DHARMA

 

By

Vimla S. Bhagat

 

The term dharma (Pali Dhamma) is one of those highly technical terms impossible to translate into English. With its varying meanings, depending on the place, time and environs of the people using it, it has acquired a significance as vast as the universe. To the Hindus, it includes rituals of the Vedic age and the traditions in the form of Dharma Shastras and Dharma Sutras of the later lawgivers like Manu and Yajnavalkya. The Jains regard it as the universal law of non-violence, essentially pure and eternally the same, based on the human principle of “Respect for life” in all form. The Buddhists take it as self-discipline founded on the “Doctrine of Rightness” for Buddha truly set in motion the wheel of the cosmic law of rightness” for Buddha truly set in motion the wheel of the cosmic law of rightness that led to Nirvana (a sublime state of conscious rest in Omniscience). “Love” is the central theme in the teachings of Jesus: thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind…. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Islam, as the name indicates, stands for “peace” born of faith in the unity of God – peace with God through complete surrender and resignation to his will, and peace with men as children of one God, making all mankind one. Nanak laid great stress on true living: truth is higher than everything but higher still is true living, that is, living truly by the will of God already wrought in the pattern of our being.

 

Dharma is thus a compendium of ritualistic activities and ethical obligations, as well as ideals and higher values of life, as conceived from time to time for the well-being of mankind, with the reference to the different walks and stages of life. It is a socio-religious code of moral conduct which aims at securing for man peace, power, plenty and prosperity here on earth and in the afterlife. In its all embracing aspect, it is the law that enriches human life to fullness, making it perfect as our “heavenly father is perfect”, and aiming at the entire transmutation of man into God (sat-chit-anand, or all existence, consciousness and bliss).

 

From this, it becomes abundantly clear that real dharma is not something static, fixed and rigid, settled down and rusting away under its own dead weight. On the contrary, it is essentially a dynamic force and fiery energy that keeps moving from age to age, from time to time and field to field, upholding both the individual and society generally and in special circumstances, through all of life. It is the great cementing factor and controlling power that holds together and energizes the various jarring elements in man and society; not mention the beasts and birds below and the stars and gods above. Nobody can live without it.

 

THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUTER DHARMA

 

For the origin of the outer dharma, we have to go back to the pre-historic past. With the first flicker of awakening in man, there arose in him a  desire to evolve principles which would make human existence smooth and worthwhile and finally profitable. It was part of the natural instinct for self-preservation and survival of the human race.

 

In course of time, the origin nebulous idea evolved into what came to be known as varn-ashram dharma, which ordained specific duties and obligations for different classes of people in the different social order (Which originally was divided according to varna or color), and for the different ashramas or stages in life of an individual. Thus it had a two-fold object: the amelioration and uplift of society and of man at the same time.

 

To preserve the supremacy of the their status and to keep the gains of conquest, the early Aryans conquerors of India regarded themselves as superior beings, the favorite of the gods. Why else would the gods give them new lands with rich soil, and fresh pastures, of such inestimable value to them? This is why they came to attach great importance to the blue blood in their veins and the fair complexion they possessed, considering themselves, like their contemporaries the Israelites, as the chosen people conducted to a land overflowing with milk and honey. Thus varna dharma or a social order based on color came into being, with the fair-colored Aryans exercising superiority over the dark-complected natives. Intermarriage and intercourse between the two was forbidden, so as to keep the purity of their blood intact and continue the grounds on which they based their claim to supremacy.

 

With the passage of time, the rigidity of the strict Aryan varna dharma softened and the color bar gradually began to give way under the pressure of circumstances; with the result that all the fair-colored northerners became dissolved into the mainstream of the new society, adopting one uniform mode of life for both classes. In order to meet the growing needs of the complex new social order emerging from the fusion of races, it was felt necessary to draw up some sort of division of work in the society, so that each of its natural division could effectively and efficiently take up work within their area of competence. The work was divided four ways: (1) the learning of the sacred lore (Brahm-vidya), teaching and officiating as priests at secular as well as religious ceremonies; (2) the government and defense of the country, with special knowledge in the sciences of Rajniti (statecraft) and armament and ordanance (shaster-vidya); (3) the economic development of the country, including trade and commerce, agriculture, industry, etc., aimed at production and distribution of wealth (arthashastra). In this way the bulk of the people were divided into (1) Brahmins, (2) kshatriyas, and (3)Vaishyas (4) Those people who could not reasonably be fitted into the above scheme were employed as laborers and servants of the upper three classes and formed a separate class of servers or sudras. Each of the classes then had their own code of conduct or class dharma (svadharm).

