The Principles of Hindu Ethics
by
Maganlal Amritlal Buch
CONTENTS.
PREFACE
ABBREVIATIONS
I. The Hindu View of Life
- Hindu View and Greek View
- Hinduism and Christianity
- Comparison with Buddhist System
- Moral distinctions not subjective
- Synthesis of empirical and transcendental elements
- Problem of Evil
- The three ages
- Adaptability of Hindu View
- Causes of the Diversity of the System
- Unity of Ātman The philosophical basis of Hindu ethics
- Asanga -Karma its highest word
2. Criteria of Morality
- Rita or Law in the natural world and the moral world
- Mysteriousness of Moral law-the categorical imperative
- Śāstras — an Authority
- Use of Sophistry condemned
- Practice of the best people
- Customs and traditions of the people
- Council of Experts
- Virtue and Happiness
- Goals of Life
- Happiness-as an ideal
- Artha (prosperity) an ideal
- An all round development the goal
- Divorce of virtue and pleasure
- Virtue its own reward
- Objective character of Hindu morality
- Mokṣa the highest end
- Tests of a moral action — objective or subjective
- Welfare of mankind — the ultimate aim of ethics
- Weakness of the teleological View
- Consequences — the test
- Limitations of each view
- Relativity of Ethics
- Āpad-dharma
- Super-moral Stage
3. Value of Life: Positive and Prudential Qualities
- Value of long life
- Suicide
- Virtue is power
- Courage and discretion
- Body and its goods
- Property — its worth
- Factor of happiness
- Work
- Travel
- Independence
- Company
- Shrewdness
- Procrastination
- Causes of Prosperity
- Marks of Folly
4. Truthfulness
- Law and Truth
- The Vedic view
- Deceit condemned in the Vedic texts
- Paramountcy of Truth in the Ramayana
- Fidelity to one's promises
- Truth in the Mahabharata
- Varieties of falsehood
- Truth in the presence of important persons
- Exceptions to telling the truth
- Three moments in the concept of Truth
- Another definition-Truthfulness is what leads to the good of all creatures
- Truth defined as eternal, immutable unchangeable
- Its two-fold aspect — with reference to self and society
- Perjury
- Untruth in an assembly
- Swearing
- Hypocrisy
- Honesty
- Gambling
- Theft and Robbery
- Other misappropriations
5. Purity and impurity
- Purity of heart fundamental
- Pure thoughts — Rig-Vedic view
- Formal behavior
- Personal cleanliness
- Uncleanliness
- Agents of purification
- Two types of purity — outward and inward
- Internal purity — the real purity
- Practice of morality — a means to purity
- Contents of the idea of Purity
6. Culture and Character
- Appreciation of culture in the Rig-Veda
- Clear assertion of the superiority of culture over other values
- Veneration of knowledge
- Seniority in age yields to seniority in knowledge
- Reverence of the Guru
- Discipline of a Student's life
- Brahmacharya
- Guru – Disciple relations
- Communication of knowledge (pravacana); a duty
- Necessity of a Guru
- Questioning Spirit
- Abuse of learning
- Cramming discouraged
- Technical Education
- Virtue is knowledge
- Metaphysics — its value
- Vedic study
- Knowledge leads to virtue
- Character fundamental
- Birth not the test but character
- Personality the real force
7. Woman: her Status and Functions.
- Adverse picture of woman in the Vedic period
- In the Ramayana and the Mahabharata
- Woman in the Vedic period
- Women in the Ramayana
- Her gradual degradation
- Woman as an administrator and creative genius
- Her freedom
- But in the time of the Smritis she loses her rights
- Yet maintains her position in the house
- Her real position
8. Marriage Considerations
- Hindu view of marriage
- Marriage a duty
- Objects of marriage
- Importance of children
- Sexual selection: the choice of partners
- Courtship
- Guardianship in marriage
- Betrothal
- Eight types of marriage
- The mantras
- Marriage: its types discussed
- Marriage by mutual choice
- Marriage by purchase
- Marriage considerations: Age
- Mutual love
- Status in marriage
- Fitness of males
- Fitness of girls
- All persons fit to marry
- Caste considerations in marriage
- Marriage among near relations forbidden
- Polygamy
- Polyandry
- Divorce
- Widow remarriage
- SATI — Self- Immolation of Widows
9. Husband and Wife
- One person, not two
- Obedience to a husband:— Ramayana.
