http://iksvakave.wordpress.com/2012/...eps-to-dharma/
Is Dharma telling someone what “their” Dharma is? Example what he or she should be donating/doing and not doing?
Does “Dharma” only apply to rich people? or people of class?
What exactly is Dharma for poor people?
Is Dharma what I decide is righteous? How I spend my time towards that cause?
What exactly is the Dharmic principal? Is it doing what is right? Following the “right conduct” Doing what is just? or Is it doing your duty?
I am little wary about speaking about Dharma. However, this is what word Dharma means to me.
Dharma is:
1. It is doing what is right/just. It is the code of right conduct.
2. It is doing your duty to your family.
3. It is doing your duty for the society.
4. It is doing your duty with purpose, understanding karma.
5. It is following the principles of right conduct (Dharma) — a way of life or the “norms.”
6. It is upholding Dharma — The principles of justice and fairness.
7. One also cannot be selfish in their motives.
1. Doing what is right and just and following the right code of conduct.
What does that look like? It is following the right conduct by doing what is right. One cannot mistreat a person based on caste, creed and status. That is not “right” in terms of Dharma. One cannot mistreat a person for their obstacles in life. That is is not Dharma. One cannot be involved in scandalous behavior and participate in activities that are not right for the mind and body. All of these behaviors promote adharma. All these Adhering to the right behaviors, character and thinking, that is Dharma.
2. It is doing your duty to your family.
How do you uphold your duty to your family. How do you do that? By taking responsiblity. Do you uphold the duty for your immediate family (wife and kids) or do you uphold the dharma to your parents? If you are man in my culture you have to do both. Your duty/responsiblity might be to your immediate family, but you do your dharma for the family you came from. What is the difference? Dharma for family lies in upholding ones family.
3. It is doing your duty for the society.
Helping the poor, volunteering, and donating food is ones Dharma. It is done for the common good of the society. It is done because it is the right action to do. Does one’s place in society define their duty for society? In some instances yes but it does not always have to be that way. One can do their duty through volunteer work and anyone can contribute by simply giving back. It is dharma of an educated person in society. It is also your underlining purpose for the good of yourself, that will shape your buddhi, bhakti and siddhi and “perhaps” karma.
4. It is doing your duty with purpose and understanding karma.
Dharma is not a spiritual progression like karma, Jna, Bhakti, siddhi and buddhi. Dharma is purpose driven. Each individual has a purpose, should see their life with purpose. A life that does uphold or take responsiblity for themselves and their body and their behaviors will eventually face that karma. For a person to be in the spiritual progression they need to do their duty.
Too often I see people with Bhagavad Gita for spirituality when their lives are stagnant. They are ready to discuss it. However, they are not doing the dharma they are meant to do or they are avoiding their “real” responsibilities. In my opinion, Gita takes you through the spiritual progression, the people who truly understand the depth of it are the ones who have gone the spiritual progression of Bhakti (adhering to god), buddhi (using the “right” side of your mind), siddhi (finding perfection in what to you do, a skill or a duty) and sadhana (rigorous practice of a skill). One cannot avoid dharma. Dharma is essentially action. One has to make those purpose driven choices. One must work hard to understand Dharma. Does it shape their karma? It could “perhaps” shape karma but it is Jna (the supreme most spiritual progression) that is the aim of Dharma, and it is what eventually also decides one evolution of consciousness and destiny.
5. It is following the principles of right conduct (Dharma) — a way of life or the “norms.”
Dharma is upholding the religious, cultural values and a way of life. When you don’t follow the norms of a culture a Hindu way of life, or Dharmic way of life, you cannot uphold those values. Is education only good for buying luxuries and living a comfortable life? What good is education that we value so much when people cannot uphold the religious principles and it’s Dharma. Dharma comes from walking on the ground. Even in Ramayan, the princes had plough the ground, and went begging for food. I am not saying, that is what is what needs to happens, but it is important to see and honor the surface, the ground that you walk on to understand Dharma. An educated way of life is not necessarily “THE” way of life with necessities and luxuries. For a Hindu, that education lost it’s purpose. If knowledge is Jna the ultimate spiritual progression, where does that Jna come from? It comes from understanding the norms of people way of life and people’s places in society. It is the understanding of places of people in society and why those norms are there and why people adhere to that religion or norms — essentially to see the surface you walk on.
6. It is upholding Dharma — The principles of fairness and justice.
Dharma is Just. It is right. It is not necessarily what is “correct” according to law or rules. It is just because it follows the right rules of conduct or behavior. How can one follow the right rules of conduct or behavior? You hold the principal of fairness and justice by speaking the truth and thinking truth (using your consciousness). What ones does with their consciousness is very different from what one does with their mind. In Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna had to uphold dharma, for himself, for his family and for the country. What is done wrongfully in other’s part, Dharma has to stand up for it. Dharma is not a coward. Dharma does not happen behind the scenes. One goes beyond duty to uphold the Dharma — principles of justice. It happens in action. It is seen in action, done in action. It is more than a duty/responsibility, it is UPHOLDING it. How else can one uphold the principles of a country if not for standing up for that country’s Dharma and principles of justice? When I think of the words “upholding the dharma” I think of the verse yada yada hi dharmasya (4.7). God says, where there is adharma (injustice), mistreatment (a.k.a), I shall come again and again to rise for justice. One verse, the verse, I love.
Why? —– How many remember that I wrote, yada yada hi adharmasya? That is why.
7. In Dharma one cannot be selfish in their motives.
To uphold a religious principle like Dharma one cannot be selfish or self-centered. Dharma does not work that way. There is no I, and Dharma is not self centeredness or selfish behavior. Motives for your own good/benefit is not Dharma. Dharma is dependent on I to perform action but it is not to show independence. Dharma is done for the good of oneself, for people and society. There is a difference between Dharma done in good for oneself and Dharma that is done for your own good, motive, benefit. Dharma that is not selfish in its motive is the duty we do for ourselves, our committment in marriage, and too often a Hindu way of life. Dharma, also lies in the sacrifices we make.
In essence, however you look at Dharma, it stands for doing what is right.
Iksvakave
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