The influence of karma on the struggle for survival of poor people as seen in dominique lapierre`s the city of joy - USD Repository
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THE INFLUENCE OF KARMA ON THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL OF POOR PEOPLE AS SEEN IN DOMINIQUE LAPIERRE’S
THE CITY OF JOY
A Thesis Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education
By Wahyu Perwitasari Student Number: 021214025 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2007
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DEDICATION PAGE
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Ora e t Labora I de dicat e t his t he s is t o mys e lf , t o my f amily and t o all t he pe ople who have give n t he ir s upport - s arie -
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my greatest gratitude to the Lord who has given me patience, strength and ability during the process of writing this thesis. I would like to thank Him for his blessing and his patience for giving me motivation everyday. I realize that I would not have been able to complete this thesis without Him. I also realize that without His motivation through people around me, I would still be lazy to complete my thesis.
I would like to thank Ibu Wigati Y. Modouw, my major sponsor, for her comments and guidance. I thank for her patience guiding me, although it took a long time. I really appreciate the stories that she has told in every consultation. It really motivates me not to give up writing the thesis. I also would like to thank Laurentia
Sumarni , my co-sponsor who has given her time to correct and guide me to write
this thesis better. I thank her for her careful correction and helpful comments.Then, I would like to thank all of the PBI lecturers who have shared their experience during my study. I would also thank all of the secretary staff for helping me in dealing with the administration and for their smile while giving me their service.
My deepest gratitude is deliberately given to my beloved babe and mami for not asking about the thesis progress. I realize that beyond the fussiness of mami and , they wish all the best for me. My sincere gratitude also goes to pakde Didik,
babe
my uncle and embah who often asked the progress that I made and encouraged me to finish this study.
I would also like to give my greatest gratitude for my motivator, Ibu Lanny
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books during SPD class. I thank her for being a great, inspiring, and dedicated teacher for her students.
I would like to thank mbak Tina, mbak Sarie and Rizakti who always shared the ideas with me and helped me to edit my thesis. They had guided me to write a better thesis and they had given me helpful comments for the thesis. I thank
Nana, Erlita, mbak Venta, mbak Tutik, mas Widi, mas Herpin, mbak Widya,
mbak Desi, mbak Adis, Andre, Nita, Randy and mas Fajar who were willing to
check my thesis and to give questions, suggestion and criticism. I would also thank , Ibu Nyoman and Lukas for giving me information and lending
Romo Sudiharjo
me some books that were really useful to complete this study. My deep gratitude also goes to mbak Uni, mbak Shinta, Shinta, Selly, Christian, Binta, Iin, mbak Kristin,
Parjo, Nanut, mbak Lisa, Danang , Febri, Lira, Romo Albert, Adi’s aunt, Welly,
all PBI students and all PMB friends who indirectly gave me motivation to finish this thesis. I thank them for their encouragement.
My special gratitude is deliberately addressed to Adi jelek for his patience, attention, support, kindness and motivation. I thank him for reminding me not to give up easily when I found trouble during the process of writing this study.
