Good And Evil In Hinduism

The second part of the Hinduism chapter challenged the reader to compare and contrast the traditional Hinduism beliefs about creation, the problem of good and evil, heroic stories of divine figures, and the divine law with other world religions. What caught my attention was the section about the problem of good and evil. Many world religions have scriptures that described the human nature as an inner contradiction of good and evil ( Bilhartz, 2006, p. 174). However, the Hindus seem to believe that humans possess either divine qualities or demonic qualities as stated in the Bhagavad Gita. According to the Bhagavad Gita, there exists " two types of human beings in this world: the divine, and the demonic" (Bilhartz, 2006, p. 176). The scriptures continued to explain that those endowed with divine qualities will attain nirvana, while those with demonic qualities will be lead to bondage. I thought this concept appear to resonate with the traditional teachings of karma where good deeds will be rewarded,

Many people of the ancient world, especially those who followed the teachings of the Hindu sacred texts, held the belief that every action was connected to a consequence. According to Bilhartz, the early Vedas taught that the gods would perform their tasks as long as the people did their duty to appease them, which in turn upholds order in the universe ( 2006, p. 183). This doctrine is also connected to the law of karma, where every action affects future outcomes. Furthermore, those who have committed sin require penance to remove the consequence. The Law of Manu explains the proper code for every man and women of different stations in life as well as the punishments for misconduct ( Bilhartz, 2006, p. 185). I am amazed by how seriously the Hindus take every action to account since I live in a society where people accept the proposition that they never have to face the consequences for