Dharma in Modern Context - Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture

DHARMA IN MODERN CONTEXT
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Dharma in Modern Context
PRAVRAJIKA ATMADEEPAPRANA
India from time immemorial has been
the holy land where all that is good and
noble has found a home. The
cultivation of values has been as necessary
to the Hindus as air and water are for
living. From the very birth, nay even
before birth, a Hindu is nurtured in a
healthy environment where values are
emphasized.
India’s greatest gift to the world are
the four Vedas. Vedas mean ‘Knowledge’.
Also called the ‘Shrutis’, they are the
lifeline of Indian culture. Indian society
operates on the guidelines laid out by the
Shrutis and Smritis. The latter were meant
to convey the highest principles mentioned
in the Shrutis to all in a sugar-coated form
through stories, narratives, etc, and
prescribe a code of conduct.
Our scriptures declare that there are
four purushàrthas or goals in life of an
individual. They are—Dharma, Artha,
Kàma and Moksha—morality/virtue,
wealth, enjoyment and liberation. The
Hindu’s life accordingly is also divided
into four categories—brahmacharya,
gàrhastya, vànaprastha and sannyàsa,
studentship, household life, retirement from
worldly life, and renunciation.
It is interesting to note that Dharma
occupies the first and foremost place in the
Hindu’s scheme of life. Not only is it in
the forefront, it is the heartbeat of all other
àshramas too. In fact, even in the
Sannyàsa âshrama, where the renunciant is
freed from all temporal obligations, the
necessity of Dharma is never undermined.
Sri Krishna asserts it in the Gità, ‘Na
budhhibhedam janayet ajnànàm
karmasanginàm/Joshayet sarva-karmàni
vidvàn yuktah samàcaran.’ The enlightened
man should not create confusion in the
minds of ignorant people (by his conduct).
Himself working with equanimity, he
should make them interested in all
activities. The wise man thus never
disregards Dharma, for the mass always
follow his footsteps. Sri Ramakrishna puts
it beautifully in his simple language: The
expert singer never sings a false note.
Similarly the man who has realized God
never takes a wrong step. 2 Lord Krishna
says in the Gità, ‘If I do not work and set
an example, the three worlds would have
perished following My footsteps.’ 3
Concept of ritam
The whole universe is governed by a
divine code. Even the gods in heaven and
nature herself do not dare deviate from this
rule. The sun, moon, stars, the heavenly
bodies—all follow a law. This eternal law
is termed ritam in the Vedas. The Katha
Upanishad says, ‘Bhayàdasyàgnistapati
bhayàttapati suryah; Bhayàdindrascha
vàyuscha mrityurdhàvati panchamah.’
‘—Out of fear of Him the fire burns and
the sun shines. So do Indra, Vàyu and
even the invincible death, the fifth.’ 4
The divine power incarnates again and
again whenever this Dharma tends to
decay. He then shows the proper way by
practising these principles in His own life.
Sri Krishna says, ‘Yadà yadà hi dharmasya
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glànirbhavati bhàrata/Abhyutthànam
adharmasya tadàtmànam srijàmyaham./
Paritrànàya sàdhunàm vinàshàya cha
dushkritàm/Dharmasamsthàpanàrthàya
sambhavàmi yuge yuge.’—‘Whenever there
is a decline of virtue and increase of vice,
I incarnate to re-establish virtue to protect
the virtuous and to destroy the wicked.’ 5
There is a proverb in Bengali, ‘âpani
àchari dharma porere shikhào’. It means,
teach others through your own conduct.
Indeed, Dharma is one that can be taught
only through practice. ‘The secret of
Religion lies not in theories but in practice.
To be good and to do good—that is
the whole of religion’ 6 , said Swami
Vivekananda. An ounce of practice
is better than having by heart a whole
library, he added.
‘Dhàrayati iti dharma’—‘Dharma is
that which holds a person’. The earth holds
a man firmly, helps him to be sure-footed.
So is the man established in Dharma surefooted.
He never falters or falls down.
Dharma should be something which helps
one in this world. The aim of Dharma
should be to bring peace to man. Our
scriptures are of the opinion that it is not a
wise thing for one to suffer in this life so
that one can be happy in the next. One
must be happy here and now. 7
What is Dharma?
