Morality is one of the most important characteristics of the human being. Morality is like autonomous codes of conduct for humanity. No animal, except the human being, follows any morality, since all are governed by their instinct. The greatest achievements of the human race have been to rise above instinct and make some principles that prioritize the collective good of humanity over individual benefits for the individual. These principles are often called morality.
Morality is often defined as a person’s ability to distinguish right from wrong or right from wrong. A moral man follows the path of good and justice. The system for determining good and evil can be established by some authority, such as a church, an organization, a society, a government, or by the individual himself. Thus, logically, moral codes must be different for each society, religion or even for each individual. Therefore, many people regard morality as individualistic that is based on time and society. It is often argued that there cannot be universal principles of morality.
Recently, at a forum hosted by evangelical pastor Rick Warren, Barack Obama cited his youthful experimentation with drugs and John McCain pointed to his failed first marriage as his biggest moral flaws. Obama also said that one of the country’s biggest moral flaws involved its treatment of the poor. McCain said the nation’s greatest moral deficiency is its inability to “pursue causes greater than our own interests.”
The moral failures of the individual and the nation, as declared by the presidential candidates of the most powerful and modern nation in the world, are not local, but truly universal. No society can define these actions as moral.
Therefore, there may be some differences in the body of morality that is often encoded in law books, but the essence or soul of morality is the same in all societies and individuals.
Morality and legality
People often confuse morality with legality. They believe that observance of the laws of society is sufficient to be moral. This may not always be true. For example, if a society allows divorce or polygamy, or legalizes extramarital affairs, it is perfectly legal to leave a spouse or have a relationship with several partners. However, the same action cannot be said to be moral, as McCain accepted his failed marriage as his biggest moral flaw.
In the same way, even if national laws allow the accumulation of private wealth without any limits, it can nevertheless be a sin to accumulate great wealth when large numbers of people remain poor. It may be perfectly legal to promote one’s own interest through the following legal channels that may not necessarily be in the interest of the country, however, society considers the same action to be immoral if the benefit to individuals is not shared by society .
Thus, morality and legality often clash. In all ages, people defied the laws on the moral ground and changed society. Christ challenged many Old Testament principles as “tit-for-tat policy” that even cost him his life. Christ’s action was illegal as judged by the State and the State was perfectly legal in hanging him. However, in reality it was Christ who was morally right in speaking of the universal principle of love and the state was morally wrong in executing it.
All the great people of history broke the laws of the land for the sake of higher moral principles. These moral principles are not different but the same in all societies at all times. They were discovered many thousands of years ago and will continue to guide humanity on the right path for all times to come. What are these timeless moral principles?
Dharma: the universal principles of morality
Wikipedia defines Dharma as an Indian spiritual and religious term that means one’s righteous duty, or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term. In all Indian philosophy, the Dharma is present as a central concept that is used to explain the “higher truth” or the ultimate reality of the universe. Dharma (Dhama) is also the guiding principle of Buddhism.
The word dharma is literally translated as “that which sustains or supports” (from the root, Dhr, uphold), and is generally translated into English as “law”. It has governed ideas about the proper conduct of life, ideas that are supported by the laws of the universe. However, these laws are such that they can never be reproduced in words in the law books. They must be understood intuitively.
Hinduism is one of the rarest religions that is not based on any “book” or “scripture”, but on the Dharma. Although there are numerous books that form the basis of Hinduism, in reality, Hinduism is nothing more than the observance of these universal principles of morality. A devout Hindu can ignore any scripture if it is contrary to the dharma.
The benefit of making a society based on the dharma, the unwritten principles of morality, is that whoever follows the dharma is actually religious in all religions. Therefore, a devout Hindu like Gandhi was more Christian than most Christians, as he followed the Dharma that had always been in conformity with what was revealed by Jesus Christ. He said,
“I like your Christ, I don’t like your Christians. Your Christians are so different from your Christ.”
Therefore, Gandhi was not a Christian by birth but by deed, since he followed the eternal principles of the Dharma. In fact, all spiritual people follow the life of the Dharma even if they do not know what the Dharma is. What are these Dharma principles?
Ten principles of universal morality
The Dharma must be understood intuitively by listening to the voice of the conscious. It is difficult to reproduce these principles in words. No Hindu scripture defined these universal principles except the Yogashastra (The Book of Yoga) of Patanjali. Yoga defines 10 principles called yam (to do) and niyam (not to do) that summarize these moral principles. These ten principles are often called the ten commandments of Hinduism. However, unlike other scriptures, they are not religious nor do they belong to any specific God or religion. These 10 principles are
1. Ahimsa: Non-violence, that is, not causing pain to anyone through speech, deeds and the mind.
2. Satya: Always speak the truth
3. Asteya: that is, altruism. not being attracted by the wealth of others
4. Aparigraha: Avoid unnecessary collection of luxuries or addiction to collections.
5. Brahmacharya: follow the natural discipline of the body, mind and senses.
6. Sauch: cleansing the body, mind and soul
7. Santosh: satisfaction in all aspects of life.
8. Touch: To bear all hurts and hurts bravely and not be affected by them,
9. Swadhayay: self-learning or self-actualization
10. Samarpan: Surrender to the Supreme or Creator
Hinduism, which is also called the Sanatana (Eternal) Religion, considers these 10 principles to be universal. Yoga, which means Union of the Self with the Supreme, is now universally accepted by people to live a healthy and happy life by people of all religions. It is also evident that prayer to a specific God is not covered as one of the principles of Yoga, although it is not prohibited. Most of these principles are also mentioned in other religions in different ways as well.
Let morality prevail over man-made laws
Dharma is the supreme law of the universe. It has been codified in different religions, however it must be understood only through intuition and experience. For example, the killing of animals is allowed in many religions and is even considered an essential part of religion. However, the dharma can never allow it, which makes non-violence the first principle of universal morality. Jesus’ sermon to turn the other cheek is the best example of the observance of such a principle in Christianity.
The accumulation of wealth also goes against these principles of morality that are considered legal and appropriate in most societies. However, we know from experience that the accumulation of wealth always creates contempt and hatred in others, as it contradicts the dharma. That is why disadvantaged humanity repeatedly punishes the accumulator of wealth and brings equality and justice to society.
A careful study of these ten universal principles of morality clearly reveals that one leads a happy life by following these principles. If you live life against these principles, you can get instant pleasure for some time, but suffer disproportionate pain in the latter part of your life. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the main author of the Declaration of Independence explained the universality of these moral principles are explained by Thomas Jefferson
I never did, nor did I tolerate, in public life, a single act incompatible with the strictest good faith; never having believed that there was a code of morality for a public and another for a private man ”
