The Dharma Vahini is a collection of essays that were published in Swami's Newsletter Sanathana Sarathi.
It is the authentic Voice of the Divine that is setting right the moral codes and behavior of humanity.
Baba's Love and Wisdom knows no bounds, His Grace knows no obstacle. (From Preface of DV).
Dharna (Righteousness) is the ultimate law that keeps the universe in balance, keeps the body, the mind, your reasoning, society and everything in a state of perfect integration sot that you feel that you are existing as a total individual and do not feel that you are a mix-up of several parts heaped together in a confused manner.
We discussed the 8 spoke Dharma Wheel (from Buddhism) - Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration, Right Mindfulness. The Nobel, 8-fold, Path.
We discussed the definition of Dharma - "Nature, character, peculiar condition or essential quality". E.g. The Dharma of Sugar is to be sweet, of fire to be hot, of water to flow, and so on. What is your Dharma?
The Dharma of the individual soul (jiva) is to render service to the Supreme Soul. Remember the small soul (I) is connected to the big soul (He - the Divine).
Dharmo Rakshita Rakshatah - If you protect Dharma, Dharma will protection you - This is directly from the Taittiriya Upanishads - our holy texts.
So what does AtmaDharma teach us then? We must always ask - "Will what I want to do, bring me closer to God?"
Then we can always look at Bhagawan's life because he is the very personification of Atma - He says "Watch me closely, for my Life is my Message!"
So then What is Real Dharmic Action? - Any action that is in full harmony with your Atmic nature and which you do in accordance with your real self to receive real (Permanent) happiness.
The word Dharma is an ancient Sanskrit word that refers to your soul's purpose—the big reason why you are here," Sahara says. "And it's not just what you do, but how you do it, and why you do it. Your Dharma is NOT a career, or a project, or a certain role you play. It's the unique vibration that your soul carries to everything that you do and every way that you are.
Dharma
Dharma is a complex word with numerous meanings. At the most basic level, it means natural propensity, function, or property. For example, the Dharma of fire is to burn, that of water is to flow and of air is to be light and invisible. Everything that you see here has its own dharma. A warrior's Dharma is to fight and protect his people. A ruler's Dharma is to uphold the laws of the land. A philosopher's Dharma is to inquire into the nature of reality and find the truths of our existence.
Your Dharma may arise from your birth because of your genes or from your past lives because of your karma. Since dharma arises from the deepest core of your being, it is also equated with duty. Your duty depends upon your dharma, or your essential, inherent nature, quality, character or propensity. If your life and your dharma (duty) are in perfect alignment, you will be happy and peaceful.
Your Dharma has a deep connection with your faith. As your essential nature, so is your faith. If you are violent, you will choose violent paths. If you are compassionate, you will choose peaceful paths. The religious significance of dharma is that it enables you to reach into the deepest core of your consciousness and find truths about yourself, know yourself and be in harmony with yourself. From that awareness you may learn the importance of attaining liberation and returning to your source.
Everything in the universe abides by Dharma. God himself practices it. The beings of all worlds practice their own dharmas. Even animals practice their respective dharmas, without their knowing. So are all the objects in the universe. The world is stable because things and all natural phenomena act according to their dharma. Imagine if fire refuses to burn and water refuses to flow, or if the seasons do not follow their regular pattern.
So How can Dharma should be practiced in today's world?
Your Dharma is what comes to you naturally, or what you prefer to do for the rest of your life. It is your passion, which may manifest in you as your natural talent, ability, or skill. The best way to practice your dharma is to practice it selflessly, as a service to God or to humanity, or for the welfare of all those who matter to you. When you make your life useful to others, even to your loved ones, you manifest the highest and truest purpose of your dharma.
Your Dharma reveals itself to you through your deepest aspirations or through your core talents, skills, potentials and abilities. Therefore, to identify your dharma self-knowledge and self-awareness are very important. Pay close attention to your own thoughts and feelings, what you want to accomplish in life. See what comes to you naturally, what you are good at, what you love to do, what you want to be in life, and express that through your actions, dedication, and devotion.
Align yourself with your Dharma and let it manifest through you. When you follow your true dharma, you will be in alignment with yourself and experience peace and happiness. You will accomplish many great things, as you make better use of your inborn talents and abilities. You will have greater energy, optimism, and motivation, as you put your knowledge and other resources to effective use.
Dharma is relevant and important even in worldly life. The world exists because internally dharma guides everyone in the direction of their essential nature and helps them self-actualize their talents and potentials. Thus, whether you practice any religious faith or not, you are a follower of dharma if you live according to your nature and temperament and manifest your destiny in harmony with yourself. The world exists because everyone and everything follow dharma, not just those who worship God, go temples or practice spirituality. In truth, all that exists here is bound by its own dharma.
So then what are some of the things we can do (at any age) to discover our Dharma and fined tune it:
- Discover your dharma archetype
- Notice the mediums that come naturally to you
- Realize the obstacles you've overcome
- Pay attention to what excites you
- Find your superpower
Dharma is much more and much deeper than our Duty. Duty is just a part of it. Its our Soul connection. It is the way in which we do our duty. It is our nature and it is so much more....
Thanks to our children for helping us fine tune our own Dharma, in their own way, one step at a time. This is a very important reminder as we celebrate Mother's Day today and Father's day next month!
Jai Sai Ram!
How dharma should be practiced in today's world
Your dharma is what comes to you naturally, or what you prefer to do for the rest of your life. It is your passion, which may manifest in you as your natural talent, ability, or skill. The best way to practice your dharma is to practice it selflessly, as a service to God or to humanity, or for the welfare of all those who matter to you. When you make your life useful to others, even to your loved ones, you manifest the highest and truest purpose of your dharma.
Your dharma reveals itself to you through your deepest aspirations or through your core talents, skills, potentials and abilities. Therefore, to identify your dharma self-knowledge and self-awareness are very important. Pay close attention to your own thoughts and feelings, what you want to accomplish in life. See what comes to you naturally, what you are good at, what you love to do, what you want to be in life, and express that through your actions, dedication, and devotion.
Align yourself with your dharma and let it manifest through you. When you follow your true dharma, you will be in alignment with yourself and experience peace and happiness. You will accomplish many great things, as you make better use of your inborn talents and abilities. You will have greater energy, optimism, and motivation, as you put your knowledge and other resources to effective use.
Dharma is relevant and important even in worldly life. The world exists because internally dharma guides everyone in the direction of their essential nature and helps them self-actualize their talents and potentials. Thus, whether you practice any religious faith or not, you are a follower of dharma if you live according to your nature and temperament and manifest your destiny in harmony with yourself. The world exists because everyone and everything follow dharma, not just those who worship God, go temples or practice spirituality. In truth, all that exists here is bound by its own dharma.