight humanity is in. Hinduism and Buddhism promise nirvana, a blessedness through extinction of individuality and desires. In African Traditional Religion, a worshipper believes that through divination and prescribed sacrifices he can be delivered from his enemies, real and· potential, secure the help of his ancestors and the gods and be prosperous in life. Islam strongly advocates submission to Allah as the pathway to peace. And modern humanism looks forward to a society freed from all forms of violence - social, cultural, economic or political. "
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Religious responsibility towards peace"The humanity, from the very beginning has been at war against itself and will continue fighting until it realizes the cause, in itself. Even today, the religious zealots supporting socio-political conflicts, in one form or another in the name of God, are killing thousands of innocent people. The historical evidence of almost every religion loathed with strife against humanity proves lack of religious responsibility. Guru Nanak (the pioneer of Sikh religion 1469-1539) challenged aggressive and oppressive Islamic invaders of India, and Hinduism for selfish gains trampling on lower castes. He raised conscious of all, to bring some peace in India. He held human responsible for his/her deeds instead of the God by promulgating ‘Truth’ in the Universal Laws administering natural phenomena and maintaining equipollence"
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Konsep Ibadah dalam HinduThe paper explores the conception of ritual and God from the Hindu's perspective as one of the minority group in Indonesia having different point of view in articuating "God" from other world religion such as Islam or Christianity with its "monotheism" way. Here, the author provides the spiritual and philosophical explanation about Hinduism, including several various different rituals with its purposes.
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La contribución ética de las grandes religiones [The ethical contribution of the great religions]"El incansable luchador por el ecumenismo cristiano que es Hans Küng ha abierto en la última década su horizonte de trabajo. Desde el verano de 1982 viene dedicando atención prevalente al diálogo de las grandes religiones. Ya nos había dado un apreciable fruto en el libro El Cristianismo y las grandes religiones, escrito en colaboración con especialistas en el Islam, el Hinduísmo y el Budismo" ["The tireless fighter for Christian ecumenism is Hans Küng has opened in the last decade working horizon. Since the summer of 1982 has devoted attention to dialogue prevalent of the great religions. And we had a significant result given in the book Christianity and the great religions, written in collaboration with specialists in Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism"]
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El Hinduismo en el diálogo entre religiones [Hinduism in the dialogue between religions]"En un intento por clasificar las actitudes ante las religiones se ha impuesto la distinción entre al menos las siguientes posturas: exclusiuista, inclusiuista y pluralista" ["In an attempt to classify attitudes towards religions is tax the distinction between at least the following positions: exclusiuista, inclusiuista and pluralistic"]
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Denegada la justicia, la verdad se desvela con retraso [Denied justice, truth is revealed late]"Si, espero ser útil de alguna manera... Pero, ¿saben?, no he tenido muchas reacciones a mi libro Hacia una teología cristiana del pluralismo religioso en lndia. Ni siquiera en Vidyaiyoti Journal, la revista del homónimo lnstituto de Teología de los Jesuitas en Delhi, de la que fui editor"' Cuando recibieron mi libro, pidieron al P. R. H. Lesser que hiciera la crítica" ["Yes, I hope to be useful somehow ... But you know ?, I have not had many reactions to my book Towards a Theology Christian religious pluralism in lndia. even in Vidyaiyoti Journal, the magazine of the Institute namesake Theology of the Jesuits in Delhi, of which I was editor '' When they received my book, asked the Lesser that PRH make criticism"]
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Contemporary Jain Way of Compassionate and Ethical LivingSince all lives are interconnected, one should realize that “if we harm ONE we harm ALL Living Beings” and “Greed, Possession and Possessiveness are the primary causes of all violence as well as imbalance in the environment”. These ancient statements form the basis of the modern science of ecology and are refreshingly contemporary in their promises. Lord Mahävir’s entire life was full of compassion. After attaining Kevaljnän, he travelled barefoot for 30 years to deliver the message of true compassion directly to the common people. He lived in perfect harmony with nature throughout his life and provided utmost respect for the environment. He stated that earth, water, fire, air, and vegetation which constitute the five basic elements of our environment, possess life. They possess one sense which is the sense of touch. Animals and human beings possess five senses and a mind. The five senses are: touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Human beings are also blessed with advanced developed thinking as compared to animals. Hence they also have the responsibility for achieving oneness and harmony among all living beings, including the environment, through compassionate living and disciplined conduct and behavior.
