Essence Of Hinduism
Major Sections

HINDU ETHICS

These four are called the Purusharthas or the ends of life. This formula embraces both earth and heaven, both time and eternity. Moksha or the freedom of the spirit is the kingdom of God. It is a thing of eternity. Its counterpart in time is Dharma, which is the kingdom of God on earth under human conditions. It is half-divine and half-human.  

It is divine because it is the transcript of Moksha, which is another word for divine consciousness. It is human because it is subject to progress and changes and has to fulfil itself in spiritual freedom beyond time. It includes Artha and Kama that is, our possessions and our passions.

In other words, we are taught that in this life righteousness consists in our directing our possessions and passions to a spiritual end. The more we do this, whether as individuals or as nations, the greater is our progress in Dharma. Hence progress in Dharma means the progress of man towards divine perfection.

God is eternal perfection and to reach Him we have not only to discharge faithfully the duties that belong to our station in life and to the stage of our spiritual development but also to cultivate the essential virtues and become thoroughly pure and virtuous in character.

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