7. The Upanisadic Ethics

The Upanisads are the collections of works which form the basis for the philosophical commentaries on the Vedas. The dates of composition of the twenty most important Upanisads(out of the over 200 that have come down to us) span a period from about 800 to 200 B.C.E, usually referred to as “the age of the Upanisads.” The Upanisads are not primarily books of human conduct. They are concerned first and foremost with enquiry into the meaning and nature of reality. However, it cannot be denied that the Upanisads do discuss moral issues.

As Mackenzie says about the Upanisads,

“The ethical problem in a certain sense arises only accidentally, but it does arise…..”^[1].

The ultimate goal of human life in the Upanisads is liberation or deliverance from this life, and the writers of the Upanisads are not merely engaged with intellectual enquiry of the nature of this ultimate goal but are actually concerned with trying to find out practical means of release. The Upanisads insists on a moral life for the seeker of liberation.

Radhakrishnan has said:

“The Upanisads insist on the importance of life”^[2].

The Upanisadic thinkers evolved a comprehensive scheme of moral life, and believed that one could attain a vision of the Supreme truth by adhering to the norms of such a life. It was the sages and seers on whom rested the primary responsibility for enunciating the basic framework of the ethical order. They were the torch bearers and they never faltered in their determination to provide the requisite guidance in the practical affairs of life. The ethical order has to be so devised that it represented a gradual and systematic ascent of man to the discovery of ultimate truth. The sole test of the effectiveness of this order was that it met, as far as possible, the needs of the common man in his ascent to the various stages of life. If, on the one hand, the Upanisadic philosophers undertook upon themselves the responsibility for passing on to the common man his own experiences of the spiritual life, it was, on the other, his primary concern to prepare for him the guideline for an ethical conduct.

Hume has commented that the moral teachings of the Upanisads are not only for the student of the Upanisads but for everyone.

“It is to be noted that these moral teachings of the Upanisads are not only meant for the students but for all human beings. Human beings are rightly advised by the seers of the scriptures to follow the glorious spiritual and moral teachings of the Vedas and Upanisads for attaining eternal peace, happiness and healthy life”^[3].

The importance of virtue of truthfulness is clearly declared in the story of Satyakama-Jabala in the Chandogya Upanisad (IV.iv). In the story, Satyakama aksed his mother regarding who his father was as it was information needed if one goes to teacher’s place for learning. The mother told him that she did not know as she served many people during her youth. Satyakama went to his teacher and repeated exactly what his mother told him. The teacher accepted him saying that only a Brahmana can be so fearless in speaking truth. Of all the Upanisads, it is probably Taittiriya Upanisad that most clearly states what a person is required to do during his life time. It says that a person has to be in the right, is to be true, has to practice austerity and self-control, be of tranquil disposition, perform sacrifices, should have humanity, beget children and propagate his race. This Upanisad contains the teacher’s address to the students at the end of the period they spent in his place as students.

It goes as follows:

“Speak the truth. Practice virtue. Let there be no neglect of your (daily) reading. Having brought to the teacher the wealth that is pleasing (to him), do not cut off the thread of the offspring. Let there be no neglect of truth. Let there be no neglect of welfare. Let there be no neglect of prosperity. Let there be no neglect of the duties of the Gods and the fathers” (Taittiriya Upanisad, I.xi.3).

This Upanisad further says of the respect one should show to the father, mother, and teacher (Taittiriya Upanisad, I.xi.2).

The Upanisadic thinkers were of the firm view that an ethical order could truly reflect therein the spiritual aim of life if it was so planned as to comprehend the various stages of the growth and development of such an aim. Each stage aimed at preparing the aspirant for a certain training regarded as indispensable to the attainment of the highest goal of life. Each such stage was called an ashrama. Four stages were conceived, each having its own distinct sphere and significance in the total scheme of the spiritual life. Let us attempt a brief description of each of these here.

1. The stage called brahmacarya which was to end at the attainment of puberty, say up to the age of twenty-five.

2. The stage called grihastha which was to continue for the next twenty-five years.

3. The stage called vanaprastha which was to continue for the next twenty-five years.

4. And the stage called samnyasa which was to continue for remaining part of life.

It is important to note here that each stage was an integral part of the entire scheme of spiritual life. Each aimed at imparting certain training to the individual, so that he could gradually and systematically ascend to the higher one. The training involved the development of the total personality of the individual. Not even the emotional aspect was ignored. Only a complete person could successfully bring the goal within his reach.

The thinking of the Vedas was extrovert while that the Upanishads was introvert. Therefore, the Upanisadic ethics laid more emphasis upon the inner development and character. While the Vedic seers used to search for the ultimate Substance in Nature and Super Nature, the Upanisadic seers used to search it in their own selves. Thus, according to the Upanisads, atman or its universal form the Brahman is the ultimate reality and the aim of all human efforts is to relies them. It follows that the Upanisads insist on the inwardness of morality and attach great importance to the motive in conduct. Inner purity is more important than outer conformity. Not only do the Upanisads say ‘do not steal’, ‘do not murder’, but they also declare ‘do not covet’, or’ do not hate or yield to anger, malice and greed’. The mind will have to be purified, for it is no use cutting the branches if one leaves the roots intact.

Conduct is judged by its subjective worth or the degree of sacrifice involved.

“Life is a great festival to which we are invited, that we might show tapas or self-renunciation, dana or liberality, arjavam or right dealing, ahimsa or non-injury to life., and satyavacanam [satyavacana] or truthfulness” (Chandogya Upanisad, iii.16; Taiitiriya Upanisad.,i.9.).^[4]

It is the spirit of disinterestedness that is conveyed by tapas or tyaga. The Chandogya Upanisad says ‘sraddha tapah’ (v.10). Faith is asceticism. To realize Freedom form bondage of outward things one need not go to the solitude of the forest and increase his privations and penances that so the last remnants of earthly dependence might be thrown away. “By renunciation thou shouldest enjoy” says the Isa Upanisad.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mackenzie, J: Hindu Ethics; A Historical and Critical Essay, HardPress publishing,p.68).

[2]:

Radhakrishnan,S: The Principal Upanisads, Harper Collins publishers, India, Impression 2007,p-104.

[3]:

Hume, R.E: ‘Introduction in Thirteen Principal Upanisads, Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, Edition 2012,p.xix

[4]:

Chandogya Upanisad, iii.16; Taittiriya Upanisad.,i.9.