It is indeed very difficult to give a
definition of Dharma. Dharma of one
person in a particular circumstance can be
adharma for another person under the
same/different circumstances. A person
fights and kills hundreds of persons and
people call him a valiant soldier. Another
plants a bomb and destroys hundreds of
men, women and children and he is branded
a terrorist. Thus how to define Dharma?
Swami Vivekananda answers this
question. He defines Dharma or Virtue as
that which tends to guide us to our
improvement, and vice is that which leads
to our degeneration. We are made up of
three qualities—brutal, human and godly.
That which tends to increase divinity is
virtue, and that which tends to increase
brutality is vice. We must kill our brutal
nature and become human, that is, loving
and charitable. Gradually we must
transcend that too and become pure bliss,
wonderfully loving, but without the
weakness of human love, without the
feeling of misery. 8 In simple words:
Anything that helps one to evolve is
Dharma. And that which pulls one down is
adharma or sin. Swamiji continues: ‘Doing
good to others is virtue (dharma); injuring
others is sin. Strength and manliness are
virtue; weakness and cowardice are sin.
Independence is virtue; dependence is sin.
Loving others is virtue; hating others is sin.
Faith in God and in one’s own Self is
virtue; doubt is sin. Knowledge of oneness
is virtue; seeing diversity is sin.’ 9
Man’s role in the field of work
Swamiji was a seer. His views reflect
Vedic wisdom. The sages and seers of India
who had chalked out the do’s and don’ts of
Indian civilization were intensely practical.
They were well aware that any principle, if
it is beyond the reach of the commoners,
becomes obsolete. Hence they did not
advocate a religion which emphasizes
unworkable, airy-fairy values. They made
therefore room for even the most ordinary
people of the society. The keynote that
rings throughout Indian wisdom is ‘Tena
tyaktena bhunjithà’. 10 Enjoy this world if
you want, but enjoy through sacrifice.
The futility of selfish enjoyment is
shown in our epics through various stories.
Let us take the example of Vichitravirya of
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the Mahàbhàrata. He was the son of a
valiant king, Shàntanu. He had an excellent
minister in Bhishma to take care of his
vast kingdom. Free from any inkling of
trouble, he began to enjoy life to the fullest
extent possible with his two wives—
Ambikà and Ambàlikà and the result was
death. Unrestrained bhoga or enjoyment
leads one ultimately to destruction. Thus
the wise Nachiketà rejected Yama’s offer
of unlimited wealth and pleasures along
with a long life saying, ‘Sarvendriyànàm
jaràyanti tejah’—‘Perishable things
of enjoyment dissipate the vigour of
our senses.’ True, we do not enjoy
pleasures, but alas, pleasures enjoy us!
This is a great fact of life.
Again, there is the instance of Yayàti,
who remained unsatisfied even after
enjoying a long life. When old age
approached, desires still haunted him.
Shamelessly he requested his youngest son
to lend him his youth. When the latter
obliged, once again he began to enjoy
worldly pleasures. After a long, long time
finally wisdom dawned on him. He returned
the youth to his son exclaiming, ‘It is not
possible to extinguish fire with the help of
butter. Similarly, it is not possible to
quench the desires by enjoyment.’ Hindus
are told by the scriptures: Don’t live only
for you. Live also for others if you cannot
live only for others.
Holy Mother said once, ‘Know that
nature will force you to give. If you will
refuse to give voluntarily, things will be
forced away from you. So give willingly.’
Indeed, this world is called karma bhumi
and not bhoga bhumi as other planes of
existence are. One comes alone in this
world and shall also leave it alone.
Therefore, while living in this world, if one
enjoys only for oneself, he is termed a
thief—‘stena eva sah’, says the Gità. And
Swamiji declared, ‘The self-seeking man
who is looking after his personal comforts
and leading a lazy life—there is no room
for him even in hell.’ 11
Classification of Dharma
Dharma can be classified into two
types—one that is universal, and another,
that is applicable to particular
classifications on the basis of caste. In the
second case, the duty of one is not the
duty of the other. Bhishma gives a
beautiful definition of Dharma in ‘Shànti
Parva’. He says: ‘Dharma was declared for
the advancement and growth of all
creatures. Therefore, what brings
advancement and growth is Dharma.
