What does this mean in practice?
For many Hindus in the householderThe stage in a Hindu's life when the focus is on getting married and raising a family. stage, earning money is important, but it must be done honestly. This can be interpreted as:
- not cheating or lying to create wealth
- not actively harming other creatures in what you do
- taking care to be fair and environmentally conscious in what you do
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.
Sannyasin
Some Hindus believe that living in a state of poverty is an important part of a sannyasinIn Hinduism, a person who has entered the fourth life stage, leaving behind family, friends and all material possessions and devoting their life to attaining moksha (freedom from rebirth). vows. Material life is left behind and the focus is on attaining mokshaUltimate goal for all atman (spirits/souls) as laid out in Hindu scripture; escape from the cycle of reincarnation.. For those who undertake sannyasa, it means giving up all of your possessions and wealth, including your home.
Charity work
karma/kammaActions, and the consequences of actions. An important concept in Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. or 'intentional action' is part of Hindu teaching. Many Hindus see involvement in charity work as good action and a means of fulfilling their duty to help those in need. The Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered and important Hindu texts. The Gita tells the story of Krishna鈥檚 incarnation as a chariot driver to Prince Arjuna and forms part of the Mahabharata. teaches:
Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, and to a worthy person is considered to be in the quality of goodness.
Sewa UK is a charity organisation inspired by the Hindu tradition of 'service before self'. The organisation encourages people from all backgrounds and beliefs to help with the main task of helping people in need and gives help to all people, regardless of their beliefs, backgrounds or status.
Sewa UK aims to provide humanitarian reliefHelp given to save lives, reduce suffering and protect human dignity during or after emergencies. by sending technical assistance to relief operations and by investing in building infrastructureThe basic structures needed for an area to function, for example roads and communications. and services in the aftermath of disasters.
BAPS (Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) is a religious movement that places emphasis on charity that offers practical help to people affected by natural disasters. The organisation is said to be underpinned by the VedasKnowledge. Specifically refers to the oldest and most sacred Hindu texts and scriptures, written in Sanskrit. Any teaching which is consistent with these scriptures is also accepted as Vedic (ie in the same group of scriptures as the Vedas). .
Fair trade
Hindu teachings support fair tradeTrade in which fair prices are paid to the farmers of products. principles because teachings on dharmaThis word has various meanings which have to be understood from the context in which it is used. It can mean religious duty. In Buddhism it is most widely used to mean the Buddha鈥檚 teaching. It can also mean 鈥榯he truth鈥. emphasise charity and compassion. Many Hindus and Hindu organisations support the fair trade movement in the following ways:
- mandirThe word many Hindus use for a place of worship - a shrine or special place in the home or a building used by the community for worship and other events. stocking fair trade products
- supporting and making donations to fair trade charities
For reflection and discussion
'Poverty is a consequence of bad action so it just has to be suffered, there's nothing we can do about it.' Consider different responses to this statement from a Hindu perspective. Do you agree with the statement? Think of reasons and examples to support your views.