Hindu Catholic Dialogue Commemorative Brochure 20150523

Author(s): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Publisher: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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A7. Is there a way to praise God in a greeting? Such greetings include “Ram Ram,” “Hare Krishna,” “Hari OM,” and “OM,” all of which are various ways to refer to the Divine.
ETHICS AND MORALITY
B1. What are some of the main ethical injunctions on how to conduct one's daily life? Many scriptures contain injunctions on moral and ethical issues that are presented as norms to strive for rather than mandatory commandments. One example is the list of five Yamas (restraints) and five Niyamas (observances) presented in the Yoga Sutras.
The five Yamas are non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-indulgence, and non-possessiveness. The five Niyamas are purity, contentment, spiritual fervor, spiritual study, and surrender to God.' All are expected to honor their parents, teachers and guests, and to study and practice the scriptures.2
B2. What are one's obligations toward other people, society, and the environment? The simplest injunctions are to treat others as you would like them to treat you and to regard the whole world as one's own family. Fundamentally, one's obligations are expressed as the need to follow one's Dharma, a complex concept derived from a verb root that means "to sustain.” One's behavior should always provide the best possible sustenance to society as a whole.
Each individual has a moral obligation to ascertain what his or her Dharma is under specific circumstances. One aspect of Dharma is that each person should discharge his or her debt to God, who creates and sustains the universe; to the sages, who guide humanity; to ancestors and parents, who have begotten and cared for us; and to the society in which we live. The scriptures exhort human beings to regard the elements of nature as manifestations of God and to treat them with reverence. Care for the environment and respect for nature are part of one's obligations to God.
B3. What are one's spiritual obligations? Hindus regard spiritual obligation in terms of deepening understanding and devotion to God rather than adherence to doctrine. The highest spiritual goal is to see God in all things and all
COMMEMORATIVE BROCHURE
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