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what is hinduisms highest priority
- Thread starter evane123
- Start date
...Where'd you hear that?
According to the Vedas, the four primary motivations of life are Dharma (here referring to righteous duty), Artha (accumulation of wealth), Kama (sensuous pleasure), and Moksha (liberation).
While the first three can be had all together, Moksha is incompatible with Kama and Artha according to the Vedas.
Dharma is, from what I've seen, the most important thing as taught by the Vedas.
Wannabe Yogi
Well-Known Member
My take on this. The Tantric way.
There are four goals in Hinduism:
-Dharma or good behavior living in harmony with the world, society,and you're following your duties in life.
-Artha Getting Wealth not getting a lot but just the right amount.
-Kama Love/desire being in Love having you sexual needs met.
-Moksha or liberation
What ever you do in life you must follow Dharma. It is the only necessity of the 4 Hindu goals in life. When you are chasing your goals in life if you don't follow dharma you will cause others to suffer.
The Highest of all 4 goals is Moksha because it leads to not suffering any more. To realize this goal we must organize the other 3 goals around it. With Artha we get wealth but only enough for are needs. If we are a monk food, warmth, and a change of clothing should be enough. If you have a family then you need enough to create a stable environment for your family and to suport others in need. Never taken more then you need. Kama we should lower our desires without using repression that is seen as unhealthy.
Moksha is achieved as transcendence of the ego though spiritual practice.
Any of the above goals are fine to follow. It is only the perfection of all the goals that lead to Moksha.
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Gaura Priya
IRL
In Vaishnavism, while Kama, Artha, Dharma and Moksha are the four goals of material life (labelled karma-kanda), in actuality the goal of life is bhakti, that is, loving devotion to the Lord.
Kama, or sense gratification, is identified with having a family, relationships, basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, etc.
Artha, or economic wealth, refer to one's occupational duties in external society, and contributing to one's own personal welfare and that of the society.
Dharma, or religiosity, refers to one's personal walk with religious faith, and utilising it as a guideline to one's sense of ethics and morality.
Moksha, liberation, is the ultimate goal of life, and by following these principles of societal balance, one can achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
However, to the Vaishnava, to the devotee of the Lord, such mere immortality through liberation lacks dynamism and variegatedness... and thus, the ultimate goal of life is Bhakti-Yoga, the development of one's loving relationship with Krishna/Vishnu/Jehovah/Allah/Waheguru, etc. Only through bhakti can we develop that love for the Absolute Beauty, and go back Home to Him. Bhakti goes beyond normal Scriptural injunctions and goes beyond the conditions of situational circumstances in material life.
Nothing can save us, save bhakti.
Kama, or sense gratification, is identified with having a family, relationships, basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, etc.
Artha, or economic wealth, refer to one's occupational duties in external society, and contributing to one's own personal welfare and that of the society.
Dharma, or religiosity, refers to one's personal walk with religious faith, and utilising it as a guideline to one's sense of ethics and morality.
Moksha, liberation, is the ultimate goal of life, and by following these principles of societal balance, one can achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
However, to the Vaishnava, to the devotee of the Lord, such mere immortality through liberation lacks dynamism and variegatedness... and thus, the ultimate goal of life is Bhakti-Yoga, the development of one's loving relationship with Krishna/Vishnu/Jehovah/Allah/Waheguru, etc. Only through bhakti can we develop that love for the Absolute Beauty, and go back Home to Him. Bhakti goes beyond normal Scriptural injunctions and goes beyond the conditions of situational circumstances in material life.
Nothing can save us, save bhakti.
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Wannabe Yogi
Well-Known Member
However, to the Vaishnava, to the devotee of the Lord, such mere immortality through liberation lacks dynamism and variegatedness... and thus, the ultimate goal of life is Bhakti-Yoga, the development of one's loving relationship with Krishna/Vishnu/Jehovah/Allah/Waheguru, etc. Only through bhakti can we develop that love for the Absolute Beauty, and go back Home to Him. Bhakti goes beyond normal Scriptural injunctions and goes beyond the conditions of situational circumstances in material life.
Nothing can save us, save bhakti.
The path of Liberation can be and has been achieved by many different paths. Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga all of them can work for individual believers it all depends on your personality. Many saints have been living testimonies to this fact. Ramakrishna is the best modern example of this fact. He found from personal experience Knowledge and Love lead to the same place. There is no reason to limit God in this way. A Jnani can see Absolute Beauty just as well as a Bhakti.
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Do you think Moksha (liberation) can be reached by having ones highest priority at trying not to feel pain and having a proceedure of
I think i want to use my own mind to make all decissions about all ways to try not to feel any pain.
I think I lessen the chances of feeling pain if I improve myself.
I think i Improve myself if I improve the universe.
I think i improve the universe by dealing with others the way i want to be dealt with.
I think if i deal with others the way i want to be dealt with i will gain information about the proceedures of others.
I think if i gain information about the procedures of others i will gain information about when i should express myself.
I think i want to use my own mind to make all decissions about all ways to try not to feel any pain.
I think I lessen the chances of feeling pain if I improve myself.
I think i Improve myself if I improve the universe.
I think i improve the universe by dealing with others the way i want to be dealt with.
