Dharma
Dharma is commonly defined as the duty and the cosmic order of things and a path or destiny. It is said to support and sustain as well as based on the concept of having things at their proper place in the cosmos. Dharma is a concept that allows the creation of karma. There are three common elements of Dharma, namely class or caste, stage of life, and gender.
The caste system is said to have been legal until 1947. Some people thought it to have been a concept that restored peace and normality in society. However, others think that was just a way of justifying their rotten system. In real sense, the concept is said to have resulted in oppression, violence, racism, and revolts. Among the many castes that were present, four stood out namely Brahmans or priests, Kshatriyas or merchants, Vaishya or merchant, and Shudras or workers. Of the castes, the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, and Vaishya, were considered as higher classes for their specific roles. The Shudras, were a low class that handled work that was forbidden for the other classes. There as even another lower class that was really looked down upon, for they handled work that even the Shudras could not do.
The existence of the Caste allowed people to only socialize with people from their class. Ethically, this is wrong for no human being is superior compared to the other, but they are all blessed differently. In my opinion, I would not consider the caste system, for I believe in equity and believe in giving other people chances, for they all can be in any position depending on the circumstances.
The duty of one’s life was said to be affected by their age and males in the Hindu society, males go through various stages, although they do not have to go through every stage. The stages include student or Brahmachrya, which involves learning or celibacy. The stage involves boys aged twelve to thirteen taking spiritual devotion that sees him through his adolescence. In the adolescent, the boys are taken through the religious scriptures, where after the stage they go on to marry and have families.
The second stage is a householder or the stage of marriage. It is a primary stage of development, where a Hindu gets involved in various things such as politics and also knowledge of the world. The third stage is the Retiree, which involves life after children have left their parents. The parents, focus on their spiritual lives for they are no longer involved in procreation. The last stage is the renouncer and all Hindus do not have to attain this stage. It involves a repudiation of the property after the death of the wives to the male. The participators here are known as Sadhus, and they involve qwith fewer concerns after renouncing their material wealth.
Gender is a major influence of Dharma and in Hindu society, the concept of gender has various opinions, on whether Hindu is sexist or misogynist. The sexist opinion seems to hold a greater opinion based on the various facts that are witnessed in society. First, the Hindu women are known are expected to be submissive to their husbands. Some go to the extent of being allowed to eat only after their husbands have eaten. Hindu husbands are also known to be violent, and some believe that violence and sexual harassment are some of the steps to be recognized as a man. The women on the other hand have come into terms with this notion, and a majority of them seem to have accepted violence as their karma. The women are believed to live for their husbands and they have no life after their deaths. Finally, the women believe that giving birth to baby boys is the only way, a notion that leads to a lot of abortions in India.
On the other hand, the sexist opinion is overridden by the misogynist opinion, where people argue that males are not the only dominant of Hindu society which is why there are goddesses besides the gods. In some communities the women have their freedom to study and make their opinions on what they would like to do or be with their lives.
The ethical part of the gender and the stages of life seems to be unfair, for the better part of it gives credit to and acknowledges men while they do not recognize the role that omen play in the society. As a result, women have also looked down upon themselves and makes them accept the low levels they are given in society. My opinion towards that stands that women should be given chances for they have shown to be capable in the various sectors they are given to lead.