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Thread: Swadharma

  1. #1
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    Swadharma

    Namaste,

    Please do share in this thread any interesting write-ups from the Web on the topic of Swadharma (as well as your own thoughts, observations, examples)...

    It seems to me that by Swadharma, we mean "Once someone has chosen a particular dharma for himself, the ability to remain truthful to his pursuit defines Swadharma". To explain, when one chooses to be a king, then he should be ready to fight and give up his life for the sake of his people. He/she need not do so if he is a "vaishya" - a businessman.

    I'm given to the above thought because by Swadharma these days, we mean someone's desires alone being the reason for choosing a particular line of work and way of living. The varnashrama does not define one's swadharma these days... So anybody can basically choose to do anything. If anybody can basically do anything he or she likes, then there is no point in arguing that one should do one's own duties even imperfectly rather than doing "someone else's" perfectly.

    Any thoughts....?

    Pranam.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  2. #2

    Re: Swadharma

    Namaste Viraja ji

    The Sruti says that all are the one Omnipresent Atman. It is this One Atman who chooses to manifest himself in this world͵ in various forms.
    To my knowledge͵ Swadharma is͵ our duty to manifest / contribute to the world by means of the special skills/talents we are born with. In astrology the nature of planets͵ if any͵ strongly placed in Kendras͵ point out the Dharma ordained for a person.

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    Re: Swadharma

    Namaste Viraja-ji

    Hari Om

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    Please do share in this thread any interesting write-ups from the Web on the topic of Swadharma (as well as your own thoughts, observations, examples)...

    IMHO Swadharma is the inherent purpose for which HE has created you. For example if you are inherently a loving & kind person, you will radiate love & kindness in whichever situation life may place you. An example that comes to my mind is one of my close relatives who cannot control himself if he sees something not working - he instinctively is driven to get this thing repaired. Out here, this relative acts in a similar way irrespective of whether there is a social appreciation or not. If you were to ask him what he gets out of this act - he simply says "joy".

    Om Namah Shivay

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    Re: Swadharma

    Thank you, harih and surrenderindailylife.

    @Surrender - how do we find out what is it that god has created us for? Any guidelines which determines this?
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: Swadharma

    Namaste Viraja

    Hari Om

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post

    @Surrender - how do we find out what is it that god has created us for? Any guidelines which determines this?

    IMHO, All actions of ours that give us pure joy feeling irrespective of what others have to say about it can fall in this category. Such actions we do because we somewhere connect with the spirit of that action and are sort of indifferent to how society would interpret our actions. "Feeling Joy Within" is the keyword here. In the example that I quoted, this relative of mine is not really bothered whether others have any good or bad word for him .. He just cannot control himself when he sees something not working properly.

    By witnessing our thoughts & emotions, we can identify those actions that bring about a joyous feeling in ourselves. Such actions we just do for the joy of doing - these are our 'swadharma' in my view.


    Om Namah Shivay
    Last edited by surrenderindailylife; 27 June 2015 at 12:36 PM. Reason: spelling

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    Re: Swadharma

    Very nice topic. I will try to clear the concept of Swadharm from whatever I know.

    Swadharm, as many discussed above, is correct from relative point of view i.e., when you are part of the world and are assigned duties or responsibilites, be it any, then fulfilling it means you are fulfilling swadharm. Whether you do it intentionally or unintentionally, if it is fulfilled/achieved, it will mean that one has attained swadharm externally or according to bahya-avashtha (external circumstances).

    In real reference of spirituality, swadharm means something entirely different.

    Swadharm: Swa means Self or Atma
    Dharm means religion

    The dharm of Atma is called swadharm. What is dharm of Atma- to know, to see and to be in permanent bliss. This is the real swadharm and the above paragraph show the relative swadharm. The real swadharm is difficult to obtain. It can be attained only after Atma Sakshaatkaar or self realization. Atma or soul has never left its Gunadharm or elemental state.

    Atma inside every being is in it swadharm. So, who needs to atain swadharm? It is the inner elements of antahkaran (mind, intellect, chitta, ego) that needs to go back in its swadharm. When the antahkaran comes back in its own dharm i.e., ego gets destroyed, the swadharm of soul starts reflecting and is experienced by human. In the nutshell, being one with Atma means being in Swadharm.