Wahyu Perwitasari
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ................................................................................................. i APPROVAL PAGE ......................................................................................... ii BOARD OF EXAMINERS’ PAGE .................................................................. iii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ................................................ iv DEDICATION PAGE ...................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ ix ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... xii
ABSTRAK ....................................................................................................... xiv
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study .......................................................................... 1
1.2. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................. 3
1.3. Problem Formulation ................................................................................ 4
1.4. Benefit of the Study ................................................................................... 4
1.5. Definition of Terms ................................................................................ 4
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1. Theoretical Description ............................................................................. 6
2.1.1. Theoretical Approach ....................................................................... 6
2.1.2. Review of Indian Culture .................................................................. 7
2.1.2.1. Society ................................................................................ 7
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2.1.2.1.1.1. Karma ................................................... 9 2.1.2.1.1.2. Dharma ................................................ 11 2.1.2.1.1.3. Reincarnation ........................................ 13 2.1.2.1.1.4. Release/Mokhsa ..................................... 14 2.1.2.1.1.5. Caste System ........................................ 15
2.1.2.1.2. The People ............................................................... 16
2.1.2.1.3. The Ways of life ...................................................... 16 2.1.2.1.3.1. Family ................................................... 16 2.1.2.1.3.2 Languages ............................................. 17 2.1.2.1.3.3. Health ................................................... 18 2.1.2.1.3.4. Village life ............................................. 19 2.1.2.1.3.5. City Life ................................................ 19
2.1.2.2. Livelihood ............................................................................. 20
2.1.3. Criticism ........................................................................................... 22
2.2. Theoretical Framework ............................................................................. 23
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
3.1. The Subject of the Study .......................................................................... 26
3.2. The Approaches ......................................................................................... 26
3.3. Method of the Study ................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
4.1. The Socio-Cultural Background of India during 1960s-1970s as seen in The City Joy ................................................................................................................ 29
of
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4.1.1. The Social-Economical Condition of India ..................................... 29
4.1.1.1. India’s Main Source of Income .......................................... 30
4.1.1.2. India’s Main Cause of Poverty .......................................... 30
4.1.1.3. What Poverty Cause to People .......................................... 34
4.1.1.3.1. Village ............................................................ 34
4.1.1.3.2. City .................................................................. 36
4.1.2. The Socio-Cultural Condition of India ............................................. 40
4.1.2.1. Races ................................................................................ 40
4.1.2.2. Languages .......................................................................... 41
4.1.2.3. Belief ................................................................................... 42
4.1.2.4. Caste System ....................................................................... 43
4.1.2.5. Customs ............................................................................. 44
4.2. The Influence of Karma on the Struggle for Survival of Poor People ........ 46
4.2.1 The Influence of Karma on Life ...................................................... 48
4.2.2 The Influence of Karma on Custom ................................................ 51
4.2.3. The Influence of Karma on Family ................................................ 61
4.2.4. The Influence of Karma on Social Life .......................................... 64
4.2.5. The Influence of Karma on Human Deed ........................................ 68
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1. Conclusions .............................................................................................. 71
5.2. Suggestions .............................................................................................. 72
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5.2.1. Suggestion for the Next Researchers ................................................ 73
5.2.2. Suggestion for Teaching Implementation ................................................ 73
5.2.3. Suggestion for Teaching Speaking ................................................... 74 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................... 75 Appendix A. Lesson plan ................................................................................ 77 Appendix B Material for teaching speaking using the methods of debate ........... 79 Appendix C. Summary of the City of Joy ......................................................... 81 Appendix D. Dominique Lapierre’s Biography ................................................ 83 Appendix E. Photos ......................................................................................... 85
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ABSTRACT
Perwitasari, Wahyu (2007). The Influence of Karma on the Struggle for Survival of
Poor People as seen in Dominique Lapierre’s The City of Joy. Yogyakarta: English
Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This study analyzed Dominique Lapierre’s novel, The City of Joy. The City of
Joy is a novel that portrays the life of the poor in Anand Nagar, Calcutta. The aim of
the study was to figure out how karma influenced the poor people especially Hindus in India. Besides, the aims of the study were to show the real condition of these poor people and to show the way poor people struggle for survival. Studying the influence of karma was interesting since these poor Hindu people had to struggle for survival while continuously thinking of a way to get a better karma.
There were two problems that were formulated in order to achieve the aim of the study. The first problem was what the socio-cultural background of India during 1960s-1970s as seen in the City of Joy is and the second problem was how karma influences the struggle for survival of poor people as seen in the City of Joy.
