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ThouArt
14 August 2006, 02:44 PM
Namaste:

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna even the most evil men will reach him if they are resolute in their heart. As a "new" Hindu my western upbringing (areligious) has always said that evil men were punished for their sins unless they repented and committed evil no more.
How is "evil" or bad deeds dealt within Sanatana Dharma? How does this affect the karma of the evildoer? Arjuna's duty was to fight a battle, (spiritually speaking) not merely to kill...am I taking this too literally? Please help me understand this fundamental (to me) concept.

Thank you, ThouArt

atanu
14 August 2006, 03:01 PM
Namaste:

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna even the most evil men will reach him if they are resolute in their heart. As a "new" Hindu my western upbringing (areligious) has always said that evil men were punished for their sins unless they repented and committed evil no more.
How is "evil" or bad deeds dealt within Sanatana Dharma? How does this affect the karma of the evildoer? Arjuna's duty was to fight a battle, (spiritually speaking) not merely to kill...am I taking this too literally? Please help me understand this fundamental (to me) concept.

Thank you, ThouArt

Dear ThouArt,


The prescription is never a static one in Sanatana Dharma. That causes some confusion to neophytes. But one common knowledge is that the ego is evil. Ego is the sense that I am this body different from all other bodies that I see.

For Advaita, there is no evil per se. But as reaching Advaita means knowing the Self (God) -- the highest goal itself, it is an ideal prescription/knowledge.

For those who are on the path there are recommendations called Yamas and Niyamas.



The Ten Yamas, Restraints for



Proper Conduct from the Vedas


1. Noninjury, ahimsa: Not harming others by thought,
word, or deed.
2. Truthfulness, satya: Refraining from lying and
betraying promises.
3. Nonstealing, asteya: Neither stealing, nor coveting
nor entering into debt.
4. Divine conduct, brahmacharya: Controlling lust by remaining celibate when single, leading to faithfulness in marriage.
5. Patience, kshama: Restraining intolerance with
people and impatience with circumstances.
6. Steadfastness, dhriti: Overcoming nonperseverance,
fear, indecision and changeableness.
7. Compassion, daya: Conquering callous, cruel
and insensitive feelings toward all beings.
8. Honesty, straightforwardness, arjava:
Renouncing deception and wrongdoing.
9. Moderate appetite, mitahara: Neither eating too
much nor consuming meat, fish, fowl or eggs.
10. Purity, shaucha: Avoiding impurity in body,
mind and speech.



The Ten Niyamas, Observances



For Spiritual Life from the Vedas


1. Remorse, hri: Being modest and showing
shame for misdeeds.
2. Contentment, santosha: Seeking joy
and serenity in life.
3. Giving, dana: Tithing and giving generously
without thought of reward.
4. Faith, astikya: Believing firmly in God, Gods,
guru and the path to enlightenment.
5. Worship of the Lord, Ishvarapujana: The cultivation
of devotion through daily worship and meditation.
6. Scriptural listening, siddhanta shravana: Studying the
teachings and listening to the wise of one's lineage.
7. Cognition, mati: Developing a spiritual will
and intellect with the guru's guidance.
8. Sacred vows, vrata: Fulfilling religious vows,
rules and observances faithfully.
9. Recitation, japa: Chanting mantras daily.
10. Austerity, tapas: Performing sadhana, penance,
tapas and sacrifice.


Hope the above is of help to you. And Gita is the best source that you may read and re-read for understanding the right conduct etc.


Best Wishes

TruthSeeker
16 August 2006, 07:54 AM
Namaste:

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna even the most evil men will reach him if they are resolute in their heart. As a "new" Hindu my western upbringing (areligious) has always said that evil men were punished for their sins unless they repented and committed evil no more.
How is "evil" or bad deeds dealt within Sanatana Dharma? How does this affect the karma of the evildoer? Arjuna's duty was to fight a battle, (spiritually speaking) not merely to kill...am I taking this too literally? Please help me understand this fundamental (to me) concept.

Thank you, ThouArt

Punishment of God is used only as a metaphor.

It goes like this: Your actions always translate to impressions and get stored in the subconscious. Once stored there, the seeds of the action are always present in the subconcious until its fuel has run out in form of thoughts and actions. Thoughts arise from the subconscious, and actions from thoughts, which again influence the subconscious and forms a vicious cycle.

So it is your own actions lead to the formations of fresh seeds in the subconcious that form the source of all happenings to you, good or bad. Hence the need to first cleanse the mind, to get rid of gross impressions, and later on the subtler impressions through the process of samyama.

So who is punishing or rewarding you? It is yourself! We have the freewill to think and act - there is no role of God to accuse him for our problems. The only role God ever plays is liberating you from this vicious chain of events.