- Obedience:— Mahabharata
- Woman's functions in the Vedic age in the epic age
- Comradeship in duties
- Husband's duties towards his wife
10. Chastity
- Sexual relations in the Vedic period in the Ramayana and Mahabharata
- Male chastity
- The Law of Levirate
- Evolution of the idea of chastity
- Adultery condemned
- Loose relations among persons of different castes
- Loose morality and unconventional practices
- Incest
- Prostitutes
11. Obedience to Elders
- Filial piety in the Rig-Veda
- Filial piety in the Ramayana
- Mother vs. Father
- Filial piety in the Mahabharata
- Shraddha
- Worship of Mother
- Limits of Obedience
- Reverence for Elders the basis of Family Elderly relations
- Hero-worship
- Manners
- Duties towards children
- Maintenance of Family members
- Masters and Servants
- Home and Hearth
- Love of one's community
12. Rights of Property
- Family the basis of Society
- Inheritance
- Character looked to in deciding inheritance
- Rights of better elements safe-guarded
- Types of sons
- Adoption
- Sale of children
- Economic position of females
13. Ethics of the State
- Evils of anarchy
- Contract Theory
- Qualifications of a Ruler
- Popularity of Government — the touch-stone of its excellence
- Governments responsible for progress and morality
- Ministers
- Organization of services
- Patriarchal View of the Functions of Government
- Public consultations
- Assemblies
- Civic participation
- Right of Revolution
- Punishment in the Vedic period
- Judiciary in the Ramayana
- Meaning of punishment
- Factors of value in adjudging crimes
- Minors
- Caste
- Motives
- Types of punishments
- Force — the basis of society
- War — its value
- Rules of warfare
- Aggressive militarism condemned
- Efficiency — the goal of states
- Empire
- Machiavellism
- Limits of State action
- Government and Caste
- Local organizations
- Man's freedom as a spiritual unit.
14. Caste Morality
- Its raison d' etre
- Plato's view
- Varna — a principle of differentiation.
- Origin of castes
- The Brahmins — the real rulers
- Duties of Brahmins
- Their privileges
- Contrast between Brahmins and Kṣatriyas
- Duties of the warrior class
- Vaishyas
- Śūdras
- Purity of race
- Castes bound up with functions
- Birth not the sole determining factor
- Buddhist view of caste
- Value of caste-organization
15. Friendship
- Causes of Friendship
- Friendship in the Ramayana
- In the Mahabharata
- Characteristics of Friends
- Treachery towards friends
- Flatterers are not friends
- Why friends are necessary
- Grounds of selection
16. Hospitality The Vedic View
- The view of the Ramayana
- Guest worship in subsequent literature.
- Ways of Hospitality
- Characteristics of Guests
- Differentiation in treatment
- Seeking of hospitality without proper reasons not justified
17. Charity
- Charity central in the Vedic ethics
- Negative virtues must lead to positive ethics
- Ceremonials especially characterized by gifts
- Types of Charity
- Limitations
- Undeserving recipients
- Deserving recipients
- Gifts vary as the givers
- Acceptance of gifts not always justified
18. Ahimsa
- Value of human life in the Vedic period
- Human sacrifices
- Evolution of sacrifice
- Animal Sacrifices popular in the epic-age
- Buddhist influence
- The idea of sacrifice in the Gītā
- Ahimsa in the Mahabharata
- All lives have value, but not equally so
- Animals and vegetables
- Exceptions to the doctrine
- Destruction glorified in the Mahabharata
- Meat-eating
19. Humanity
- Humanity in the Rig-Veda
- Man's debts
- Altruism
- Philosophical basis of the sentiment
- Humanity — Dayā
- Compassion for the poor
- Slavery
- Active Philanthropy
- Love of animals
- The Cow
- Vegetables have life
- Even the enemies love a Yogi
- Refugees — Sharanagata
- Harmony
- Politeness
- Malice
- Good to evil
20. Quietist Virtues
- Anger
- Righteous indignation
- Pride — Humility
- Cheerfulness — Grief
- Gratitude
- Ambition— Modesty
- Contentment
- Emperance
21. Renunciation — Sannyāsa
- Significance of Sannyāsa Time for it
- Characteristics of a Sannyāsin
- True renunciation defined
- Renunciation means freedom from the tyranny of things
- Renunciation & Caste
- Self-control
- Austerity — Tapas
22. Fate and Free Will
- Vedic idea of fate
- Fate in the epics
- God the ultimate agency
- Value of effort
- Mere fate is useless
- Both factors essential
- Criticism
- Karma peculiarity of human life
- Its inexorable operation
- Its connection with the doctrine of transmigration
- Twofold retribution
- We free to all intents and purposes.
- Omnipotence of Prakriti
- Egoistic basis of moral life
- All determination is merely self-determination
- Ultimate causality belongs to God
- Empirically bound, transcendentally free
23. Theological and Metaphysical Ideas
- Doctrinal differences devised to meet psychological diversity
- Unity of Godhead
- Impersonal and personal God
- Pathways to Reality — Yoga, Bhakti, Karma, Jñāna
- Faith
- Expiation and atonement
- Grace of God
- The Beyond
- Impersonal immortality the goal
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