The method employed in this study was library research. The sources used in this study were primary and secondary sources. The primary source was taken from the novel, while the secondary sources were taken from some references which were relevant and supportive. The approach conducted in this study was socio-cultural approach by Rohrberger and Woods. This study also applied a review of Indian culture. They were karma, dharma, reincarnation, mokhsa, caste system and some facts of socio-cultural background of India. In addition, some criticisms to Dominique Lapierre’s work and some sources from internet sites were also used.
The first analysis revealed the socio-cultural background of India during 1960s-1970s as seen in the City of Joy. Agriculture was India’s main source of income. However, disasters caused the low production of harvest. Sometimes, the production of harvest in India was not enough to feed the whole citizens. Disasters were India’s main cause of poverty, especially to farmers, who make up roughly three quarters of Indian population. Though most of Indians lived in the middle of poverty, they never forget to honor gods because in India, religion, especially Hinduism played a vital role. Religious doctrines influenced Indian way of life. Both poor and wealthy Indian did every religious custom and doctrine and religious ceremony to honor gods.
The second analysis showed that karma, one of Hinduism fundamental doctrines, had strong influence to Hindu people. Karma influenced Hindus because they believe that every human action had consequences. Therefore in their struggle for survival, poor Hindu people still did their duties as human to gain good karma. Poor people’s belief toward karma motivated them not to give up in their struggle to survive. Karma made poor people to be loyal to their parents and their family. Besides, karma also caused poor people to be willing to suffer and sacrifice, to do many good deeds to others and to avoid doing sinful behaviors.
It was concluded that Hindu people really kept their belief. They had to work many times harder in order to survive; these poor people never stop to do things they
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believe as good, including gaining a good karma. Karma influenced poor people because they believe in it. Poor people’s belief in karma motivated them not to give up to fighting for survival, made them loyal to their parents and their family, be willing to suffer and sacrifice themselves, do many kindness and avoid bad things. In addition, this study will also suggest some use of the novel as the material for teaching English especially teaching speaking.
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ABSTRAK
Perwitasari, Wahyu (2007). Pengaruh Karma dalam Perjuangan Orang-Orang
Miskin untuk Bertahan Hidup seperti terlihat dalam novel The City of Joy, Dominique Lapierre. Yogyakarta: Program Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan dan Seni, Fakultas keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Studi ini menganalisis novel, Dominique Lapierre, the City of Joy. The City
of Joy adalah sebuah novel yang memperlihatkan kehidupan orang-orang miskin
yang tinggal di sebuah perkampungan kumuh bernama Anand Nagar di Kalkuta.Tujuan dari studi ini adalah untuk mencari tahu bagaimana karma bisa mempengaruhi orang-orang miskin tersebut terutama orang-orang Hindu di India. Selain itu studi ini juga bertujuan untuk memperlihatkan kondisi yang sebenarnya dari orang-orang miskin tersebut dan memperlihatkan bagaimana orang-orang miskin ini berjuang untuk bertahan hidup. Mempelajari pengaruh karma ini sangat menarik karena bisa melihat bagaimana umat Hindu miskin di India harus berjuang untuk bertahan hidup tanpa berhenti berfikir bagaimana cara mendapat karma baik.
Ada dua permasalahan yang diformulasikan untuk mencapai tujuan dari studi ini. Masalah yang pertama adalah apa saja latar belakang sosial dan budaya yang ada di India pada kurun waktu 1960an sampai 1970an yang terlihat dalam novel
City of Joy dan masalah yang kedua adalah bagaimana karma mempengaruhi
the
perjuangan orang-orang miskin untuk bertahan hidup seperti yang terlihat dalam the City of Joy .
Metode yang digunakan pada studi ini adalah studi pustaka. Sumber-sumber data yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah sumber primer dan sekunder. Sumber primer diambil dari novel. Sedangkan sumber sekunder diambil dari sumber yang relevan dan mendukung. Studi ini juga mengunakan review budaya India seperti teori karma, dharma, reinkarnasi, mokhsa, sistem kasta dan fakta-fakta sosial dan budaya India.