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Introduction to Christian Theologies in IndiaChristian Theology is a discipline that seeks to reflect and interpret God’s revelation in Jesus Christ and this interpretation is based on and for the faith community. It tries to determine truth and this message of truth is conveyed through symbols because the adherents’ understanding is based on symbols available in their life situation. In other words theology cannot be detached from the life situation of the community even though it is the reflection of God. Christianity in India is as old as Christianity itself but it was only when the Hindu reformers debated and presented Jesus Christ in their own perspective that Christians started to respond and this evolved in developing Indian Christian Theologies. In India it is not Christian theology but Christian Theologies because theology in India is a complex endeavor involving variety of activities and it represents broad spectrum of traditions, e.g. the multi religious context challenges theology to reflect on the meaning and message of Jesus based on religious thought; the philosophical approaches require theology to articulate itself based on Advaita, bhakti, various margas; the socio-political awareness consider theology as a means to transform theology; the political dimensions of theological articulation challenges theology to act for nation building etc. This book certainly does not attempt to write definitively of Indian Christian Theologies but rather only acknowledges the main concern in these theologies. It tries to acknowledge the efforts of Indian Christians who dialogued with the rich cultural and religious context and offered their reflections and contemplations based on their particular context.
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Estudo da Influência Indiana na Moderna Filosofia Chinesa [Study of Indian Influence in Modern Chinese Philosophy]"O estudo do pensamento da modernidade chinesa tem sido abordado de um modo geral em duas principais vertentes; na introdução da filosofia ocidental e na formação do Confucionismo moderno. Os estudos da filosofia ocidental na China moderna tratam geralmente do processo que se estende do fim do século XIX até a forte influência exercida pelo pragmatismo e pelo marxismo, durante as décadas de 20 e 30 do século XX. De um modo geral, esse processo tem sido pensado em sua relação com a consolidação da modernidade chinesa. Em contraste com isso, o surgimento do Confucionismo moderno é compreendido de forma frequente como uma reação autóctone em relação à modernidade; assim sendo, esses estudos dificilmente escapam de uma oposição binária em relação à afirmação e à negação da modernidade. Existe, no entanto, outra vertente de pensamento que influenciou de forma decisiva o desenvolvimento do pensamento da modernidade chinesa e que é raramente estudada em seus próprios termos. Trata-se aqui da influência da filosofia indiana, fortemente presente através do renascimento da escola Yogacara do Budismo na China moderna. Um aspecto importante dessa outra vertente de influência é que ela traz em si a possibilidade de apresentar uma perspectiva divergente em relação à oposição binária entre afirmação e negação da modernidade. Este estudo procura esclarecer o pano de fundo conceitual do pensamento indiano presente na China através de uma análise comparativa das duas traduções chinesas do AbhidharmaKo?a de Vasubandhu; as traduções de Paramartha (499-569) e Xuan Zhang (602-664). Essa análise será centrada nos conceitos de “dharma” e “dharmapravicaia” (discriminação analítica dos dharmas). Será dada uma ênfase especial às diferenças existentes entre esses conceitos e a concepção das “dez mil coisas” (Wànyou) no pensamento chinês tradicional" ["In a general sense, studies on modern Chinese thought have been centered in two main currents. That is to say, in the introduction of western philosophy and in the formative process of modern Confucianism. Studies on the introduction of western philosophy treat generally the process that starts in the end of XIX century and culminates with the strong influence of pragmatism and Marxism on the twenties and the thirties of the XX century. Generally, this process usually is related to the consolidation of Chinese modernity. In a sharp contrast to this, modern Confucianism is frequently understood as an autochthone reaction against modernity. Those studies present a clear difficulty: they are based on a binary opposition between the affirmation and the denial of modernity. However, there is another current that is extremely influential in the development of