Indian Value System

We have discussed the nature of virtue as

presented by Aristotle in his Nicomachean
Ethics. Aristotle in his N.E part company with
Plato and explain the concept of virtue that
takes care of the diversity and play an action
guiding role in an individuals life.
He clearly states that virtue is a trait of
character manifested in habitual action. The
habitual is the key concern here. To become a
virtuous person one requires the antecedent
knowledge that produces virtuous conduct.
Virtue is essential to conditions of
living tolerably, and of critical
importance for all peoples every
where. The examples he cites for
moral virtues are: liberty,
temperance and courage.
Wisdom, understanding and
practical wisdom are illustrated
as intellectual virtues.
Aristotle broadly distinguishes
virtues into moral virtues and
intellectual virtues. The moral
virtues are just those traits of
character we need in order to have
best chance of making our live good.
Moral virtues, he says, are virtues of
character. When we talk about someone's
character we always mean whether he is
courageous or coward, whether he is
good tempered or ill tempered. So while
judging someone's character we never
say whether he is wise or say whether he
has understanding. Of course, we
commend wise persons for their state of
mind (N.E. 1103a, 3-10).
This has a similarity with the
Upanishadic concept of dharma
(duty), as an intrinsic value in Kants
notion of categorical impetrative
(duty of duty sake).
Indian ethics Value System also lays
down practical means of attaining a
life of perfection here and now.
Rigveda as well as Atharva Veda mention
honesty, non-violence, truthfulness, modesty,
agreeable speech, Brahmacharya (celibacy),
religious conviction, and purity of heart as the
important virtues that are praiseworthy. These
very virtues are mentioned in the Bhagavadgita
as divine qualities. Thus the Vedic philosophy
lays emphasis on right conduct as the means of
the development of the personality of the
individual. Hence in a way the ethics of the
Vedas is the ethics of right action.
The concept of duty or Dharma in the
Upanishads is not negative but out
and out positive. It does not
command us to give up or renounce
the world, but rather to engage in the
worldly strife, always aiming at the
goal and subordinating all other
desires to the strongest desire, or
love for duty.
The Bhagavadgita follows the philosophy
of Samadarsana (the unitive view of the
Ultimate Reality) and Visamavarttana
(differentiated behaviour in the
empirical world) to the core.
Referring to this devotion to duty, it has
been remarked in the Bhagavad-Gita
that one should prefer death, while
performing ones own Dharma to a
change of professional duty.
 The four ends of
life(Purusarthas), viz.:-- Artha,
or wealth, for the development
of body, Kama, or the fulfillment
of desires, for the development
of mind, Dharma, or morality,
for the development of intellect,
and finally Moksa, or spiritual
perfection, for the development
of the soul.
Purusarthas
Thus this ethico-metaphysical system
is present clearly in the Rigvedic
philosophy and it is also reflected in
the Upanishads, which emphasize the
oneness of the universe and hence
entail the same non-dual reality as
the goal of the cosmos, of society,
and of the individual.
Wealth becomes evil only when it is misused on
account of lack of wisdom. The Upanishads
repeatedly point out that everything that is desired
is desired for the sake of the self.
In the Upanishad notion of Kama represents: Kama,
which we are asked to renounce, is not desire as
such, but only the animal desire, lust, the impulsive
craving of the brute man. Freedom from Kama is
enjoined, but this is not blank passivity.
To sum up, we may say that Artha, Kama, and
Dharma are instrumental values, but at the same
time essential methods for the attainment of Moksa.
Neither the path of indulgence (Pravirtti Marga)
nor that of asceticism (Nivirti Marga ) is desirable.
Indulgence in the enjoyment of the pluralistic
spatio-temporal world without insight into its
spiritual monistic basis is as harmful, antisocial,
and anti-ethical. Too much of indulgence equating
good with evil without recognition of pluralistic
nature of the empirical world is disastrous. The
Bhagavadgita follows the philosophy of
Samadarsana (the unitive view of the Ultimate
Reality) and Visamavarttana (differentiated
behaviour in the empirical world) to the core.
1) Right Resolve (sankalpa)
2) Right Intention (samyag drsti)
3) Right Speech (vak)
4) Right Action (karmanta) The Eight-
fold Path (Buddhism)
5) Right Livelihood or right living (ajiva)
6)) Right Concentration (samadhi)
7) Right Effort (vyayama)
The Eight-fold
8) Right Path or
Mindedness (Buddhism)
Right Thought
(smrti)
Eightfold Path Of Discipline
(Astanga Yoga)

1) Yama: It means abstention and includes five vow of

Jainism. It is abstention from injury through thought, word
or deed (ahimsa), from false hood (satya), from stealing
(asteya), from passions or lust (brahmacharya), from
avarice (aparigraha).
2)Niyama: It is self-culture and includes external and
internal
purification(shucha),contentment(santosha),austerity(tapa
s)
Study (svadhyaya),and devotion to
God(Ishvaraparinidhan).
3)Asana:This is dicipline of the body.
4)Pranayama:This is highly conducive to the concentration
of mind.
5)Pratyahara : It is control of senses and consist in
withdrawing the senses from their object.
6)Dharana It is fixing the mind on the object of
meditation.It is the steadfast like the unflickering
flame of the lamp.
7)Dhyana:it is steadfast contemplation without
any break.
8)Samadhi:It means concentration.
Samadhi is of two kinds:
a)conscious or samparajnata
b)Supraconscious or asamprajnata.
The former is ekagra, the latter is
nirudha.
The highest goal, the summum bonum is not
only the well being, of human beings but of all
the living creatures. The following Sanskrit
verse sums up the Indian ethical ideal.
Sarve bhabantu sukhinah sarve santu niramayah
Sarve bhadrani pasyantu makaschit
dukhabhagabhavet.

May all be at ease; may all be in good health;

may all experience happiness; may none
experience suffering.