Analisis pertama mengungkapkan latar belakang sosial dan budaya India pada kurun waktu 1960an sampai 1970an seperti yang terlihat dalam novel. Sumber utama pendapatan di India berasal dari pertanian. Namun banyaknya bencana menyebabkan rendahnya produksi pertanian. Terkadang produksi pertanian di India tidak cukup untuk seluruh penduduk India. Bencana-bencana yang melanda India merupakan penyebab utama kemiskinan di India terutama bagi petani karena tiga perempat penduduk India merupakan petani. Walaupun banyak penduduk India tinggal ditengah kemiskinan, mereka tidak pernah lupa untuk memuja para dewa karena disana agama terutama agama Hindu memiliki peran yang penting. Ajaran- ajaran agama terutama ajaran agama Hindu di India mempengaruhi cara hidup orang- orangnya. Baik orang miskin ataupun kaya melaksanakan setiap ajaran dan kebiasaan-kebiasaanya serta mengadakan setiap perayaan demi menghormati para dewa.
Analisis yang kedua menunjukkan bahwa karma, salah satu ajaran dasar agama Hindu, mempunyai pengaruh kuat terhadap orang-orang Hindu di India. Karma mempengaruhi umat Hindu karena mereka parcaya bahwa setiap tindakan
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manusia memiliki konsekuensi-konsekuensinya. Karena itu dalam perjuangan mereka untuk bertahan hidup, mereka tetap melakukan tugas-tugas mereka sebagai manusia supaya mendapatkan karma baik. Kepercayaan orang-orang miskin tersebut pada karma memotivasi mereka supaya mereka tidak menyerah dalam berjuang untuk bertahan hidup. Karma membuat orang-orang miskin ini berbakti pada orang tua dan keluarga mereka. Karma juga membuat orang-orang miskin ini rela menderita dan mengorbankan diri mereka, melakukan banyak kebaikan terhadap orang lain dan menghindari hal-hal yang buruk.
Sebagai penutup dapat disimpulkan bahwa orang-orang Hindu selalu memegang teguh kepercayaannya. Mereka harus berjuang supaya bisa bertahan hidup, orang-orang miskin ini tidak pernah berhenti melakukan segala hal yang mereka percaya termasuk untuk mendapatkan karma baik. Karma dapat mempengaruhi orang-orag miskin ini karena mereka mempercayainya. Kepercayaan mereka terhadap karma tersebut memotivasi mereka untuk tidak menyerah untuk bejuang bertahan hidup, membuat mereka berbakti pada pada orang tua dan keluarga, rela menderita dan mengorbankan diri mereka, melakukan banyak hal baik dan menghindari tindakan yang tidak baik. Selain itu, studi ini menyarankan penggunaan novel ini sebagai materi pengajaran Bahasa Inggris terutama pengajaran berbicara.
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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION There are five parts in this chapter. The first part is background of the
study, the second part is objectives of the study, the third part is problem formulation, the fourth part describes benefit of the study and the last part of this chapter is definition of terms. The background of the study explains the reasons of choosing the City of Joy as the subject of the study. The objectives of the study aim to describe the reasons why this study is conducted. The benefit of the study presents the expected benefits of the study, and the definition of terms clarifies the important terms used in this study.
1.1 Background of the Study
Poverty is one of issues which usually happen in the third world. This poverty issue often appears in some authors’ works. One of the authors who interested in writing about poverty is Dominique Lapierre. In his work, Lapierre tries to reveal the life of poor people in one of the third world countries, India. In his novel, he has succeeded to portray the life of the poor who live in a slum in different way. Lapierre shows not only the bad sides of India and the people but also the good sides. A friend of Ronald Segal, the author of The Crisis of India, criticizes the people in India as a dirty and submissive lot. He says those people have no flame or fight in them. The rich are ravenous corrupt, while the poor have no will to survive (Segal, 1965: 13- 14). However, Lapierre has a different opinion from Segal’s friend. In his book, The
City of Joy, Dominique Lapierre shows the readers the uniqueness of India and the
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The City of Joy is a novel which tells about people who live in a slum area
called Anand Nagar. Anand Nagar is located in the capital city of West Bengal, Calcutta. Like other slums in Calcutta, people in Anand Nagar have to live without facilities such as ventilations, toilets, drains and permanent houses. Most of the people live in a room for ten to twelve people while the other live on pavements. People in Anand Nagar are newcomers from villages near Calcutta. Although they come from different places, they have the same hope which is to make a better life.