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    Re: Swadharma

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    Quote Originally Posted by follower12;125492

    Swadharm: [B
    Swa[/B] means Self or Atma
    Dharm means religion

    Please consider the following... this is only an adjunct to the overall conversation and my offer is just to (hopefully) round out the discussion.

    When we look at dharma, it is rooted in dhṛ , defined as 'to uphold, balance; to upkeep, preserve; maintain' . So the core of dharma is that which upholds, brings balance, maintains and preserves.
    Some ~religions~ may do this, others may not. Yet if the religion is aligned perfectly to its meaning then its intent, from the Latin point of view, is 'religio' ; others say it is for 'religare', a verb meaning 'to fasten or bind' or ' to bind one fast'. But to what? Some say to bind one to the Supreme, others say to bind one to the scriptures, etc.

    So, my point ? Some religions may be dharmic but not by default.

    Back to dharma and
    dhṛ . What then are we upholding and balancing ? The evolution of one's nature to be in alignment with natural law. And what is this 'natural law' ?
    It is how the universe is governed. All things coming at the right time, place, in the proper amounts that support and sustain ( dhṛ ). But yajvan, you didn't finish the sentence: Support and sustain what ? Everything. This is how profound dharma is... it is able to ~properly~ balance the 3
    guṇa-s in a life supporting manner for the individual, society and the world.

    What then will svadharma mean? If one is perfectly balanced then one is possessed and maintained by SELF ( Being, pure awareness). Then every action is right action.
    Every
    action supports the total society, the world, while one is in balance, possessed of SELF.

    iti śivaṁ
    Last edited by yajvan; 29 February 2016 at 06:08 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: Swadharma

    Hi I think swadharma is determined by birth. Otherwise there will be confusion or personal bias like you have said. But this is just my opinion and there is already a lot of confusion over this matter. Also I feel that varnashrama is redundant today.

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    Re: Swadharma

    Thanks Yajvan ji. I wouldn't say I understood you perfectly. Your answer seems to suggest that if one achieves internal balance, then all actions done by him become promoters of dharma, and hence bcomes his 'swadharma'. But what to those commoners who are not balanced, is there a swadharma for them? Like something they ought to follow rather than something they choose to follow...?
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: Swadharma

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté


    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    Thanks Yajvan ji. I wouldn't say I understood you perfectly. Your answer seems to suggest that if one achieves internal balance, then all actions done by him become promoters of dharma, and hence bcomes his 'swadharma'. But what to those commoners who are not balanced, is there a swadharma for them? Like something they ought to follow rather than something they choose to follow...?
    Here is the point-of-view offered. Perfectly balanced at all times is being established in one's own SELF, one's Being. When this perfect balance is part of one's daily life then
    all actions are universal in nature. That is, they have the support of all the laws of nature. Now here is the part which gives many a bit of a brain cramp.
    You mention 'then all actions done by him' ... Let's stop there. All actions are then recognized as being done by nature. The notion of 'him' no longer involves actions.
    This person now associates his total identity as SELF. The world of 'him' as being the baker, manager, banker, bus driver, teacher, student, husband, etc. are things
    that are managed now all by nature.

    But where is there support for this view? It is verified within the
    bhāgavad gītā . It tells us in every case all actions are done by the 3 guna-s. Since SELF
    is outside, beyond, the 3 guna's it watches these actions go on. It is not tangled in the rise-and-fall of actions. See the point? 'Him' is within the world and influence
    of the 3 guna-s. They work within themselves. We get out of the way of them and allow them to flow and work freely. We then associate ourselves with our SELF.
    That is the point.

    A bit more... I mention we '
    associate ourselves with our SELF'. That is, our self has risen to its real status of SELF. Note there is not two Selves, there is one.
    The one we ( and most all) live is the limited self. Bound by limits of time, location, birth and death, needs and wants. That self is just a sliver/slice of the
    total Self that is us in full blossom. The limited self is bound within the 3 guna-s; the unbounded/unlimited SELF is without the 3 guna-s, untouched.

    If you do not 'get it' as many do not, no worries. It takes a little time and repetition and thinking it though to get this clearly situated in one's comprehension.
    What is needed? Patience, persistence, practice.

    iti śivaṁ

    Last edited by yajvan; 03 March 2016 at 11:21 AM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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