MY TOPIC FOR ASL IS 'ETHICS AND VALUES'. CAN ANYBODY HELP ME OUT WITH THIS
Answers
The moral values in life hold great importance from the point of personal, social and spiritual development. Values, morals and ethics are inextricably tied together. Values are what we learn from childhood; the 'stuff' we acquired from our parents and immediate surroundings. Values are the motive power behind purposeful action. Moral values are meant for making the quest to find the higher self an easier. Unfortunately, many amongst us may find it difficult to follow values such as truthfulness, honesty, forgiveness in our lives because we have not perceived the subtle gains that come to us by following these values. Or, maybe, we are careless to realize the importance of values in life. Ethics, on the other hand, are how we actually do behave in the face of difficult situations that test our moral fiber. Ethics are the code or principles on which one’s character depend.
Ethics and character are closely related. Values are essential to ethics develop at an early age and can be instrumental to building character.
The quality of our lives is not determined by the happenstance of genetics or by the influence of environment; it is not measured in material possessions or in the trappings of youth; it is not dependent on personality or social acclaim. On the contrary, the intrinsic value of the lives we lead reflects the strength of a single trait: our personal character.
We Indians are very religious and we lavishly spend on religious celebrations and pray for our well-being. But we rarely bother for ethics without which we cannot move even an inch towards true religion or get any favor from God. In daily life, we conveniently forget the real spirit of religion and work for petty personal gains.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of our actions and to the decency and wickedness of the motives and the ends of such actions. Every religion prescribes high ethical standards and values. But few followers pay any heed. We are deviating from true religion and focusing more on external rituals.
Spirituality can help us become better human beings if we follow the general moral codes with devotion. It prepares our body and mind, to receive God's inspiration. It also transforms our thinking, speech, and our actions that form virtuous habits that determine our moral character. One cannot be spiritual with out good character. Character is a combination of qualities that make an individual ethically admirable.
People in the Western countries may not be very religious, but by and large, they are honest in daily life. They have a high sense of integrity and they take pride in that. Whereas, in India majority of us have lost faith in our religious leaders so called professional gurus who are only after gaining prominence and luxurious living without divine realization. Should we lose faith in ourselves also and be carried away by the stream of unethical practices or stand upright? We ought not to forget that unselfishness, honesty and humility are more paying regarding contentment and spiritual fulfillment. If we follow this path that represents the true spirit of any religion, then we can serve our nation in a better way. Why should we follow professional gurus, who have lost moral values and are only interested in ‘name & fame’ and acquiring assets without any sense of responsibility? Believe me with adequate integrity, sincerity, devotion to duty and humility; we can improve our community as well as our quality of life. I can say that when we live our lives according to moral values that are based on honesty, compassion, courage, modesty, and forgiveness, then we can also form positive bonds with other people.