Guest guest Posted June 7, 2000 Report Share Posted June 7, 2000 ============================================================= This article is emailed to you by Ram Chandran ( chandran ) ============================================================= Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com) Dharma, the guiding spirit in life CHENNAI, JUNE 8. One of the misconceptions about Indian philosophy is that it is other-worldly; that its emphasis is on the goal of liberation. On the contrary, Vedic philosophy takes into account the entire spectrum of human life. Its teachings have relevance to day-to-day life in the world. The Bhagavad Gita is a case in point. Lord Krishna taught this to Arjuna who is representative of the entire mankind. The Lord anticipates all our doubts and anxieties and answers them convincingly. Certain concepts like ``Varna'' and ``Purushartha'' are basic to the teachings of the Gita. The social order is classified into four, for which Lord Krishna has a rationale answer. The Lord says, ``The four orders of society were created by Me classifying them according to the mode of Prakrti predominant in each and apportioning corresponding duties to them...'' According to the Gita, the Varna system is not based on birth, but on one's natural aptitude. Thus every person who earns his living by a profession is a ``Vaisya'' though he may not be one by birth. The four Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) are the aspirations of man. It is interesting to note that material possession, represented by Artha, is one of the legitimate human pursuits approved by the scriptures. But the catch is that Dharma should be the guiding spirit of this endeavour. In the modern world Artha is associated with all business enterprises. The scriptural guidelines regarding pursuit of Artha is general considering the time in which they were written. Today, business has become very complex and it is up to us to apply this concept to our modern practices. In her discourse, Prof. Prema Pandurang said that ethics in business had become an ideal now as the dividing line between good and evil has become rather hazy. Where does ethics start? It is not as if man is unaware of it. In the Mahabharata, Duryodana is a character who advocated evil and he embraced it knowingly. So it is not lack of awareness about what is right and what is wrong which is the reason for deterioration of morals and ethics in society. A man of faith who abides by Dharma will not compromise the values he holds dear to fulfil his desires. The atrophy in values is due to lack of faith which results in impatience making people resort to any means to realise their ambitions. Contentment is not getting whatever one desires but it is being happy with one's lot in life. This must not be construed to imply that such an attitude will kill one's ambitions. One must fulfil one's desires in a righteous way. Copyrights: 2000 The Hindu & Tribeca Internet Initiatives Inc. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the consent of The Hindu & Tribeca Internet Initiatives Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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