Sin begins in the realm of consciousness. When we are young we are taught by our
guardians that which is "right" from that which is "wrong". We grow up with the understanding
that stealing our playmate's toys or hitting our grandparents is wrong and therefore, a sin. As we
mature the concept of sin begins to change; it is no longer quite so easy to define or to explain
and its repercussions become much more severe than a grounding. Sin is a malicious act,
intent-full, deliberate and harmful. An act is considered sinful when, though the perpetrator may
gain some form of momentary satisfaction, the action inflicts harm to someone or something else.
In reference to Hinduism, a sin is an immoral act; It is ungodly or unethical. The concept
of ahimsa (to do or cause no harm) to a Hindu is very sacred and from childhood he is taught to
respect and abide by this ideal. Therefore, any step towards dishonoring this paragon is a sin.
The story of Svetaketu Aruneya offers a subtle definition of sin. The boy was so proud of himself
for having learned the Vedas that his high opinion's of himself stood in the way of his most
important lesson and understanding; that of faith. Here, Svetaketu's ego served as a maya and
kept him from realizing moksha. Since it is the Hindu's ultimate goal to achieve moksha, all
In a Hindu's life there are different stages which he must pass through before he reaches
the end of his life. Each stage is representative of different levels of learning, understanding and
growth. Though sin (or rather its potential) is prevalent throughout the four stages, forgiveness
becomes an extremely important factor towards reaching moksha. Forgiveness, for the Hindus,
begins with self realization that one has sinned. Without this
realization, forgiveness cannot begin.
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