 

Within this broad-based division of varna dharma, there grew up the complex Jati-vayastha or caste system on the pattern of trade-guilds: iron-smiths, carpenters, potters, etc. These became hereditary, and the children served as apprentices with their fathers and naturally became proficient. Each of these guilds formulated rules for the conduct of its trade or profession and for regulating family relationships.

 

Down in the scale of the social order came the individual, the unit in society, who had his own svadharm or personal duties at different periods ( called ashrams ) of his life. He was supposed to pass through four such stages within the ultimate objective of becoming one undivided whole, an integrated being, complete in himself, a fully developed man. These stages or ashrams were: (1) Brahmcharya, the stage of a chaste student living with a teacher); (2) Grehasth, the stage of a householder, bring up children in holy wedlock, supporting his family, and serving not only his family members but persons in other stages – students, renunciates, etc. – for they too depended on him for their maintenances. This Gheshasth ashram or the householder stage was the pivot round which the entire economic well-being of the society as a whole revolved; (3) Vanprasth, a period of retirement from the world, with the householder leaving his family and friends and all worldly ties and possessions, and retiring to some forest retreat or cave. Here he would spend his time in meditation on his self and God, and put into practice what he had learned as brahmchari. (4) Last of all came the stage of sanyas ashram, in which the individual, renouncing all, wandered from place to place disseminating the wisdom he had gained in his personal, experimental, quest for Truth. Now, a true sanyasin, he shared his truth and knowledge with others. In this way each individual was supposed to end his days on earth, happily and consciously doing his duty to himself and to society. The life of such a one was lived in dharma from birth to death.

 

THE ESOTERIC OR INNER DHARMA

“Dharma,” says Nanak, “is born of the grace of God and is the proverbial bull (in Hindu mythology) that is harmoniously sustaining the creation.” Etymologically, the term dharma is derived from the Sanskrit root dhr, meaning to hold, bear, support, maintain and preserve. In the metaphysical sense, dharma is the cosmic Law that sustains, controls, and upholds the universe; and in the physical sense, it works for the general good of each individual soul, leading him on the path of morality toward salvation or freedom from the endless cycle of births and deaths. These are just two aspects of the same life-force or Spirit and power of God that works both in individuals and in nature. Samuel taylor coleridge has given expression to this grand truth: O! the one life within us and abroad,/ which meets all motion and becomes its soul, / A light in sound, a sound-like power in light,/ Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere.

 

Looked at from the angle, dharma is quite distinct from and far above the institutionalized religious and social beliefs and faiths, which are based on feelings, emotions and inferences. The outer dharma does serve a very useful purpose, which cannot be denied. It keeps the various social orders from sliding into corruption, and shows us the elementary but necessary steps on the God-way, providing us with a basis for the life of the spirit.

 

The spirit and power of God is the dharma of God. God in his own dharma created man in His own image and endowed him with His own life-breath. The entire universe is but a manifestation of the will of God which is ceaselessly working to fulfill His purpose and plan. The different religious are the outcome of human endeavors to find the secret of the life-principle in all that is. The founders of all the religions did, in varying degrees, get an insight into his mysterious power and recorded their experiences for our guidance. So long as they lived, they gave individual souls practical contact with the saving lifelines within ( the dharma of God or the holy word).

 

The religious dogmas and doctrines contained in the scriptural texts are often elaborated commentaries on the truths revealed by God to sages and seers; who in their turn gave a practical demonstration of Evam Brahm ( this is Brahm) to their close associates and disciples. God in spirit and can only be worshipped in spirit. The self in man is also of the spirit of God: we live, move and have our very being in God and His dharma within and without us.

 

Dharma born of the grace of God is essentially divine, while the religious or outer dharma are but offshoots spreading from the great wish-yielding tree (kalp-briksh) or real dharma. They are built round one or another aspect of eternal dharma and are but imperfect attempts to limit the Limitless in the language of the people. The Word of the Wordless cannot be expressed in words. His law is unwritten and His language unspoken. This is an transcendental dharma, though at the same time it is all-pervasive and all-permeating. The divine ground provided by dharma is the only firm ground provided by dharma is the only firm ground on which our lives can be build and come to fruition, so that we may truly become dharma-putra ( the son of dharma) and dharma-atma (a soul ingrained in dharma). It is only on getting the second birth, the birth of the spirit (duai-janma) that one becomes truly begotten of God.

 

The dharma of God is not only inherent in life, it is life. Being and Becoming are but two different states of one Reality. The spirit and power of God can no more be separated from God and than the rays of the sun from the sun. The sun may be momentarily darkened by the clouds, but it cannot be hid forever; and clouds cannot help reflecting the silver lining around their periphery.

