My Moral Compass - Part 1

This will be the first post in a series...a collection of my contemplation on what my moral compass is and should be...

I grew up in a family and a society that taught me moral values through mythical short stories and religious scriptures, such as the vedas. Vedanta (the practice of veda) taught us ethical and moral responsibility through a concept called “Dharma”. The word “Dharma” means justice, what is right in a given circumstance, moral values of life, pious obligations of individuals, righteous conduct in every sphere of activity, being helpful to other living beings, giving charity to individuals in need of it or to a public cause or alms to the needy, natural qualities or characteristics or properties of living beings and things, duty and law as also constitutional law. One of the great Indian epics, the Mahabharata which is acclaimed as the Manava Kartavya Shastra (code of duties of human beings) contains a discussion on the topic of “Dharma”. Yudhistira asks Bhishma, who had mastered the knowledge of Dharma to explain the meaning and scope of “Dharma”. Bhishma replied thus:

It is most difficult to define Dharma. Dharma has been explained to be that which helps the upliftment of living beings. Therefore, that which ensures the welfare of living beings is surely Dharma. The learned rishis have declared that which sustains is Dharma.

These Dharmic values are put into action through Karma. Karma is a Sanskrit term meaning action or the measure of an action in terms of cause and effect. It is a way of examining the consequences of our actions. It is based on concept of the soul being eternal and will face the consequences of an action through infinity. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.". The concept of soul then places responsibility on the shoulders of each individual. The responsibility not necessarily inhibits free will. These metaphysical principles has defined my moral conduct and the underlying ethical values.


(to be continued...)