Upanishads Vs Dhammapada Essay

The Upanishads and The Dhammapada are different texts that offer different ideas on how to live a good life, but they both address many ways in which one can grow morally and spiritually. They also both offer many things that hinder spiritual growth. On the other hand, these religious texts also help reinforce hierarchy and inequality. By using these religious texts, monarchs and other dominating forces have controlled or made the followers of these beliefs blind to the inequality and hierarchy of the world. First, I am going to bring up how The Upanishads and The Dhammapada support positive moral actions by teaching that selfishness, greed, and desire is the opposite of morality and spiritual growth. Then, I am going to show how these two religious texts have also reinforced negative social outlooks by following the caste system and disconnecting themselves from this world and its issues. Lastly, I am going to conclude by showing how both …show more content…
This helps many followers of these beliefs not get lost with all the materialistic and temporary things of the world. In these aspects, The Upanishads and The Dhammapada are very positive in their moral outlooks. On the other hand, they also have caused or allowed the continuation of inequality and injustice in the world. Karma has created hierarchy by being the bases of the caste system, which has been a system of oppression and injustice for hundreds of years. In The Dhammapada, the caste system was dropped. By focusing on other worldly existence, it takes away attention from the inequality and injustices that need to be stopped in this world. Other worldly existence suddenly becomes the most important thing, not trying to change the injustices in the world by working together with the people of this