 

This transcendental dharma is the primordial expression of God in the form of sound and light ( the audible life stream). As it is the oldest of all, since time itself owes its origin to it, it is known as puratan dharma. The yuga dharma or dharma of the ages came into being in time and pertains only to the specific time cycle it relates to. Again, as the transcendental dharma is essentially pure and eternally the same with no variableness, it is called sanatan-dharma, meaning the eternal and unchangeable in nature. And closely associated with this is manav-dharma, of which we have had glimpses above, for the guidance of man as man, as taught by the prophets of the various religions. Manav-dharma is built around one or another attributes of Godhead, so that the common man may live in peace and concord and lead a healthy-minded, harmonious life until such a time that theocentric Saints or perfect Master rooted in Truth (sant satguru) comes on the scene to impart practical training in the inner path.

 

Manav-dharma itself has two phases corresponding to the dual nature of man; the sensuous self and the rational self, each contending for mastery. Man in relation to society is just a unit; but in relation to society is just a unit; but his relation to God is through his divine center. The first imparts of Manav-dharma tries to humanize the animal in man and the second part tries to divinize the human in man. The first part of the process consists of the moral precepts as found in all scriptures. These are sometimes given negatively, as Moses did in the Ten commandments, with the emphasis on “Thou shat no” this is or that; sometimes positively as done by Christ in his beatitudes. Patanjali, the reputed author or the Yoga sutras paid equal attention, in his exposition of Ashtang Yoga, to both methods by separately listing yamas (prohibitions) on one hand and niyamas (observance on the other. It is after successfully passing through these strict disciplines that one becomes qualified to undertake the higher path, the path Godward – the transcendental dharma.

 

There is no religion higher than truth, and if it is understood and practiced one can have the kingdom of God right here on earth. All that one needs to practice is the presence of the living God within. The kingdom of God cometh not by observation. . . . for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And once this is realized and experienced in the holy mountain of God – the mount of transfiguration in the body – the entire outlook is changed. The very world which now appears to be bristling with imperfections and contradictions will put on a divine mantle and appear as the veritable abode of God, with Him dwelling therein.

 

The inner perceptual knowledge needs no other proof. Seeing is believing; and belief brings conviction (awakened Consciousness ) and conviction brings faith (reliance and trust founded on personal authority) which no sensuous storms can shake. “True knowledge is an action of the soul independent of the senses.” The reality or real life is seen to the fully only when one rises above the Consciousness of the body and all the bodily adjuncts. The experience of truth, or true dharma, comes only “when the senses are subdued, the mind is at rest and the intellect wavers not,” say the sacred texts. In a poetic vein, Milton asserts: The divine philosophy is musical as Apollo’s lute,/ and a perpetual feasts of nectared sweet. This is learning real dharma at its roots. Another poet, wordsworth, speaks of it: It is an ever active principle; however removed/ from senses and observation. It is a direct experience of the knowledge of God, “ by knowing which all else becomes known and nothing remains to be know,” affirm the Upanishads. “Whosoever has found himself, can never again lose anything in the world. He who has grasped the human in himself, understands all mankind” – stefang Zewig. All this and much more comes easily within reach, when one, by transhumanizing the human in him, truly becomes a living spirit, for in truth it is the spirit which alone proceeds Godwards. “it is by the practice of God that one comes closer to dharma ( the will of God),” says Nanak.

 

Before closing, it may be worthwhile to consider dharma in relation to Karma, another extremely subtle term. By the compulsive force of the actions set in motion in the distant past, long since forgotten, we are being influenced in the living present. The law of karma – “as you sow, so shall you reap” – is inexorable in its operation and keeps every creature in its iron grip. The wheel of life remains in perpetual motion because of the karmic momentum; and under its influence some are born high, some low, some rich and some poor, and everyone has to work out his destiny, whatever it may be. But it is neither birth nor caste nor vocation that determines the man and his intrinsic worth. It is given to man to be able to rise above the magnetic field of karma and contact the dharma, the liberating Power of God. As Karma binds the jiva or embodied soul, dharma liberates. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” is the cosmic law of the transcendental dharma. “To know the true God truly” is the real and true dharma, the acme of perfection and the goal of life. And, the highest religion is to rise to universal brotherhood,/Aye, to consider all creatures your equals, affirms Nanak. Dharma is truth and truth is dharma: dharma is inherent in truth and truth works through dharma. When one rightly practices dharma while living on the earth plane, one becomes a Jivan-mukta or self-fulfilled and self-illumined being, eternally free.