Dharma Point of View

Introduction

Every person leads a life irrespective of the civilization he belongs to. But every civilization has a characteristic way of living (jeevan shaili), which, as per that civilization’s convictions, is superior to the way other civilizations live. And the basis of this “characteristic way of living” are the perspectives of life (jeevan dristi) that the civilization is founded upon. And underlying the way of living and the perspectives of life are the perspectives about the world (vishwa dristhi (विश्व दृष्टी ) or tattvajnana (तत्त्वज्ञान)) that the civilization is founded upon and these include its world view of all moving (char) and non-moving (achar) entities, as well as its view of creation overall. The world view and perspectives toward life held by the civilization tend to influence an individual’s relationships with other entities, which include all moving (char) and non-moving (achar) entities.

In order to ensure that life continues in alignment with its world view and perspectives about life, the civilization gives birth to certain structures that are mutually supplementary as well as complementary. These structures, in conjunction with the vishwa dristi (which includes jeevan dristi and jeevan shaili) constitute the paradigm (pratiman) characterizing the civilization. The pratiman that leads to integrity within and without the civilization, that produces synthesis and harmony within each entity and structure, whether it be the individual, the family, the society, a region (demarcated by boundaries) or the entire cosmos, can be understood to be dharma [dharyate iti dharma]. Hereafter, we will refer to such a pratiman or paradigm as dharmic paradigm. In the rest of this article, we present:

1. Some basic elements of the dharmic paradigm (dharmik tattvajnana or dharmik pratiman)
2. Some elements of the dharmik perspective of life (dharmik jeevan dristi) that are based on such a dharmic paradigm.
3. Some elements of the dharmik codes of conduct that (dharmik vyavahar sutra) that are aligned with such a dharmik perspective of life.
4. Some elements of the dharmik structures (dharmik vyavastha) that are meant to support and facilitate the dharmik codes of conduct.

Some basic elements of the dharmik paradigm (dharmik tattvajnana or dharmik pratiman) [Major reference: Being Different of Shri Rajiv Malhotra: [1] ]

1. Integral unity:
   1. Ekoham bahusyamaha, Ekaki na ramate
   2. Bhagavad Gita 3.10 and 3.11: saha yagyaha prajaha srustva, purovaca prajapatih.. & devan bhavaya tanena..
   3. Bhagavad Gita 15.5: sarvasya chaaham hridi sannivishtaha

Elements of the Dharmic Worldview

Some elements of the dharmik perspective of life (dharmik jeevan dristi) that are based on such a dharmic paradigm [Major references: Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Shri Aurobindo]