Dharma was declared for preventing
creatures from injuring one another.
Therefore, Dharma is that which prevents
injury to creatures. Dharma is also socalled
because it maintains all creatures. In
fact, all creatures are kept up by Dharma.
Therefore, Dharma is what is capable of
upholding all creatures.’
The beauty and excellence of this
definition of Dharma is that all rational
human beings of goodwill, no matter of
what religion or of no religion, can meet
on this platform of universal growth,
advancement, security and fulfilment.
The Daksha Samhità puts forth another
definition. Listen and grasp this as the
quintessence of Dharma: do not do unto
others what is hurtful to yourself.
The Vedas put forth the following
injunctions:
Speak the truth. Do not neglect the study
of the scriptures. Show gratitude to the
teacher. Do not swerve from truth. Do not
neglect your duty to gods and ancestors.
Treat your teachers, parents and guests
respectfully. Whatever good works have
been performed by us, those should be
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emulated by you, not others. Comfort those
wise men who are superior to us by
extending respectful courtesy. Whatever is
to be given, should be given respectfully,
and not irreverently—and according to
ability, with modesty, with fear, with
sympathy. If any doubt arises in your mind
regarding any act or conduct, you should
conduct yourself accordingly as the
respected wise people do—who are
competent to judge, who are spontaneously
devoted to good deeds without being urged
by others, who are not too severe but are
lovers of true religion. This is the
teaching. This is the secret wisdom of
scriptures. This is the command of God. 12
Here, the aim is overall enhancement
of a person’s physical, intellectual, and
moral development. One who follows these
virtues, occupies a place even higher than
the deities of heavenly spheres.
Universal application
These eternal values are emphasized in
all religions. Even those religions where
God is not talked about, like Buddhism
and Jainism, moral rules are held in great
esteem. In fact, Buddhists are expected to
follow strictly the ‘Ashta-shila màrga’ or
the eightfold path consisting of right
action, right speech, etc. Buddha preached,
‘Do good and be good. And this will take
you to freedom and to whatever truth there
is.’ 13 Confucius once advised, ‘Do not do
unto others what you do not want others to
do unto you.’
Paradox
Why do good people suffer? Swamiji
answers this question thus:
Often and often, we see that the very best
of men even are troubled and visited with
tribulations in this world; it may be
inexplicable; but it is also the experience
of my life that the heart and core of
everything here is good, that whatever may
be the surface waves, deep down and
underlying everything, there is an infinite
basis of goodness and love; and so long as
we do not reach that basis, we are
troubled; but having once reached that
zone of calmness, let winds howl and
tempests rage. The house which is built on
a rock of ages cannot shake.... the Lord
Himself has styled [this basis of firmness]
as ‘rest upon Brahman’ in the Gita. 14
It is a known fact that the more great a
man is, the more struggles he has to face.
In fact, all depends on an individual’s
decision whether he wants to lead a
jellyfish existence or strive to reach
something higher; the truth behind apparent
contradictions and dualities. The Katha
Upanishad declares: ‘Nityah anityànàm
chetanaschetanànàm ekah bahunàm yo
vidadhàti kàmàn/Tamàtmastam
yanupashyanti dhiràh teshàm shàntih
shàshvati netareshàm’. That is, ‘They
alone attain eternal peace who verily
perceive the âtman—the eternal behind the
ephemeral, the consciousness among
conscious.’ 15 So, life should be lived for a
higher purpose. In Swamiji’s words, ‘Death
is better than a vegetating ignorant life; it
is better to die on a battlefield than to live
a life of defeat.’ 16
Practicality
It is easy to read and quote an ideal
but very difficult to implement it. Swamiji
thunders—‘Never think there is anything
impossible for the soul. It is the greatest
heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is
the only sin—to say that you are weak, or
others are weak.’ 17 Swamiji urges us to
fight. ‘You gain nothing by becoming
cowards. Taking a step backward, you do
not avoid any misfortune.... So what is the
use? Die game. You are infinite, deathless,
birthless. Because you are infinite spirit, it
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does not befit you to be a slave. Arise!