modern Chinese thought and that is rarely studied in its own terms. We are making reference here to Indian philosophy, which is strongly present in the renaissance of the Yogacāra school of Buddhism that takes place in modern China. One important aspect of this current is that it brings within itself the possibility of overcoming the binary opposition between the affirmation and the denial of modernity. This study tries to clarify the conceptual background of Indian thought present in China through a comparative analysis of the two Chinese translations of Vasubandhu´s AbhidharmaKośa. That is to say, of the translations of Paramartha (499- 569) and Xuan Zhang (602-664). This analysis will be centered in the concepts of “dharma” and “dharmapravicaia” (analytical discrimination of the dharmas). It will be given a special emphasis on the difference between those concepts and the conception of “ten thousand things” (Wànyou) in traditional Chinese thought"]
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A Índia Intelectual [Intellectual India]"A ‘ideia de Índia’ é uma ideia aberta, assimilativa, de caráter bem amplo, capaz de abarcar uma pluralidade de vozes, ortodoxas e dissidentes, pertencentes a diversas épocas, regiões e filiações. As identidades modernas da Índia presentes na diáspora global e na própria Índia podem evocar todas essas vozes e tradições, repensá-las, adaptá-las e modificá-las; podem fazer uso dos instrumentos da razão que elas colocam ao seu dispor, a fim de deliberar corretamente sobre o que ser, sobre como se comportar e sobre os pontos que requerem consenso. Situa-se aqui o caráter fundamental da liberdade que não deveria jamais se render às percepções de caráter estreito e paroquial sobre o que é a Índia" ["The “idea of India” is an open, assimilative, and spacious one, sustaining a plurality of voices, orthodox and dissenting, from many ages, regions, and affiliations. Modern Indian identities in the global Diaspora, as much as in India itself, can call upon all these voices and traditions, re-think them, adapt and modify them, use the resources of reason they make available in deliberation about who to be, how to behave, and on what to agree. That is a fundamental freedom, one which ought not to be surrendered in binding oneself to narrower, constricted understandings of what India is"]
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O que é o “subalterno” da Filosofia da Religião? [What Is the “Subaltern” of the Philosophy of Religion?]"Não obstante a história recente e a mélange etnocêntrica que teria engolfado a razão, o artigo busca sustentar vigorosamente o compromisso fundamental da filosofia clássica indiana com a racionalidade e as teorias da razão. À luz dessa herança ‘subalterna’, o artigo revisita criticamente os desdobramentos contemporâneos na esfera da filosofia da religião" ["Despite recent history and the present-day ethnocentric mélange into which reason might have descended, the article attempts to boldly defend an unassailable commitment to rationality and theories of reason in classical Indian philosophy. In the light of that ‘subaltern’ heritage, the article re-visits critically contemporary scholarship in the sphere of philosophy of religion"]
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A Mistagogia Apofática dos Upaniṣads na Escola Não-Dualista Advaita Vedānta de Satchidanandendra Saraswati [The Apophatic Mystagogy of the Upaniṣads in Satchidanandendra Saraswati’s Advaita Vedānta]"O artigo analisa alguns dos aspectos fundamentais da filosofia não-dualista (advaita vedanta) do pensador contemporâneo Satchidanandendra Saraswati em sua obra magna Vedanta Prakriya Pratyabhijna (O Método do Vedanta). Baseado na definição de Sankaracarya (séc. VII) dos Upanisads como ‘conhecimento secreto’ ou ‘instrução secreta’ (rahasya-upadesa), Satchidanandendra Saraswati desenvolve uma espécie de mistagogia apofática que busca resgatar o sentido original do pensamento upanisádico (adhyaropaapavada) enquanto disciplina racional rigorosa que é ela mesma (i) um ‘estratagema da imaginação’ (kalpita-upaya) justificável apenas em função dos resultados, a saber, (ii) a autorrealização (anubhuti/ moksa); o primeiro aspecto decorre do caráter não-dual (advaita) da Realidade e o segundo de sua natureza não-conceptualizável" ["The article deals with some of the basic features of Satchidanandendra Saraswati’s advaita vedanta as presented in his magum opus Vedanta Prakriya Pratyabhijna (The Method of the Vednta). Elaborating on Sankaracarya’s postulation of the Upanisads as ‘secret knowledge’ or ‘secret instruction’ (rahasya-upadesa), Satchidanandendra Saraswati posits a sort of apophatic mystagogy that seeks to reinstate upanisadic thinking (adhyaropa-apavada) as a rigorous rational discipline understood as (i) a ‘device of imagination’ (kalpita-upaya) acceptable only on account of its results, viz., (ii) self-realisation (anubhuti/moksa); the first aspect justifies the non-dual character (advaita) of Reality (atman/brahman) and the second, its non-conceptualisable nature"]
