Ethics in the Modern World: A Vedantic View Swami Prabuddhananda Abstract: In the Vedantic tradition, ethics are derived from rta, the natural order of the universe, and from the fundamental oneness of all human beings. The author identifies five basic moral principles: non-injury, truthfulness, chastity, non-stealing and non-receiving of gifts. Whether men understand it or not, they are impelled by that power behind to become unselfish. That is the foundation of all morality. It is the quintessence of all ethics, preached in any language, or in any religion, or by any prophet in the world. “Be thou unselfish”; “Not I, but thou”—that is the background of all ethical codes. . . . The infinite oneness of the Soul is the eternal sanction of all morality, that you and I are not only brothers—every literature voicing man’s struggle towards freedom has preached that for you—but that you and I are really one. This is the dictate of Indian philosophy. This oneness is the rationale of all ethics and all spirituality. —Swami Vivekananda 1. The Basis of Ethics
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thics, as ordinarily understood, is the study of accepted codes of behavior within a particular framework of individuals, group, religion or profession. These various prescribed codes influence individual and collective views of the goals of life and the proper means to achieve them. There are many types of ethical systems—legalistic, scientific, altruistic, utilitarian and so on—each based on particular principles relevant to that system. Most of these systems demand that an individual make some kind of moral judgment, which in turn affects that individual’s conduct. The nature and extent of these judgments, of course, depend on the hypothesis of any given system. For example, in utilitarian ethics, the issue 2, june 2002
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predominant principle states that whatever promotes the welfare of society is right. Society should flourish, and the individuals within it should feel secure enough to live peacefully. Therefore, according to this mode of thinking, whatever contributes the most material benefit to the greatest number is moral and correct. There are other aspects of social behavior which may not, strictly speaking, fall into an ethical framework but should be mentioned. For instance, pressure to follow the common way of doing things operates at the least developed level. Whatever the majority of people do is A more comprehensive taken as the standard for everyone. People in this majority-ruled category lack personal conviction about ground for ethics is based what is to be done or not to be done and thus blindly imitate others instead of thinking for themselves. This sort of mass structuring of behavior after the ordinary on rta, the natural basic run of men is, no doubt, an aid to society, at least in maintaining social order. But often the majority, actorder of the universe. ing through self-interest, may be morally wrong. So, by and large, this thoughtless following in the footsteps of others is detrimental to the individual’s growth as well to the growth of society. At another level is behavior governed primarily by the spirit of “live and let live.� Here, ethics is seen to be necessary only to the extent that it restrains people such that life proceeds smoothly for those in the same environment. An individual pursues his golden fleece, being cautious not to disturb others, lest he be disturbed. This is certainly a step up from merely conforming to the opinions of the majority. All such ethical systems and behavior patterns, of which these are examples, stem from partial truths and are shallow-rooted and unstable because they have only a social, economic or biological basis. Our spiritual teachers, however, have given us a deeper and more comprehensive ground for ethics, which is based on rta, the natural basic order of the universe. The ancient seers found that nothing happens randomly or through chance in this bewildering world and that everything is regulated by rta. There are certain inviolable laws according to which things take place. For example, if wheat is sown, wheat is reaped. The law of cause and effect illustrated by this example is only a part of rta. When this law of cause and effect works in the realm of right and wrong, it is known as morality and righteousness. All conscious beings whose intelligence has evolved are subject to this universal law. It functions impersonally whether or not one believes in it and whether or not one formally adheres to a certain creed or religion. It is therefore in our best interest to take this moral law seriously and cultivate virtues such as truthfulness and faithfulness in the perfor-
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mance of duties, both for our own growth and for the welfare of society. In this way, the spiritual basis of ethics is derived from and is based on rta. Patanjali, the great ancient teacher of yoga, through mystical insight into this eternal moral order and into human psychology, discerned that all ethical disciplines are founded on the five virtues known as yamas. The yamas are sarvabhauma, or universal—unaffected by time, place or purpose, and not confined to any particular era, country, race or creed. They should be observed with determination by everyone at all times. The yamas are non-injury, truthfulness, chastity, non-stealing and non-receiving of gifts. Non-injury: The principle of non-injury requires that individuals honor the validity of every creature’s position in the cosmic scheme. As Swami Vivekananda says, “Never producing pain by thought, word and deed in any living being is what is called ahimsa, non-injury.”1 If an individual violates this principle, he denies the oneness of all existence. Hurting others is really hurting oneself, like biting one’s own tongue. Swami Vivekananda states: Each individual soul is a part and parcel of the Universal Soul, which is infinite. Therefore in injuring his neighbor, the individual actually injures himself. This is the basic metaphysical truth underlying all ethical codes.” 