Dharma
Dharma is the duty a Hindu should follow in their life. There are various types of dharma for a Hindu. Some are personal duties and some are eternal duties, meaning that they are for everyone. Dharma or duty is expected of all Hindus, and Hindus should live their lives with these in mind. Dharma is one of the four main aims in a Hindu’s life. The four aims are:
| Aim | Meaning | Example |
| Dharma | The duty a Hindu should perform in their life | If a Hindu is in the final stage of their life, they should ideally give up their possessions and travel to temples to learn the scriptures. |
| Kama | Enjoying the pleasures of life | Enjoying food, music, arts and sexuality. This is also a way of respecting other living beings, as all living beings have a piece of Brahman within them. |
| Artha | Gaining wealth in a lawful way | Having a job that is legal and not working in a job that is illegal. Working to gain wealth to support the family. |
| Moksha | Freedom from samsara so that the atman joins up with Brahman | Gaining good karma by being morally good so as to try to break free from the cycle of rebirth. |
| Aim | Dharma |
|---|---|
| Meaning | The duty a Hindu should perform in their life |
| Example | If a Hindu is in the final stage of their life, they should ideally give up their possessions and travel to temples to learn the scriptures. |
| Aim | Kama |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Enjoying the pleasures of life |
| Example | Enjoying food, music, arts and sexuality. This is also a way of respecting other living beings, as all living beings have a piece of Brahman within them. |
| Aim | Artha |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Gaining wealth in a lawful way |
| Example | Having a job that is legal and not working in a job that is illegal. Working to gain wealth to support the family. |
| Aim | Moksha |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Freedom from samsara so that the atman joins up with Brahman |
| Example | Gaining good karma by being morally good so as to try to break free from the cycle of rebirth. |
Sanatana dharma
Duties in life that apply to all people everywhere at all times; eternal truth. is an important dharma that means eternal truth. It is universal, which means it applies to all people at all times. Many Hindus would refer to their religion as sanatana dharma rather than Hinduism as they believe it sums up their beliefs better.
For Hindus, following sanatana dharma means living their lives in such a way that they are always considering their moral choices and making the best decisions they can.
- They should also worship and pray so that they are thinking about God. They should read and learn the scriptures so that they can understand their religion and its teachings better.
- They should live their lives with the ultimate aim of achieving freedom from In Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, this is the cycle of life, death and rebirth., or Escape from the cycle of reincarnation. Term used in the Hindu religion. .
- Hindus should also care for all other living beings, such as plants, trees and animals. This means treating them with respect and looking after the environment.
- Hindus should also consider how they are treating people who are in need of help and support, and they should look after them in the best way they can.
Varnashrama dharma
Another important dharma is varnashrama dharma, which is more of a personal duty. Varnashrama dharma means the duties a Hindu should follow depending on their stage in life and their class (varna) or position in society, such as social role. There are four main traditional classes and thousands of subgroups, called jat or jati, within these. A Hindu’s social group can decide what jobs they may get, who they might marry, and what their duties are in life. Some aspects of this concept are controversial because they raise human rights issues regarding lower social groups, about fairness and equality.
The The oldest and most sacred Hindu scripture. (10.90) describes the whole of society as if it were a human body, or specifically a giant person from whose body comes the universe and society.
- The priests come from the mouth as the voice of society, which today we might interpret as including teachers.
- The warriors and leaders come from the arms as the strength of society.
- The merchants, traders and farmers are like the strong legs, the support of society.
- Those who serve, such as manual workers and labourers, are from the feet.
A Hindu has to complete their dharma based on their place in society but also based on what stage of life they are in. There are four stages of life, called ashramas, and a Hindu goes through all of these in their lifetime. The stage of life a Hindu is in decides what their dharma is.
| Stage in life | Meaning | Duties (dharmas) |
| Brahmacharya | The student stage | Go to school and learn the scriptures and duties. |
| Grihastha | The householder stage | Marry and have children. Work and earn money to support the family. |
| Vanaprastha | The retirement stage | Concentrate on reading the scriptures, meditating, worship, visiting the temple and going on pilgrimages. |
| Sannyasa | The sacred pilgrim stage | Move away from material possessions and be a wandering holy person who teaches others about the scriptures and spends time in prayer. |
| Stage in life | Brahmacharya |
|---|---|
| Meaning | The student stage |
| Duties (dharmas) | Go to school and learn the scriptures and duties. |
| Stage in life | Grihastha |
|---|---|
| Meaning | The householder stage |
| Duties (dharmas) | Marry and have children. Work and earn money to support the family. |
| Stage in life | Vanaprastha |
|---|---|
| Meaning | The retirement stage |
| Duties (dharmas) | Concentrate on reading the scriptures, meditating, worship, visiting the temple and going on pilgrimages. |
| Stage in life | Sannyasa |
|---|---|
| Meaning | The sacred pilgrim stage |
| Duties (dharmas) | Move away from material possessions and be a wandering holy person who teaches others about the scriptures and spends time in prayer. |