What is the basis for saying that the mode of goodness is right?

From Trivikrama Pr:

Some people say that the mode of goodness is just one way of classification and it is also subjective, not authoritative that it is the best way of living. How do we respond?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Question from Trivikram Prabhu.
Some people say that how do you know that mode of goodness is right? Mode of goodness is just your own way of conceptualizing things and it may be wrong. Answer, yes. There can be many ways of conceptualizing things.
Still, there is something which is called a universal moral sense. Although different people may have different conceptions of morality, people almost everywhere with some basic level of morality will agree that, say, for example, child abuse is wrong. Rape is wrong.
Stealing is wrong. Now, it’s one thing whether people because of their desires, they may want to do it. But as far as understanding that it is wrong, very few people will disagree with this.
It is wrong. They will not disagree with that. So, there is this concept of a universal moral sense which people have and even people who may not follow it, admit.
You shouldn’t have spoken like that. Even atheists will speak like this. You shouldn’t speak like that.
Now, what is the basis for saying that you shouldn’t speak like that? It is that there is some way of speaking and this is not the problem. So, there is a standard, some standard, although it may not be clearly defined like a scientific equation or a mathematical formulation, but there is an understanding that there is some right way of doing things and there are some things which are just not right. So, with this background, now if we look at the characteristics that describe the mode of goodness.
Now, put aside the activity. Some people may not feel that meditating is wrong or gambling or intoxication is wrong. But if we look not at the activities but at the qualities.
For example, Krishna says in 14.11 he describes that when all the senses are illumined with knowledge. So, if you look at the characteristics of the mode of goodness, there is calmness, there is considerateness, sensitivity, warmth, wisdom, then long-term perception. These qualities which are described in the 14th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, later on 17th, 18th chapter also and in the Uddhava Gita also in the 11th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
These are qualities which in general people will appreciate. So, it is not necessary that every perception in the mode of goodness has to be right. Because in some cases, the mode of goodness may not be the best way of functioning.
For example, Yudhishthir Maharaj, he is not wanting to fight, you could say in the mode of goodness. But Krishna or Karjuna is not wanting to fight in the mode of goodness. But Krishna doesn’t want to fight.
So, you could say that is passion, for a Kshatriya to fight is passion, for a devotee to fight is transcendence. So, it could be that mode of goodness is not always right also. Certain situations may require a lower or a higher mode for effective functioning.
But in general, this categorization is something which resonates with a broad moral sense that a cross section of humanity will agree with. And overall, it is not that we try to quantify the mode of goodness and then try to situate ourselves in it. We, even people who don’t know about the concept of mode of goodness, they will also try to think clearly and act according to thinking.
So, even without knowing, they are acting according to the mode of goodness. So, as Shakespeare says, a rose will smell as sweet even if called by any other name. Similarly, the thinking and acting with discrimination will benefit people whether they know that they are acting according to the mode of goodness or not.
So, in that sense, the nomenclature and the conceptualization may seem to be sectarian, may seem to have come from the Vedic wisdom tradition, Bhagavad Gita and other books. But the basic concept, the conceptualization means giving a name to a concept and analyzing it. So, that may be done in the Vedic literature.
But the basic concept is something which is resonant with the broad experience of the thoughtful members of humanity. So, in that sense, the answer would be that goodness resonates with universal moral sense. And irrespective of the nomenclature, the basic concept is common and is accepted by thoughtful people in the broad, across humanity.