MORALITY AND DHARMA

The debate between the religious people and those who do not practice  religion  continues with regards to morality.  Do we need to religion to be moral? The religious people say if we are not religious then we create people like Hitler, Stalin and Mao. To this the non religious people cite examples of the crusaders and jehadis for untold violence caused by religion. To this relgious people say they are not real practitioners of religion and non religious people cause so much violence because they do not have a reference point for what is morality, hence it create limitless sensuality.  The non religious people hit back saying that it is easier to separate from religion the religious bigoter by saying that, “they are not our true followers, but ultimately their bigotry comes from the very religion you are talking about.” The debate goes on forever, and both parties can prove it statastically that each party has caused violence.

The Dharmik scriptures, make it clear that you do not have have to be a spiritualitst to be a moralist, but a spiritualist needs to be moralist.
The two offshoots of Dharmik tradition--- the Buddhists and the Jains are agnostic and atheistic in nature but teach high moral values beginning form compassion to charity and human sensitivity.

Then why do we need dharma if it is not required for the sake of morality?  Morality in dharma, is one of the lowest denominator. Spirituality goes beyond simply being a moralist. A dharmik spirtualist does not escape moral laws rather he transcends morality.  Because morality is space,culture and  time bound, but spirituality is timelss and beyond space and civilization. Morality is for the body, but spirituality is the essence of the soul.

Dharma talks about integral growth, from physical to supramundane.   Here God is not used for our moral purity, rather in Dharmik tradition one becomes connected to God in service.  Therefore spiritual advacement becomes an inner calling while doing the external responsibility expertly and never becoming attached to them and at the same never being irresponsible towards them.

Therefore in the Mahabharata war, the Pandavas were on a spiritual journey, but never at the cost of being irresponsible.  They fought the war along with maintaining their inner spiritual connection.  Kauravas on the hand collected moral people immoral people and some who were spiritual internally. Externally these people were going against God and his law, and the laws of nature and Sri Krishna’s power eventually terminated all of them.