They have no hope if they still stay in their hometown because disasters often strike their villages. Cyclone, long dry season, flood, earthquake are some disasters that cause exodus of many villagers from villages to big cities. In the new place, life is also not easy for them because once again they have to face the poverty. Therefore if they still want to survive, they have to struggle in this new place.
The struggle of those poor people in order to survive is the interesting part throughout the story especially because the novel is based on a true story. The story is written by Dominique Lapierre after his two-year research in Calcutta. The City of
Joy is a reflection of Indians real life during 1960s-1970s. Lapierre took villages in
West Bengal, Calcutta, and Anand Nagar as the setting of this novel. He described how in the years during 1960-1970 the exodus of people from villages had to struggle for survival in Calcutta yet they still looked after the others. Poverty did not make them selfish and individualist. Although they came from different religions and regions until now, they had high tolerance among themselves. Tolerance is significant in Calcutta, especially in the slums, because there are many religions which are professed by the people. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Moslem and Christian are several religions whish are professed by Indian people. One of religions
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which has the biggest followers in India is Hinduism. Since Hinduism has the biggest followers, Hinduism gives the biggest influence to the law, the culture and the tradition, and also to the people thinking. One of Hinduism doctrines which has influenced people thinking is karma.
Karma is “deeds” or “actions” in the sense of the consequences of human acts. Karma is useful in identifying people actions which deserve of moral merit and those which do not (1992: 677). People who do good deeds will get good karma or reward from their actions and people who do bad things will get bad karma or punishment. Poor Indian believes that what they get and face in the present is part of their karma. This is interesting because in every action people commonly think about karma. After reading the City of Joy, readers can realize that karma also influences Hindu people’s struggle for survival in Calcutta.
Therefore, the influence of karma on the struggle for survival of poor people will be chosen to be the topic of the study. This topic is worth discussing since these poor Hindu people have to struggle for survival while continuously thinking of a way to get a better karma despite that the latter case, in reality, require a lot of sacrifice.
For those people, their belief in the law of karma always remains them to be careful with their act. No matter how hard their life, they try to avoid bad deeds which result bad karma.
1.2. Objectives of the Study
This study aims to figure out how karma influences the poor people especially Hindus in Anand Nagar. The writer also wants to show the real condition of those poor people and to show the way they struggle for survival.
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1.3 Problem Formulation
1).What is the socio-cultural background of India during 1960s - 1970s as seen in
The City of Joy?
2). How does karma influence the struggle for survival of poor people as seen in The
City of Joy?
1.4 Benefit of the Study People usually complain about their misfortune because of many reasons.
For example, some people think that they do not have enough money to buy things such as clothes, shoes, cosmetics, etc. They think that their houses are not as big as their neighbors or their cars are not as expensive as their friends. Most people do not realize that they are lucky enough because they have permanent houses, they can eat three times a day, and they wear clean clothes. Hence, by studying The City of Joy novel, it is hoped that the readers will realize that there are many people who live in poverty. Those people do not give up although they face so many difficulties in their life. By reading this paper, it is expected that the story of those people inspires readers not to give up while facing problems. It is better to fight and struggle than give up and do nothing.
1.5. Definition of Terms
There are two important terms used in the study that the writer would like to clarify in this part. The first is Karma and the second is Struggle for survival.