Awake! Stand up and fight!’ 18
Man begins to struggle and fight
against nature. He makes many mistakes,
he suffers. But eventually, he conquers
nature and realizes his freedom. When he
is free, nature becomes his slave. For the
world can be good and pure, only if our
lives are good and pure. It is an effect, and
we are the means. Therefore, let us purify
ourselves. Let us make ourselves perfect.
Difficulties are overcome by constant
practice. This is the greatest lesson—
nothing can happen to us, unless we make
ourselves susceptible to it. 19
The main thing is to have faith in the
ideal; then everything else follows.
Through the pages of Indian history lie
innumerable shining examples of people
who have sacrificed their all for a higher
purpose. Not all were philosophers or
recluses. They belonged to different
sections of society. Their unwavering faith
in Dharma has kept India living for
centuries while other civilizations have
crumbled to dust. Is this not the greatest
proof of practicality of Dharma?
Therefore we must ‘Give up the
awful disease that is creeping into our
national blood, that idea of ridiculing
everything, that loss of seriousness. Give
that up. Be strong, and have this Shraddha,
and everything else is bound to follow’,
says Swamiji. 20
Implementation
The fruitfulness of these values are
certainly proved. Sri Krishna assures in the
Gità, ‘Na hi kalyànakrit kaschit durgatim
tàta gacchati. ‘The doer of good never
comes to grief.’ 21 Unselfishness and love
are more paying than selfishness and
hatred. Moral values do pay, but slowly.
Do you have the patience to wait?
On the other hand, values are to be
adored and followed not only for the
returns they pay, but because they are
adorable and man cannot but fall in
reverence before the adorable. Yudhisthira
said to Draupadi, ‘O Queen, look at the
Himalayas. I adore them, only for them.’
Can one stand the test of truth? The king
Harishchandra lost his kingdom, family and
himself, became an outcaste despised by
all. Standing undauntedly on the path of
truth, he not only regained all which he
had lost, but also he bought a seat for
himself in the ‘Hall of fame’. His glory
today, after thousands of years is
untarnished. Swamiji says in forthright
language, ‘Truth does not pay homage to
any society, ancient and modern. Society
has to pay homage to truth or die....
Societies should be moulded upon truth,
and truth has not to adjust itself to
society... That society is the greatest, where
the highest truths become practical.’ 22 The
Gità explains, ‘There are some that are
sweet in the beginning and poisonous in
the end and some that are difficult in the
beginning and sweet at the end.’ 23 The wise
man chooses one among the two. Man is
the maker of his destiny.
The truth is that the difference between
God and the devil is in nothing except in
unselfishness and selfishness. The devil
knows as much as God, is as powerful as
God; only he has no holiness—that makes
him a devil. Apply the same idea to the
modern world: excess of knowledge and
power, without holiness, make human
beings devils. 24 If you project hatred and
jealousy, they will rebound on you with
compound interest. No power can avert
them; when once you have put them in
motion, you will have to bear them.
Remembering this will prevent you from
doing wicked things. Hiroshima and
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Nagasaki are some burning examples of
man’s arrogance.
And stranger still is the fact that
Dharma protects those who follow it and
destroys those who refuse it. The poor,
helpless Pàndavas triumphed over the evil
Duryodhana and his company. Even today,
honesty is the best policy in the world. He
who earns his bread through honest labour
may not amass huge wealth, but he will
not be dogged by anxiety and fear of
exposure. He will have an inner strength
which cannot be purchased with money.
Those who earn cheap money, unrighteous
money, not only do they constantly face
the risk of exposure, but before they
realize it, the money itself may have
vanished and all further avenues of earning
are closed to them. A man with a sense of
honour and dignity knows that it is the
man who makes the money, not money the
man. Today’s world pays much importance
to a person’s overall character and
personality than his excellence in some
particular field.
Our life on earth begins with our birth.
Unfortunately, today the birth of a human
being has lost its sanctity and wonder.
