Problem of evil in Hinduism
Hindu answers to the problem of evil are very different from most answers offered in Western philosophy, partly because the problem of evil within Hindu thought is differently structured in the two traditions.
In the Western tradition, the problem of evil is essentially bound up with the concept of a maximally perfect creator — an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent being who freely created the world. Even when Hindu religious thought speaks of an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent creator, it does so against the background of the laws of karma — laws within which god creates the world.
For Hindu philosophers, the problem of evil is primarily a matter of accounting for the presence in the world of pāpa (moral evil) and dukkha (pain and suffering). The Brahma Sutras, in particular, describe this problem. There is also, however, the problem of unfairness; that is, human beings are born unequal in many ways (health, strength, family status and wealth, culture, and so on).
The notions of karma and reincarnation are possible explanations. Shri Madhvacharya, with his doctrine of five-fold differences (Panca Bheda), has attempted to explain the problem of evil with the help of the Veda and the Bhagavad Gita.
External links
- The Problem of Evil — Swami Prabhavavananda and Christopher Isherwood
Sources
- Mohanty, J.N. Classical Indian Philosophy. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000. ISBN 0-8476-8933-6