1. Karma Lemaitre (1959: 73) explains that the idea of karma is the fundamental doctrine of Hinduism which follows the principle of causality that influences
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human destiny. In a practical and moral sense, karma is the consequences from the actions. If the action is right, it will bring a good karma, but if the action is wrong it will bring a bad karma. If someone has made a good karma in his/her past life, he/she will earn reward in the next life.
2. Struggle for Survival
The term struggle is defined as “to try very hard to do or to achieve something that is difficult” (Hornby, 1995: 1186). In this study, the term struggle for survival is defined as the situation where people fight to keep alive. They try to solve the problem and try to leave the poverty. They are the poorest of the poor who work very hard so that they can get something to eat and shelter to stay.
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CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter discusses the review of related literature. It consists of two
parts. The first part is theoretical description. The second part is theoretical framework. Theoretical description is divided into three parts; the first part is theoretical approach, the second part is review of Indian culture, and the third part is criticism. Then, review of Indian culture is divided into society and livelihood.
2.1. Theoretical Description
2.1.1 Theoretical Approach
Rohrberger and Woods (1977: 6-15) mention five critical approaches to analyze a literary work. Those critical approaches are formalist, biographical, sociocultural-historical approach, mythopoeic, and psychological approach. The formalist approach is concerned with demonstrating the harmonious involvement of all the parts to the whole by pointing out how meaning is derived from structure and how matters of technique determine structure. The biographical approach asserts the necessity for an appreciation of the ideas and personality of the author to an understanding of the literary work. The sociocultural-historical approach is used to explain the history that supports the author work. The sociocultural-historical approach asserts the sociocultural-historical background in which the literary work is created influences the literary object. Literature includes ideas significant to the culture that produce it. It is also necessary to investigate the social milieus in which a work is created. The mythopoeic approach is used to discover certain universally recurrent patterns of human thought. The last approach is the psychological
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approach. The psychological approach pays attention to the psychological situation in the novel in order to understand the character’s goal and intention.
In this study, the writer applies the socio-cultural approach because the writer wants to reveal the socio-cultural background of Hindu people in India before discussing the second problem. Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 1-9) state that literature is not created in an emptiness and that literature embodies ideas significant to the culture that produce it. The writer realizes that it is impossible to understand
the City of Joy novel in order to find the influence of karma on the poor people in
India without knowing the socio-cultural backgrounds of Indian especially Hindu people.
2.1.2. Review of Indian Culture
In this part the writer would like to explain the socio-cultural background of India. It is necessary to explain it so the readers can clearly understand the real condition and the culture of India in 1960s-1970s because those years are the setting of time of the novel. By knowing the real condition and the culture, it is hoped that the readers can imagine the situation in which there are so many people from villages who trapped in the cycle of poverty. The explanation of the Indian culture is going to be used to support analysis in chapter four. This chapter consists of two parts; the first part is society and livelihood.
2.1.2.1. Society
Society will divided into three parts; the first part is the religion, the second part is the people and the third part is the ways of life.
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2.1.2.1.1. The Religion
Crane (1971: 73) explains that religion plays a vital role in the India way of life. As a secular state, India’s constitution guarantees religious tolerance. India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. About 85% of the Indian were Hindus, 10% were Moslems, the next religious groups were Christians and Sikhs, and 1% was Jains and Buddhists. In the analysis later, the writer will focus on Hinduism. Hinduism is one of several things which causes India becomes one of the unique countries in the world.
Segal (1965: 15-16) states that Hinduism is a religion of vast contemporary devotion which never left India at all except in the blood of emigrant communities.
Hinduism is the flow of India’s life. The character of the bazaar, the division of rural labor, the government of village and state, no less than intricate formalities of birth and marriage and death, are all aspect of Hinduism. Hinduism conditions the relationship of the individual to his society, prescribing his multitude of rights and obligations; it qualifies his relationship to his wife, to his parents, to his children and to himself.
