Indian Ethics: Individual and Social
Ethical traditions of India. Covers The cosmic order; Buddhist, Jain and Sikh ethics; The Bhakti movement; Primary texts on ethics.
About this unit
This unit introduces ethical ideas from several Indian traditions. It begins with the Vedic idea of rta (cosmic order) and the later idea of dharma, then looks at the ethical teachings of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, and at the values of the Bhakti movement. It ends with selections from primary sources — Jain and Buddhist texts, the edicts of Ashoka and the Tamil Tirukkural. The unit presents each tradition in its own terms and shows how ethics guided both personal conduct and social life.
Key ideas
- Rta: natural and moral order in the Rigveda; dharma: duty and right conduct.
- Buddhism: Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, five precepts.
- Jainism: three jewels, five vows, anekantavada.
- Sikhism: remembering God, honest work, sharing.
- Bhakti: devotion, equality and compassion over ritual and caste.
- Ashoka's dhamma and the Tirukkural's three sections.
How to prepare
- Learn the lists (vows, precepts, path factors) accurately.
- Remember which text or saint is linked with which teaching.
- Expect passage-based questions asking you to identify a tradition from a teaching.
Topics in this chapter
The cosmic order
Rta and dharma.
5 questionsBuddhist, Jain and Sikh ethics
Ethical teachings of each tradition.
5 questionsThe Bhakti movement
Ethics in bhakti traditions.
5 questionsPrimary texts on ethics
Selections from Jain and Buddhist texts, Ashoka’s edicts and the Tirukkural.
5 questions