2 Whenever a person transgresses this law, he, as it were, severs his connection with the larger whole, and thus his personality contracts, making him miserable. Swami Vivekananda comments further: You are one with the Universal Being, and as such, every soul that exists is your soul; and every body that exists is your body; and in hurting anyone, you hurt yourself, in loving anyone, you love yourself.3 Thus there is a positive side to the practice of non-injury, which is to love everyone, to cultivate compassion and friendliness toward all beings. In modern times Mahatma Gandhi is the most notable votary of the practice of non-injury. Truthfulness: Trying to perceive and relate facts as they are, without any prejudice, is to be truthful. Any recognition or assertion of facts is strengthening, and any falsehood is weakening. Sri Ramakrishna stresses that man should make his thoughts, words and actions tally. But sticking to truth does not mean that one should hurt others by speaking unpleasant truths. As the Agni Purana warns, “One should speak what is true and issue 2, june 2002
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what is agreeable. But one should avoid an unpalatable truth and a palatable lie. This is the eternal law.” Chastity: The observance of chastity in thought, word and deed increases willpower and conserves energy, which is then transmuted for a higher purpose. This stored-up energy, according to yoga, is called ojas. Swami Vivekananda notes that Vedanta gives the rational, scientific explanation why all serious religions have preached chastity. A chaste person can tap his intellectual and spiritual capacities to their fullest extent. Through restraint and self-control he develops tremendous stamina and spiritual strength, or ojas. Non-stealing and non-receiving of gifts: These two disciplines are advised in order to control greed, which, according to the Bhagavad Gita, is the gateway to all ruin. Generally, acceptance of gifts—except from good people who will not try to dominate, dictate to or control the receiver— creates a feeling of obligation, which robs a person of independence. Swami Vivekananda points out: The mind of the man who receives is acted on by the mind of the giver, so the receiver is likely to become degenerated. Receiving gifts is prone to destroy the independence of the mind and make us slavish.4 Non-stealing means not taking anything that is not one’s own at any level, physically or mentally. Misappropriation has many subtle levels—for example, failure to give credit to others where credit is due, or acceptance of honors or recognition that one does not deserve. Such avaricious habits reinforce self-centeredness. A something-for-nothing attitude becomes a psychological burden that confines and limits the personality. Herein lies the necessity of not merely subduing these negative elements within oneself but completely eradicating them through moral training. This is accomplished through cultivation of the five yamas and through cultivation of such other virtues as charity, devotion to duty, and sympathy, which awaken one’s moral consciousness, deepen one’s understanding, and expand one’s personality. Ethical development does not occur through being imposed on the personality. Rather, the ethical sense is innate in human nature because it is part of the universal order, or rta. Contrary to popular notions, ethical disciplines are not intended to act as mere external restraints but simply to prepare the ground for the manifestation of this inner sense. Just as eating, sleeping, recreation and intellectual pursuits are essential to survival, ethical discipline and training are essential to a decent and progressive life, both for the individual and for society as a whole. A strong character serves
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as an interior fortress, something like the reinforced steel support of a building. This alone is lasting, secure and deeply rooted. A person who is duty-conscious and sincerely interested in others has entered into the dharmic, or righteous, realm. Being aware of what he has to do, he assumes full responsibility for his actions and discharges his duty to the best of his ability. His sympathies include not only his little circle of family and friends and their immediate needs but have expanded to include his community, state, nation and even other nations. Moving from local to global concerns, he recognizes that refinement and restraint are necessary not only to ensure his individual growth but to maintain social order. In Swami Nikhilananda’s words, “Without ethical restraint there follows social chaos, which is detrimental to the development of spiritual virtues.” 5 The ethical person recognizes the value of a virtuous life, though he may not be a conscious spiritual seeker as is generally understood by serious seekers of truth. He lives according to the eternal moral order and tries to encourage others to do so. This dharmic character-molding results in a steady, integrated mind and personality and gives inner stability and poise, which are essential for success in any area of life. Subjugation of the ego, or little self, by which selfishness is gradually undermined and rooted out, ultimately leads to the highest level of ethical behavior, which is self-abnegation. As already mentioned, the interconnectedness of all beings in the oneness of existence is the underlying basis of all ethics. Interacting with others according to this principle, as conditioned by one’s inner attitude and to some extent externally by society, constitutes real ethical behavior. Swami Vivekananda summarizes this idea beautifully: What is perfect self-abnegation? It means the abnegation of this apparent self, the abnegation of all selfishness. This idea of “me and mine”—ahamkara and mamata—is the result of past superstition, and the more this present self passes away, the more the real Self becomes manifest. This is the true self-abnegation—the center, the basis, the gist of all moral teaching.6 By cultivating self-abnegation, a modern man living in a predominantly self-seeking world can fortify himself internally so that he can withstand the onrush of harmful effects of civilization, attempt to live in harmony and peace with others, and contribute to the good of all.