In this part, there are five parts that are explained. The first part is karma. The second part is dharma. The third part is reincarnation, and the forth part is release/moksha and the last part is caste system. The significance of these reviews (dharma, reincarnation, and release/mokhsa) is to support the analysis of karma. The meaning of dharma is a duty. Each person in Hinduism has its own duty. If he/she wants to get a good karma, he/she has to obey his/her duties. Someone who has done good deeds in his previous life will get a better life in the next reincarnation/rebirth.
Release or mokhsa is the aim of Hindus.
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2.1.2.1.1.1. Karma
According to Paul L. Reddit (1995: 474) the term karma does not appear in the Hindu scriptures. The word karma in a Sanskrit term refers to “action”, “deed” or “work”. It also means the result of one’s deeds and the law of consequences of human acts, or more generally as the chain of the causes and effects that connect deeds to each other. The law of karma also explains why there are phenomena as premature death, child prodigies, and difference of socio-economic status. Someone usually has different socio-economic status because karma determines the caste into which someone is born.
Lemaitre (1959: 73) explains that the idea of karma is the fundamental doctrine of Hinduism which follows the principle of causality that influences human destiny. According to him every act and thought produces their effect, either good or bad. Human has to face the consequences either in this life or in another. Punishment does not come immediately but human cannot avoid it. The sum of these effects causes the karma of each human being during the succession of his life. It is impossible to escape from the law of karma or retribution for actions. The present life of being is determined by the preceding one and the present life also determines the next. Based on those doctrines above, human being should think or do carefully.
Lemaitre (1959: 73) also explains that under the law of karma, the cruelty of suicide becomes obvious. Every human being is not allowed to reject his karma and suicide is a refusal to live whereas all the consequences of the previous actions have to be accepted. Karma can be stopped by extinguishing all human desires that cause
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new karma because new karma will cause rebirth. The law of karma also admits the idea of collective karma. The meaning of collective karma is one’s karma can affect others (a family, a people or any kind of human group).
According to Zaehner (1983: 4) Karma is action according to which any action is the effect of a cause and is its turn the cause of an effect. Zaehner also explains that karma is the technical term for a religious rite. According to Veda belief, every sacred act produces its appropriate result or fruit. The rite, with inevitability of the law of cause and effect, produces the result such as an abundance of sons or wealth, the destruction of an enemy or the joys of paradise. However, the rite which is incorrectly done will bring catastrophe. Karma means not only a sacrificial act but also an act in general. For instance, the appropriate acts for a Brahman are sacrifice and the study of the Veda, but the appropriate act for a is the waging of war, that of a vaisya are to cultivate the soil, to trade, and
kshatriya to make money, while the appropriate act for sudra is the service of the other caste.
Therefore, karma means the act appropriate to the four great classes and then action in general, “good” action and “bad” action. Since every action produces an effect or “Touit” in the temporal world, there will no end to the round of birth, death and rebirth unless the chain of cause and effect can be broken.
O’Flaherty (1980: 29) explains that there is a concept of the transfer of good and evil. This concept occurs throughout Indian texts on various levels of religious experience. The most significant transfers take place within the family (between husbands and wives, siblings, parents and children). The wife’s chastity is
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an integral part of her husband’s karma in which the chaste wife can release her husband from the sin.
2.1.2.1.1.2. Dharma
Ronald Segal (1965: 37) mentions that karma cannot be separated by
dharma . Karma and dharma (duty) are the twins’ essentials. Karma states if Hindus
are born in particular caste because of his deeds in the previous life, while dharma states that human should accept his condition without protesting. A man’s duty does not merely pursue his dharma or his duty but he must do his duty without desire or ambition. By the law of karma, every human being act has a positive or negative value.
Segal (1965: 19) also mentions that the doctrine of dharma or duty is one thing that makes the Indian refugee survive during the transition from village to city.
