In the view of Hinduism, sinfulness and goodness are mixed in or characters. Our natures contain different proportions of these qualities or tendencies and we should strive to behave in a manner that develops good tendencies and wipes out bad ones. While our goodness is helping others.
It is self-control and worshipping God and having pujas and studying the Vedas and the other holy books.
It is calling out God’s names and glories and suffering for your beliefs. Goodness is being straight and strong in body and mind.
Goodness is realizing God does things through you, that you do not do them by yourself.
Goodness is not wanting, being kind of all and not caring about the pleasures of your body.
Goodness is gentles and being ashamed of your mistakes and not being lazy.
Forgiveness, strength not being mean and not being proud are goodness.
These are signs of someone who is good.
(Gita 16:1,2,3)
This passage shows that goodness is not tied to any particular code of conduct nor does it arise from obeying a particular set of rules. There are no clear cut rules a person can follow to become good. Rather, acting virtuously cultivates goodness and the state of goodness causes a person to act virtuously. Vedic philosophy views goodness as a state of being that can be achieved through self-conditioning. It is pursuit that lasts for lifetimes.
People who sincerely aspire to goodness attain goodness. Those who wish to become brave, pure, pious, disciplined, worshipful, knowing, tranquil, truthful, kind, gentle, modest, energetic, forgiving, and strong will become these things and will become good.
They will become wise and good decisions. They will perform noble deeds that will benefit the world. They will find themselves on the path to enlightenment and they will find happiness. They will attain salvation. Hinduism offers no shortcuts to salvation. It offers no single principle that people can embrace to be saved if they are not good. In order to be freed, a person must first become good.
Excerpt from On Hinduism by Irina Gajjar.