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2. Modern Man’s Dilemma Who is a modern man? Most of us would agree that a modern man is one who, living in this age of rapid scientific, political, economic, industrial and technological advances, can intelligently make use of these advances. The watchwords of the modern age are progress, tremendous energy and speed at all costs. A prodigious store of information is now at modern man’s disposal, making him a veritable dynamo of creative power. His efforts are expedited by highly efficient communication systems through which he can quickly and easily transmit knowledge to others throughout the world. Thus as the world shrinks and people come closer together both physically and psychologically, individuals tend to observe some minimal courtesies based on an accepted work ethic just to ensure cooperation with others, at least superficially. We can be justly proud of our progress and achievements in science, industry, technology, agriculture and the fine arts in many countries. But what we see in modern society is all too often the other side of progress, which is retrogression, decadence, intolerance of others, violence and destruction. This is the great tragedy of modern life. AlThe watchwords of the though modern man has everything at his disposal— tremendous energy, immense wealth, vast knowledge modern age are progress, and leisure time—he is often misdirected, or he lacks any meaningful ideal to strive for, so that he squanders his infinite potential on the paltry things of this tremendous energy and sensebound world. Overemphasis on practicality without idealism to balance it has brought stagnation at speed at all costs. the ethical level. Unless an individual practices restraint and makes use of modern advantages in a regulated and responsible way by relating them to a higher goal, he degrades himself. He also creates havoc in society, since what affects one part will affect the whole. Without an ethical attitude, a person becomes scattered and ultimately breaks down. Instead of enjoying, he will be enjoyed; instead of consuming, he will be consumed. Thus he becomes a slave to his own lower nature, and slavery always brings misery. Frequently such a person plunges headlong into his high-speed journey through life without any way of curbing his speed. The traditional, formal religions have been criticized for being too restrictive and for overemphasizing the negative, thus hampering the free growth of mind and soul. To some extent this is true of any type of constraint, but at the same time, a judicious use of “no” is essential to a decent, civilized life. Swami Vivekananda says:
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All morality can be divided into the positive and the negative elements; it says either “do this” or “do not do this.” When it says “do not,” it is evident that it is a check to a certain desire which would make a man a slave. When it says “do,” its scope is to show the way to freedom and to the breakdown of a certain degradation which has already seized the human heart.7 Without the proper brakes applied by reflection, discrimination and a sense of values, thoughtless actions thrust modern man into one disaster after another. Breakneck competition, struggle for power and dominance over others, conflicts of interest, ego clashes, economic bleeding of other countries, and extremely inequitable distribution of wealth keep both modern man and modern society in constant turmoil and danger. The craze for speed and profit results in a more and more depersonalized, mechanical and sterile existence, which destroys all poetry and grace in life. Automation has stifled the aesthetic faculties. Interest in cultural refinements, including love of art, music and literature, is all too often lacking. The consequent ennui incites individuals to various unbridled activities in the name of free expression, further degrading the quality of life. For example, there are the problems of alcoholism, drug addiction, crime and unrestrained sex. The population explosion has stimulated the development and use of artificial birth control. Although this provides some economic advantages, it has also brought further difficulties in its wake, such as lack of motivation to exercise restraint and self-control, as well as all sorts of sexual perversities. Further, lack of respect for the sanctity of marriage and the violation of marriage vows have increased divorce and the number of neglected and unwanted children. The family unit disintegrates, which in turn strains and weakens society. Disappointment and ultimately exhaustion are the results. Swami Vivekananda cautions us: Desires of materialization, that is, being dragged down more and more to the plane of mechanical action, belong to the animal man. It is only when the desire to prevent all such bondage to the senses arises that religion dawns in the heart of man. Thus we see that the whole scope of religion is to prevent man from falling into the bondage of the senses and to help him to assert his freedom. . . . The scope of all morality is to prevent this degeneration and break this bondage.8 Twenty-first-century man is in a unique position. He faces a choice. He can either go forward, severing his bonds, or fall back and further entangle himself. The spirit of progress has entered all areas of life except for issue 2, june 2002
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the moral and ethical spheres, which are lagging behind. The only solution to this predicament is a conscious, systematic development and unfolding of modern man’s ethical nature. In his sojourn through life, knowingly or unknowingly, he is already in search of unity, which, as Swami Vivekananda has said, is the basis of all morality. If modern man does not adopt an ethical way of life and pursue it knowingly, the internal and external conflicting forces will become overpowering. ❧ Notes 1
Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1965), vol. 1, p. 189. 2 Ibid., p. 385. 3 Ibid., pp. 389–90. 4 Ibid., p. 260. 5 Swami Nikhilananda, Hinduism: Its Meaning for the Liberation of the Spirit (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1958), p. 58. 6 Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (1968), vol. 2, p. 83. 7 Ibid. (1964), vol. 8, p. 147. 8 Ibid., pp. 146–47. About the Author Swami Prabuddhananda is a minister and head of the Vedanta Society of Northern California in San Francisco.
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