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O Monismo Shivaíta da Caxemira e Sua Inserção no Debate Filosófico Indiano [The Shivaita Monism of Kashmir and Its Integration in Indian Philosophical Debate]"Este artigo objetiva apresentar de forma introdutória algumas correntes tântricas medievais indianas da Caxemira que possuem como matriz comum um conjunto de textos que partilham alguns pressupostos não-dualistas, além de tentar mapear a inserção dessas correntes no panorama dos debates filosóficos indianos, valorizando seus principais autores, textos e conceitos" ["This article is a brief introduction to some medieval Indian tantric traditions from Kashmir that stem from a group of related texts that share some nondualistic principles, besides trying to map out their positioning in the larger picture of the Indian philosophical debate, highlighting their main authors, works and concepts"]
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Mahatma Gandhi e seu diálogo inter-religioso com o cristianismo na busca pela Verdade [Mahatma Gandhi and his religious dialogue with Christianity in search of the Truth]"Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948) foi um dos homens mais influentes na história mundial contemporânea. Seus feitos e pensamentos abrangem vastos campos do saber e da ação humanas, desde a política até a filosofia, sempre tendo como eixo a busca pelo o que ele entendia como Verdade, principalmente através dos conceitos de ahiṃsā e satyāgraha. O presente trabalho procura mostrar alguns dos atos e das idéias de Gandhi como buscador e promotor do diálogo entre várias tradições religiosas, com maior ênfase em seu diálogo com o cristianismo" ["Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948) was one of the most influent men in the world recent history. His deeds and thoughts cover vast fields of knowledge and human action, ranging from politics to philosophy, always having as an axis the search for what he understood as Truth, mainly through the concepts of ahiṃsā and satyāgraha. This work intends to show some of Gandhi’s acts and thoughts as a seeker and promoter of dialogue between several religious traditions, emphasizing his dialogue with Christianity"]
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Uma sociologia das religiões indianas [A sociology of Indian religions]"Escrito entre 1916 e 1917, The religion of India procura responder por que os países classificados na época como “em desenvolvimento” ofereciam obstáculos à industrialização, à modernização, e às tendências racionalizantes afins com a transformação tecno-científica do Ocidente. O caso indiano se destaca pela presença em sua história de vários traços culturais propensos ao capitalismo moderno elencados pelo autor, a partir dos quais Weber se pergunta de que maneira o capitalismo moderno, no senso ocidental do termo, pôde ter sido coibido pela religião indiana, ou como ele não se desenvolveu de forma autóctone antes ou durante o domínio inglês sobre a Índia. A edição de uma tradução portuguesa está em andamento, e sua publicação por uma editora brasileira está no prelo" ["Written between 1916 and 1917, The religion of India seeks to answer why countries classified at the time as "developing" offered obstacles to industrialization, modernization, and on related rationalizing trends with techno-scientific transformation of the West. The Indian case is highlighted by the presence in its history of several cultural traits likely to modern capitalism listed by the author, from which Weber wonders how modern capitalism in the Western sense of the term, might have been restrained by the Indian religion, or how it did not develop native form before or during the British rule over India. Editing an English translation is in progress, and its publication by a Brazilian publisher is in press"]