1. Consciousness is all pervading [Bhagavad Gita 2.24: nitya sarva gatah, Bhagavad Gita 10.8: aham sarvasya prabhavo], nature is made of consciousness [Bhagavad Gita 9.4: maya tatami dam sarvam..]. Thus life is unlimited in space.
2. Similarly, life is eternal in time and rebirth (punarjanma) is but an expression of this eternity of life [Bhagavad Gita: yam yam vapi smaran…]
3. In line with this eternity, creation and destruction are cyclic and mutually complementary. [example of seed that grows into tree, gives rise to more seed that fall to the ground again and each seed, in its destruction gives rise to more trees]
4. Yajnya: The law or principle of self-offering, self-causation, the law of life’s self-preservation, the law of self-continuity, and the law of Becoming leading to Beinghood or Immortality
5. Tapas: Hard efforts to integrate faculties of bodily potencies with those of mind and speech and yoking them to achieve unity of personality. Tapas can be dharmik or adharmik. When engaged favourably (such as Bhagavad Gita yada samharate chayam …Kurma), such integrated effort can help one can visualize God, achieve immortality and eternal service to cosmos, subjectively as well as objectively. It is complete tuning of body, mind and speech to the total evolution of the spirit to its fullness. Self-control comes as a first step in an eight-fold path called yoga.
6. Ahimsa: Non-violence to any aspect of the law of life, and not merely avoidance of blood-shed or cruder forms of violence in terms of war, racial conquests, human suppression or infringement of human dignity. [ahimsa paramo dharmo, himsa dharma tathavia ca]
7. Shraddha: Not merely faith in the wisdom and comfort of cosmic forces that lead to this evolution, but development of human personality in terms of the stuff suitable for the mind and speech in such a way as suits the path of perfection. It is implicit faith in something sublime. Man and his essential ‘stuff’ are identical from this angle. Body, mind and intelligence are ‘made’ and we can so feed them with food, thought and expression, appropriately in gradual steps to achieve this purpose. Conviction, courage, wisdom, right choices, the desire for self-improvement, love, cooperation, harmony and right vision – are all products shraddha. Trust in God’s elevating Grace, and the faith that good will triumph over Evil, also form this shraddha.
8. Sannyasa: Renunciation of all that is not conducive to this evolution, and not merely ‘asceticism’, for its own sake; or abandonment of unavoidable duties appropriate to contexts, professions, and personalities upholding society manifoldly; it is not a negation of life or unhealthy withdrawal from life which tantamounts to escapism. Positively it means giving more to the society than taking. And depositing one’s all in God, and worshipping as His agent, refraining from selfishness or attachment to fruits of appointed duties. It is an attitude of life for all and throughout life.
9. Punarjanma: Rebirth as a means to fulfill the missed opportunity of self-fulfillment, in earlier lives, with no achievement made at any stage lost. It is an assurance that life shall not fail. It is not aimless or endless transmigration of life as pessimists understand or fatalists believe. It is positive way of life-fulfillment.
10. Three-fold Yoga: Man can attain God by a Yoga in three steps of Action, Knowledge and Devotion, while in this life, and practice his vocation in his own field of action and stage of spiritual evolution. Yoga is not an abnormal activity away from outside its legitimate scheme or sphere. The three-fold yoga consists of
    1. Activity (profession) supported by knowledge and inspired by Devotion
    2. Knowledge of the self, sustained by life and activity, and filled with Devotion
    3. Devotion sustained on activity and inspired by this knowledge and of the relation between self and God
11. Karma siddhanta…
12. Role of moksha, independence (svatantrata), sannyasa etc in individual and social life

Code of conduct (Dharmik vyavahar sutra)

Some elements of the dharmik codes of conduct that (dharmik vyavahar sutra) that are aligned with such a dharmik perspective of life.

1. Sarve bhavantu sukhinaha [Somebody may think this is impractical. Swami Vivekananda however said. It is unfortunate when man tries to idealize reality instead of realizing ideals]
2. Vasudaiva Kutumbakam
3. Aatmavat sarva bhuteshu [Chanakya niti: matravat para daresu, para dravyesu lostravat]

Lifestyle based on Purushartha

1. Krunvanto vishvam Aaryam
2. Pancha yajna: Brahma yajna, pitru yajna, deva yajna, bhuta yajna, atithi yajna
3. Runavimuktih: deva runa, pitru runa, rushi and guru runa, samaaj runa, bhuta runa

Elements of dharmik vyavastha (dharmik structures)

Some elements of the dharmik structures (dharmik vyavastha) that are meant to support and facilitate the dharmik codes of conduct.

1. Varna and Ashrama: The grouping of life-sustaining professions, giving them a place, a meaning and divine ordainment, as steps appropriate for the law of evolution. It is not caste in its corrupt form and grasp: This is ‘varna’ – a minimum description of units in society and its dignified vocations such as discovery of knowledge, dissemination and preservation. It also include protection of social and national integrity, smooth functioning of vocations, preservation from internal or external aggressions or grabbings and confusions, vocation of circulation of essential commodities, their production, preservation and distribution; and the varieties of labor involved in all this inter-related smooth running of society. ‘Ashram’ is the concept of human evolution from bachelorship, devoted earning of knowledge or proficient in vocation through householdership, asceticism and renunciation in gradually evolving steps.

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In the table below, we contrast some basic differences in the paradigms, perspective of life and the world between the dharmik and the adharmik paradigms.

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