Explorations in Religious Identity (RE 300 WR)

"Dharma -- moral order in the world, and people's duty to act in accord with that order--- is natural in the first age" (78) Dharma to me is what I would see as the morals and responsibility we are born with. Without dharma we have no morals or responsibility and therefore, no order.  “One is dharma, or carrying out one’s responsibilities and duties, for the sake of social and cosmic order.” (95) Depending on what home you were raised in, we all may have a different idea of dharma.  It’s the beliefs or morals we grew up being taught so it differs for everyone. Going back to that previous quote on page 95, the sentence prior to it is “Hinduism holds up four major goals that define a good life.” (95) It is their foundation to living a good life.  From what I have read, being a “good person” and living an honorable life is like the life goal of Hinduism.  Rama fights nobly and with honor so it makes sense that the Rāmāyaṇa focuses so much on it. With Rama specifically, he realizes that in order to leave a righteous legacy, he must rely on his devotion to the king and honor the queen’s demand for exile.  He grew up being taught to honor authority, therefore when he was told to do something, he did.