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Alguns desdobramentos da teoria da invasão ariana ao longo do século XIX E.C. e início do século XX E.C. [Some unfoldings of Aryan invasion theory during the XIX th century C.E. and the beginning of the XXth century C.E.]"A teoria da invasão ariana postula a existência de uma onda migratória de tribos nômades de uma suposta raça ariana oriunda da Ásia Central por volta de 1.500 A.E.C. em duas direções, uma para o Oriente Médio e outra para o Subcontinente Indiano, as quais, ao provocar o choque bélico com autóctones da região do Subcontinente Indiano e consequentemente vencê-los, possibilitaram o surgimento do Hinduísmo brāhmaṇico, de seu sistema de castas e de sua primeira literatura , o Ṛgveda Saṃhitā, que carregaria em si as reminiscências deste conflito vitorioso para os āryas em detrimento dos dasyus vencidos. Este Artigo pretende apontar para alguns desdobramentos da teoria da invasão ariana durante o século XIX E.C. e o início do século XX E.C., baseado numa compreensão de como a atmosfera intelectual europeia calcada no anti-semitismo e no chauvinismo do progresso industrial do Ocidente no século XIX E.C. propiciou o desenvolvimento dos postulados da teoria em questão, e como se processou a reação aos mesmos segundo uma crítica à visão europeia sobre a história, as filosofias e as religiões da Índia – máxime o Hinduísmo –, além da campanha por um redirecionamento do olhar dos indianos para suas próprias tradições filosóficas e religiosas, independentemente de um filtro cultural europeu" ["The Aryan invasion theory postulates the existence of a migratory wave of nomadic tribes of a so-called Aryan race arising from Central Asia around 1.500 B.C.E. in two directions, one towards Middle East and another towards Indian subcontinent, which, by provoking a military clash with natives from Indian subcontinent and consequently defeating them, enabled the rise of brāhmaṇical Hinduism, its caste system and its first literature, Ṛgveda Saṃhitā, which would bear in itself the reminiscences of this victorious conflict for the āryas to the detriment of the defeated dasyus. This Paper intends to point to some unfoldings of the Aryan invasion theory during the XIXth century C.E. and the beginning of the XXth century C. E., based on the comprehension of how the European intellectual atmosphere grounded in anti-Semitism and in the chauvinism of Western industrial progress in the XIXth century C.E. propitiated the development of the postulates belonging to the aforesaid theory, and how the reaction to them took place according to a criticism to an European view about India’s history, philosophies and religions – specially Hinduism –, besides the campaign for the redirection of the Indians look towards their own philosophical and religious traditions, apart from an European cultural filter"]
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El hinduismo [Hinduism]"Frecuentemente se me plantea esta pregunta en las reuniones de satsang. Invariablemente da lugar a un debate animado, ya que hay un ávido interés y una vivaz diversidad de opinión. Hace años, Swami Chinmayananda, fundador de la Misión Chinmaya, dio una conferencia drámatica sobre el tema (bit.ly/hinduism-way-of-life). Aquí hay algunos fragmentos claves: “ ¨El hinduismo no es una religión" ["I often raises this question in satsang meetings. Invariably leads to a lively debate, as there are an avid interest and a lively diversity of opinion. Years ago, Swami Chinmayananda, founder of Chinmaya Mission, gave a dramatic conference on the subject (bit.ly/hinduism-way-of-life). Here are some key excerpts: "Hinduism is not a religion"]
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Education: Indianisation=HinduisationFollowing India's independence, it has been widely believed that the elite societies developed a knowledge system that would suppress and ignore the old Hindu traditions. Because of this, in the recent years, Hindu fundamentalists (the BJP party) have become advocates in the 'Hinduization' of the Indian educational system. This would only inhibit the pupil's overall understanding rather than facilitating the pupil's intellectual freedoms, and only be detrimental to the future of Indian.
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BUDDHISM A TO ZI [Pr. R. Epstein] have made the following unfinished work available despite some misgivings. I have done so for two main reasons: 1) I think that much of the material may be of value, particularly to students and to others who are not familiar with basic Buddhist teachings; and 2) it has been many years since I have had time to work on this project, so perhaps by making it known, others can consider helping to bring it to completion. Colleagues in the Buddhist Text Translation Society are working on bringing the work to publication, and I am sure that they would welcome assistance. When the print version is published, which hopefully will be in 2002, I shall also try to make that revised version available online.