Hence both Hinduism and Buddhism accepted the idea of “dharma” as a kind of natural law in the universe. This has ethical implications, since how we conduct our lives depends on how we define Dharma.
Hinduism and Buddhism had somewhat different conceptions of the underlying nature of Dharma.
In practical terms, Hindu Dharma meant adherence to the social order of caste roles. Buddhist Dharma taught that one must ultimately transcend these statuses in life in order to perceive a reality beyond everyday mental constructs. Today we will look at the ethical implications of Hindu Dharma in everyday life.
In classical brahmanical (Hindu) thinking, all beings are endowed with varying levels of purity and karma. According to this ideology, higher levels of these qualities mean rebirth in a higher position in life, with the Brahmin caste occupying the highest position, as reflected in the inherent purity of Brahmins.