Indian Value System

1
Indian Value System

• Ancient Indian philosophers did not neglect the
  social, the economic, and the emotional aspects
  of life. A careful study of ancient Indian
  history would reveal that this country was
  materially progressive and economically sound.
• Speaking of prosperity of India in ancient times,
  Radhakrishnan says, She knew how to chisel
  stone, draw pictures, burnish gold and weave rich
  fabrics.

2

• She developed all arts, fine and industries,
  which furnish the conditions of civilized
  existence. Her ships crossed the oceans and her
  wealth brimmed over Judea, Egypt and Rome.
• Her conceptions of man and society, morals and
  religion were remarkable for the time. We cannot
  reasonably say that the Indian people reveled in
  poetry and mythology, and spurned science and
  philosophy, though it is true that they were more
  intent on seeking the unity of things than
  emphasizing their sharpness and separation. It
  was therefore, natural for the philosophers of
  that time to bring about a synthesis of the
  social and economic, the emotional and spiritual
  life.

3

• On the other hand Indian ethics, instead of
  analyzing the nature of good, lays down practical
  means of attaining a life of perfection here and
  now.
• Ashrams
• Varnasrama Dharmas, or the duties of the
  individual and of the ethico-social organization
  of human beings. Even in the ascetic ethics of
  Jainisim, the rules of conduct have been
  practically followed by the Jains for thousands
  of years and are adhered to by them today.

4

• Kantian ethics exists only in the books of the
  West. Such, too, is the case with the
  utilitariansm of Mill. Thus Indian ethics is the
  actual application of moral ideals, whereas
  Western ethics is a mere discussion of ethical
  problems.

5

• RigVeda as well as Atharva Veda mention honesty,
  non-violence, truthfulness, modesty, agreeable
  speech, Brahmacharya (celibacy), religious
  conviction, and purity of heart as the important
  virtues that are praiseworthy. These very virtues
  are mentioned in the Bhagavadgita as divine
  qualities. Thus the Vedic philosophy lays
  emphasis on right conduct as the means of the
  development of the personality of the individual.
  Hence in a way the ethics of the Vedas is the
  ethics of right action.

6

• The existence of four major divisions (Varnas) of
  society, viz. (i) the Brahmana, the priestly
  class (ii) the Ksatriya, the ruling class, (iii)
  the Vaisya, the professional class and (iv) the
  Sudra, the labouring class, is clearly indicated
  in Vedic literature. The Vedic hymns refers to
  the metaphysical and social nature of the four
  major classes.

7

• The existence of four major divisions (Varnas) of
  society, viz. (i) the Brahmana, the priestly
  class (ii) the Ksatriya, the ruling class, (iii)
  the Vaisya, the professional class and (iv) the
  Sudra, the labouring class, is clearly indicated
  in Vedic literature. The Vedic hymns refers to
  the metaphysical and social nature of the four
  major classes.

8
The Purusarthas(a balanced and integrated view of
life).

• Wealth (Artha)becomes evil only when it is
  misused on account of lack of wisdom. The
  Upanishads repeatedly point out that everything
  that is desired is desired for the sake of the
  self.
• The concept of duty or Dharma in the Upanishads
  is not negative but out and out positive. It does
  not command us to give up or renounce the world,
  but rather to engage in the worldly strife,
  always aiming at the spiritual goal and
  subordinating all other desires to the strongest
  desire, or love for God.

9

• The Upanishadic notion of Kama(desire)
• is described as follows Kama, which we are
  asked to renounce, is not desire as such, but
  only the animal desire, lust, the impulsive
  craving of the brute man. Freedom from Kama is
  not blank passivity. Natural desires and
  inclinations are the spring board of all human
  actions. Therefore it is an important human
  value.
• To sum up, we may say that Artha, Kama, Dharma
  and Moksa are at the same time essential methods
  for leading a meaningful life.

10

• Neither the path of indulgence (Pravirtti Marga)
  nor that of asceticism (Nivirti Marga ) is
  desirable. Indulgence in the enjoyment of the
  pluralistic spatio-temporal world without insight
  into its spiritual monistic basis is as harmful,
  antisocial, and anti-ethical as indulgence in a
  lower pantheism and equating good with evil
  without recognition of pluralistic nature of the
  empirical world is disastrous.

11

• The Bhagavadgita follows the philosophy of
  Samadarsana (the unitive view of the Ultimate
  Reality) and Visamavarttana (differentiated
  behaviour in the empirical world) to the core.
• Referring to this devotion to duty, it has been
  remarked in the Bhagavad-Gita that one should
  prefer death, while performing ones own Dharma
  to a change of professional duty.
• Svardharme ninhanam sreyad,
• paradharmo bhayavahah.

12

• The highest goal, the summum bonum is not only
  the well being, of human beings but of all the
  living creatures. The following Sanskrit verse
  sums up the Indian ethical ideal.
• Sarve bhabantu sukhinah sarve santu niramayah
• Sarve bhadrani pasyantu makaschit
  dukhabhagabhavet.
• May all be at ease may all be sinless may all
  experience happiness may none experience
  suffering.

13

• The four ends of life, viz.-- Artha, or wealth,
  for the development of body, Kama, or the
  fulfillment of desires, for the development of
  mind, Dharma, or morality, for the development of
  intellect, and finally Moksa, or spiritual
  perfection, for the development of the soul. Thus
  this ethico-metaphysical system is present
  clearly in the Rigvedic philosophy and it is also
  reflected in the Upanishads, which emphasize the
  oneness of the universe and hence entail the same
  non-dual reality as the goal of the cosmos, of
  society, and of the individual.

14

• The Four Noble Truths (arya satya)
• There is suffering (dukha)
• There is cause of suffering (dukha samudaya)
• There is a cessation of suffering (dukha-nirodha)
• There is a way leading to cessation of suffering
  (dukha-nirodha-gamini pratipat)

15

• The Eight-fold Path (Buddhism)
• 1) Right Resolve (sankalpa)
• 2) Right Intention (samyag drsti)
• 3) Right Speech (vak)
• 4) Right Action (karmanta)
• 5) Right Livelihood or right living (ajiva)
• 6)) Right Concentration (samadhi)
• 7) Right Effort (vyayama)
• 8) Right Mindedness or
• Right Thought (smrti)