Dharma or Religion

by  Smt. Susmita Devi

Many learned persons have written huge volumes about what is called Dharma. Many more are confused about the exact interpretation of the words ‘Dharma’ and ‘religion’. My bid to an interpretation of the concept of Dharma is a way of life with Awareness. Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur made a dictum, which is easy to remember: “All Divine for all time – as it is”. If that dictum is regularly put into practice in one’s life, it will result in a Dharmic lifestyle.

 

Established religions are represented by congregations established by the followers of a few Saintly Personages (mostly men!) and their uttering. Over the centuries such sayings and guidelines for enhancing one’s inner subtle life quality, have been translated or trans-created into many languages. Translations and trans-creations usually carry the imprint of the writer’s cultural background and the time he lived in - so I question the reliability in reproducing exactly what the originator of any of the established religions said or implied. Just give a thought to the technological and other life altering discoveries that are changing the way we live today. There is absolutely no doubt, that all humans have an inherent need to believe in some superior force, even if that ‘force’ often seems indifferent to the plight of humankind. Religious beliefs, with a vast variety rules and regulations (including superstitions) to be strictly observed and propagated, enable people to carry on living in the face of innumerable physical and emotional hurdles.  However there is another way - the Sanathan Dharma - which is a way of life achieved through introspection and is therefore always in harmony with the environment.  One of my young students of spoken English spontaneously said, during our discussion on the differences between religion and spirituality: “Only when you become spiritual do you understand what religion is.” Reflect and come to your own conclusion.

The loosely framed concept of Dharma is considered perpetual (Sanathan), as it can be practiced in all kinds of societies (even as a hermit) at any stage of human development. Dharma is not based on the vision of a single person, but has evolved over centuries of introspections of wise men, seers and philosophers. It is not a restrictive and exclusive religion propounded and interpreted over and again by zealous people. No, Dharma is but as ‘a way of life’. It is not indoctrinating about the thoughts and behaviors of people like religion. The seers considered both aspects of life - the outer social and the inner spiritual – and provided guidelines about how to deal with physical life as one simultaneously progresses towards the realization of the Ultimate Oneness, i.e. realizing of the Self.  The broad framework of Dharma shows the awareness of the seers - that the ways of life are bound to change because any stagnating society is compelled to end in anarchy, which history has many examples of.

According to the scriptures, Sanathan Dharm contains ten major principles (analogous to the Ten Commandments of Christianity and some of the guidelines from Islam and Buddhism) that one ought to follow and practice to achieve a high level of equanimity in life along with spiritual Awareness. They can be – in no relative order of significance – be listed as:

1. Truth
2. Patience
3. Forgiveness
4. Compassion and tolerance
5. Acceptance
6. Control
7. Theft
8. Inner and outer cleanliness
9. Benevolent intellect
10.  Knowledge 

My reason for enumerating in detail the main principles of Sanathan Dharm is that one can, at any stage of life, start musing about and find out, which of the aspects is suitable for one’s individualism to start the process of achieving a harmonized life, a life with Awareness.

 

I used to say that a lie is a lie (point 1), irrespective its blackness or as a ‘white’ lie. White lies can be used occasionally to avoid hurting people’s sentiments (actually ego sense), but they are not condoned in cases of hypocrisy or for self gain. It takes some time before the practice of truth becomes part of one’s being as one learns to lie very early in life – mostly to avoid punishment, but also to please others.

The most difficult to learn was patience (point 2): Climatic conditions in West Bengal naturally induces slowness, indolence and lassitude - and the concept of being ‘on time’ is far less important to people than in most Asiatic countries. There are, however, infrastructural impediments and strikes or large public meetings, which may block traffic for quite some time.  It is, indeed, a major practice in patience to wait and wait... but such ‘waiting time’ can be used to reflect over and analyze one’s behavior and thoughts - leading to deliberately rejecting the negative ones, and learning to dwell on the positive ones.

To forgive (point 3) any slant or hurt is something one must practice assiduously. Once forgiven, any slant or hurt must be put into the ‘recycle bin’ of memory to avoid bitterness or anger in mind.  It is stored, but not erased because memories sometimes are useful to avoid the same mistakes repeatedly and thus increase one’s awareness of thoughts and actions. Memories can also be projected to help others in creating awareness about the features of action/reaction - the eventual consequences of one’s thoughts and actions.