Since the essence of virtue and the hope of reward-either in a better birth after death, best of all, in a final state of union with God-lie in absolute acceptance of one’s condition and absolute obedience to the rules of conduct with that condition requires, poverty becomes a preparation and not despair.
While according to Lemaitre (1959: 76) dharma is the fundamental idea and closely linked with karma. Dharma is also equally important with karma. is a law of moral order, a law of a religious merit and also the pure notion of
Dharma
personal duty. By fulfilling dharma, the soul can omit karma and can be out from the endless round of rebirth and the law of causality. Each soul has its own individual and it is determined by race, caste, family and private aspirations. For
dharma instance, the Brahman has not the same dharma as the ksatriya.
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Dharma , according to Zimmer, (1958: 40-41) comprises the whole
contexts of religious and moral duties. Dharma shows the way of life of the people, the rituals and numerous social regulations of three upper castes, brahmana, ksatriya and vaisya. Brahman receives the highest place and honor in this system, not the king (ksatriya). Brahman is the one whom all society derives its order. The king (ksatriya) is the administrator of that order, while agriculturists and merchants (vaisya) supply the materials that “give embodiment to the form”. The ksatriyas commonly ask advices from brahman when they want to make a decision such as a ritual ceremony and war. The sudras are those who contribute the necessary physical labor. Indian society creates a caste system in order to give the rules for each class. Dharma is the doctrine of the duties and rights of each in ideal society, as such the mirror of all moral action.
Hiriyana (1956: 37) mentions that dharma is one of great importance in the history of Indian thought. Dharma is considered as the law to act. There are two classes of dharma which are explained by Hiriyana. The first class is described as common or general. This class defines the virtues like self-control, kindness and truth speaking which are equally obligatory on all. The second class is described as specific. Each caste in India (Brahman, Ksatriya, Vaisya and Sudra) has it own specific duties to perform. Everyone conducts his life correctly as long as he follows the rules of his caste.
Besides duties which are derived from an individual’s class and station, general duties are also incumbent on all moral beings. These include honesty, courage, service, faith, self-control, purity and non-violence (1993: 244). While Stern (1993: 56-57) points out that in varna dharma, dharma applies to society and its best
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meaning is “order”. In ideology of dharma, dharma applies to individuals and its best meaning is “duty”. The two meanings are related each other. When a society is properly ordered, people do their duty. When people do their duty, society is properly ordered. Social order lies in varna dharma, for Individual who refuses to do the duties, he will get the law of karma. Law of karma according to Stern is the core of Hinduism. Mahatma Gandhi called it as “impossible of evasion” or an “inexorable law”. “Whatever man sows, that’s shall he reap”, God does not determine our own fate: to make choice, to sow as we will.
2.1.2.1.1.3. Reincarnation
Another belief in Hinduism which cannot be separated from karma is reincarnation. Reincarnation is removal or rebirth of the soul, which is believed as a reality. Based on Lemaitre’s explanation (1959: 74) the law of karma automatically postulates the law of reincarnation as a necessity, because human being must pay the consequences of his actions. Lemaitre also explains that the life of an individual is only one in an unending sequence which has no end. Every human being will born in the next live to face the preceding karma as a human, an animal or as another creature depend on their karma. The chain of succeeding existences is known as
samsara . Human can stop samsara and can bring karma to an end by offering to the
godhead every action, thought and word, and individual desires and aspirations must disappear for ever in the face of the supreme Will.
While Robert W. Stern (1993: 57) claims that our gift from Him is the capacity to determine our fate. The result of man choice takes place after they have experienced the incident of death and in the incident of the next birth or in the final release of these incidents. What man sows in this lifetime, he will reap in the next.
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Brahman has sown badly will be born as someone whose caste lower than a brahman
and the sudra who has sown well will be reborn as more than a sudra. People who have sown perfectly well will not be reborn but will attain moksha.
2.1.2.1.1.4. Release / Mokhsa
is the liberation from the cycle of rebirth and re-death, oneness
Mokhsa