I think if i deal with others the way i want to be dealt with i will gain information about the proceedures of others.
I think if i gain information about the procedures of others i will gain information about when i should express myself.
It's impossible to not feel pain in this life. Pain is simply part of life.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna teaches that it's good to be alike in both pleasure and pain: not to be elated when things go good and not to be depressed when they don't go so well.
In my experience, this is not the case. However, improving yourself will certainly help you deal with pain better.
Uh, how?
When you should express yourself? What do you mean?
I think pain is part of life but I try not to feel pain.
I think krishna means that one should stay focused on thought instead of emotion.
I think i agree with Krishna that one should not allow emotion to determine decision making when there are more important things than oneselves life in trying to not feel pain, but I think that the most important part of the universe that one should strive to improve could be the lessening of ones own pain and the improvment of ones pleasure.
the case about you thinking that one does not lessen the chances of feeling pain if they improve themselves might be correct to you now but here are my reasons.
I think searching for more information gives me more information about ways to protect myself.
I think people might lie so improving myself helps better protect myself.
I think if i am part of a line of command to action i hold resposibility in the action and increase the chances of pain happening to me.
I think the more defense i have the less chances of the universe feeling lots of pain.
I think i gain information about the procedures of others by not changing the variables that i use with my thought then others behaviors will become more noticable.
I think if I have information about others behaviors and me trying to do something will cause me pain from that person then i might not do that thing because of more important priorities to improve the universe.
I think krishna means that one should stay focused on thought instead of emotion.
I think i agree with Krishna that one should not allow emotion to determine decision making when there are more important things than oneselves life in trying to not feel pain, but I think that the most important part of the universe that one should strive to improve could be the lessening of ones own pain and the improvment of ones pleasure.
the case about you thinking that one does not lessen the chances of feeling pain if they improve themselves might be correct to you now but here are my reasons.
I think searching for more information gives me more information about ways to protect myself.
I think people might lie so improving myself helps better protect myself.
I think if i am part of a line of command to action i hold resposibility in the action and increase the chances of pain happening to me.
I think the more defense i have the less chances of the universe feeling lots of pain.
I think i gain information about the procedures of others by not changing the variables that i use with my thought then others behaviors will become more noticable.
I think if I have information about others behaviors and me trying to do something will cause me pain from that person then i might not do that thing because of more important priorities to improve the universe.
...no, that's not what Krishna's talking about.
According to Him, it's best to be unattached. Pain is still there, as it's always been, as is pleasure. It's just they don't have any real or lasting effect.
That's what Krishna is teaching here. Not the removal of pain, or the elation of pleasure: be indifferent to both.
The path of Yoga is painful.
The path of discipline (i.e., self-improvement) is very painful.
A life worth living must be full of pain.
But, having endured the pain, we become stronger and more disciplined. I became more discerning and open-minded from having to deal with the pain of being humbled and embarrassed. If I had not experienced that pain, I would not be as disciplined as I am now.
A stallion must be broken first, before its full potential can be realized.
But, if you're talking about suffering, and not pain, then I think you might want to turn to the teachings of the Buddha, 'cause that's what he was all about.
That is not correct. The highest priority is Moksha (or liberation) which is defined different by different paths and sects because that is the way they achieved the God.
As said previously by other members there are 4 goals of humans- Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Then there are four Ashrams- Bhramacharya, Grihasthi, Vanaprastha and Sanyasashram. The four goals and the four Ashrams are only directed towards ONE- Moksha. If you mean Sat-Chit Ananda as "pleasure" than it is a wrong interpretation. My definitions of the goals are different than those posted; hence I will post them:-
(1) Dharma- This is divided into- (a) Ekantik Dharma which is the highest Dharma- the instrument of Moksha. This Dharma is same across all the Ashrams and all the Varnas (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra) (b) Varnashram Dharma or your duties as per your Varna and Ashram in life.
Ekantik Dharma is the highest and more superior to the Varnashram Dharma. The fruit of Ekantik Dharma is Moksha and that of Varnashram Dharma is limited to Swarga, Prithvi or Paatal i.e this Brahmanda or the fruits in MAYA which are perishable and not beyond Maya -God, which is everlasting.
(2) Artha - is that wealth which is used by the individual for the betterment of the Dharma and to achieve Moksha. One's bank account may have billions; but if it is not used for Dharma and Moksha; the spiritual bank balance is zero.
(3) Kama- which is mistaken by many to mean sex. Kama translates into Karma. Again, the Kama or the Karmas which are directed for the Moksha are important. The only Kama (sex) that is to be done is for the propagation of the progeny and not for lust/sexual pleasure- for men and women both.
(4) Moksha- or liberation. Defined differently by different sects as per their experience of the Divine. When one achieves it; the definitions are a mute point anyway.
N.B. To Madanbhakta and WY,
A true Jnani naturally evolves into the greatest Bhakta due to His Jnana and a great Bhakta is always gifted with His Jnana by Him. Hence, true Jnani and a true Bhakta are not mutually exclusive at all; infact both HAVE TO co-exist in the same devotee.
Regards,
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Written by whom?
Absolutely not. You still feel pain and pleasure just like always. It's just that they don't have any effect.
...What?