A basic human trait to be cherished is compassion (point 4). Some are compassionate from a very young age; others make a conscious decision to develop it later in life – and better late than never, as the saying goes. Compassion may take many forms, but must always emanate from the heart... spontaneously and without expectation of any return of compensatory favors. As an added reason, I can quote what Sri Krishna said to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra: Detaching one’s action from personal reward changes the quality of one’s action”.  Detachment is not the same as being indifferent, so be aware of the subtlety between the two concepts. A detached attitude is positive and therefore prevents the popping up of thoughts of, for example, envy and jealousy... two of the most detrimental emotions for achieving harmony in life.

One of the first dictums of Sri Sri Babathakur I learned by heart and practiced assiduously - and which I have over and again repeated to a vast variety of people is related to acceptance (point 5) in the above list. He called it the ‘Formula of Fourfold A’: “Accept, Adjust and Accommodate to reach the Absolute.” It leads to stunning results if properly applied. This formula, if properly followed, at first astonishes people because it leads to easily mingling with all sorts of people.  Then the joy of clear-headed interaction happens and ends with an expanded capacity to remain level-headed in all sorts of situations.  When the ego, through this practice, is conditioned to take a secondary place in one’s thoughts and behavior, life becomes much easier.

From the above practice of the fourfold A it automatically follows, that physical and mental control (point 6) is a pre-eminent consequence.  If one accepts, adjusts and accommodates to any given situation, the level of both mental and physical control will take a gigantic step forward. One is then on the path of transforming Ahankar to Ahamdev, from mental self-centredness to Consciousness. The sequence in which I first wrote the above list was random.   I now perceive that the Guru is guiding the thoughts so that there is a meaningful sequence to the writing.

Theft (point 7) is inculcated from early childhood, but it is very difficult for a hungry child to understand why some have their bellies full and others not. As one grows, it is not only hunger pangs which may incite one to steal.  Other causes include jealousy, envy, instant gratification and anger over socio-economic disparity in economically developing countries.  Even in welfare states thieving is not unknown - however that is mainly due to the thrill experienced in pulling off a theft, followed by the instant gratification impulse.

Inner and outer cleanliness (point 8) represent yet another aspect of control.  If the mind has less negative thoughts, it becomes easier to practice bodily and environmental cleanliness.  Mental cleanliness can easily be practiced through meditation, japa or any method suitable to one’s character, but such practices must be pursued over an extended period of time, and with full awareness of what one is practicing, to carry any result.  To participate in gatherings with saintly people or in groups to sing the praise of Divine can also be helpful. The Rishis of yore set up some rules for cleanliness as part of religious rituals, as they probably had perceived that if framed within religious beliefs, people would follow them (which in turn would benefit the whole community).

To develop a benevolent intellect (point 9) means to practice positive thinking. Intellect can be described as a step over the ordinary mind work, and below Consciousness (Bodh), which is the constituent that differentiates humans from other animate species. A brilliant intellect is partly an inherited attribute, but it can also be developed through awareness of the subtle characteristics of an individual. When one uses the intellect in a positive way, the sense of right and wrong will be easily grasped through analysis. The step from analysis of things happening around us to self-analysis is not insurmountable.  It just requires willingness to bravely face one’s less benevolent thoughts and behaviors and take a firm decision to change the perception of many aspects of life. Through introspection, using meditation or musing as a conduit, one can consciously change the pattern. When the progress of one’s inner corridor to higher Awareness is obstructed by influences of societal bearing like backbiting, greed, revengefulness or bitterness, intellect can be trained to negate or transform such feelings to more positive ones, or deliberately use the mental ‘erase mechanism’ called forgetfulness.

Through the practice of the previous mentioned aspects of mind and intellect, one reaches the state of Knowledge (point10). We can build up both individual knowledge and spiritual Knowledge (notice the use of capital!). The former is of things and happenings in the physical world (science) and the other from the subtler and subtle-most aspects of an individual (non-physical science). Only through deliberate search for the non-physical aspects can the Knowledge, subtle and subtle-most aspects, be revealed.

There are two ways to go – one of duality/plurality and one of Oneness. The duality aspect is comparatively easier to practice as the path consists of a Divinity and the worshipper following some elaborate rituals, whereas in the Science of Oneness the worshipped, the tools, the manner of worship and the worshipper are but one and the same - on different levels of Consciousness. ‘Knowledge of Oneness’ or ’Oneness of Knowledge’ as propounded by Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur therefore needs lots and lots of introspection, which most people are unable or unwilling to do.

To end this sketchy description of the main tenets of Sanathan Dharma, I feel the need to add that to me, Sanathan Dharm is the easiest way to develop one’s thoughts and behavior so as to create Awareness of the Divine aspect of life and live at a higher level of harmony in the midst of a turbulent society.