Hindu/Indian Culture Outside India

[Guest]

I liked this article, the blogger talks about Manu and surprise surprise not one word about Caste or widows.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-ivanh...98431.html

Balancing material possession with spiritual pursuits is a quest that has been addressed by many religions. Unlike the Christian, "A rich man getting into heaven is as likely as a camel passing through the eye of a needle," Hinduism offers up another perspective. The 2nd century CE produced one of the most important expositors of the Brahmanical tradition named Manu. "The Law-code of Manu" is a legal treatise that articulates a normative Hindu code of ethics. One of the key concepts that Manu discusses is the idea of trivarga, or "three goals."



The first is goal is kama, or "pleasure", second is artha, or "power" and the third is dharma, known to us as "truth" or "duty," which is performed as a path to liberation, moksha. Manu explains that these three aims work together much the same way the three legs of a stool are required to hold the seat. We need all three to create the perfect balance. Unlike more austere forms of religion, Manu shows us that these goals are not mutually exclusive, but rather integral parts of a well-balanced whole. Earthly pleasures and desire can and must co-exist on a path of spiritual truth. In contrast to the ideal of the renunciant so central to Jain and Buddhist traditions, Manu provides a paradigm for a human life lived in deep engagement with the world. As long as our intention is pure, we can actually channel our desires for pleasure to assist us on the path to freedom.

Wow, in the recent days I have been thinking that Dharmam is shifting from India to America onlee as Indians are getting caught in the web of Western Maya, the West is moving more towards Dharma - slowly but steadily.