However, it has to be remembered that the
birth of a baby means the assumption of a
body by a soul. A baby is a soul, a divine
spark, on its pilgrimage to high destiny. It
is absolutely essential to inculcate in
children, moral values, for ‘today’s child is
the future man’. We can never know which
spark in a child makes him/her a genius.
There is a popular story where a doting
mother never corrected her mischievous
son grabbing things of others. The son
turned out to be a dacoit and was finally
caught and hanged. He sadly remarked to
his crying mother: ‘If you had corrected
me in the beginning, today I would not be
hanged.’ Loving discipline never fails to
hit the mark. Actually Dharma is
discipline. Its role is that of a wonderful
teacher—to correct the erring pupil and to
guide him towards success, both material
and spiritual.
Unfortunately today’s world has
plunged headlong into bhoga, or
indiscriminate enjoyment. The earth has
never been so compact before.
Globalization and modern technological
developments have made the world a
‘global village’. But along with that the
inner space in man has also shrunk to an
extent that is appalling. Man today is first
and last selfish. There is nobody or nothing
in his life which is more precious to him
than this ‘I’. Unless he comes out of this
mire and learns to love the world around
him unselfishly, he shall sooner or later
become extinct.
Yajna
Our religion speaks of the activities of
the whole world as a yajna. In fact, this
very creation has come out of the sacrifice
of the Supreme Being for His love of the
creatures. This idea is proclaimed in the
‘Purusha Suktam’, The whole universe is
knit together tightly in a cycle. As we
receive from the world, so do we have to
contribute something back to it. Once one
refuses to participate in this wonderful
viràt sacrifice, he not only separates
himself from the cycle and is deprived of
its benefits, he heads for doom
straightaway. Besides, since we are all
linked up with a chain, I cannot progress if
you cannot. I can secure my own good
only by doing you good. There is no other
way, none whatsoever.
Some may feel that these values are
good to talk about, but will go little to
contribute to progress and fun. But we
must remember that progress and fun do
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not mean always restless movement and
speed. Swamiji points out that any idea of
progress in life must be associated with the
idea of its destination. That fun alone is
real which does not make us eventually
suffer. If we can go out of this life
smiling, without regret or remorse, and
take the parting in its stride, then alone can
we be said to have had real fun in life. But
when the laughter and nectar of today turn
into the tears and gall of tomorrow, when
in passing out of this life we curse or weep
while others are either indifferent or even
heave a sigh of relief, then we have had no
fun at all. We have only been bamboozled!
India today wants to imitate the West.
But none ever succeeds in the long run
simply by imitating others. By doing so
one loses one’s own personality and
speciality and only becomes a laughingstock
of others. Ages ago Swamiji revealed
the truth when he said that ‘Social life in
the West is like a peal of laughter; but
underneath, it is a wail. It ends in a sob.
The fun and frivolity are all on the surface:
really it is full of tragic intensity, Now
here, it is sad and gloomy on the outside,
but underneath are carelessness and
merriment.’ 25
How many Westerners today come to
India wearing Indian dress, practising
meditation and yoga and praising Indian
culture. There are many who learn dance
and music even through tele-conferencing.
India is indeed looked upon with great
reverence by them. We must make
ourselves fit enough to be respected
equally by following our Dharma,
especially, its universal aspect.
Ultimately Dharma leads man to the
supreme Truth. The world is neither good
nor bad. It is our mental attitude which
makes the world what it is for us. Our
thoughts make things beautiful, our
thoughts make things ugly. The whole
world is in our own minds. Let us learn to
see things in the proper light. This world is
a great workhouse where we all come to
work our way out and Dharma is our
guide to success.
•
REFERENCES
1 Gità, 3/26.
2 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.
3 Gità, 3/23.
4 Katha Upanishad, 2/6/3.
5 Gità, 4/7.
6 The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
(Advaita Ashrama: Kolkata, 1989), Vol. VI,
p. 245. (Hereafter C.W.)
7 Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda
(Advaita Ashrama: Kolkata, 1985), p. 45-46.
8 C.W., Vol. VI, p. 112.
9 C.W., Vol. V, p. 419.
10 Isha Upanishad, 1.
11 C.W., Vol. VI, p. 294.
12 Taittiriya Upanishad, Shikshàvalli.
13 C.W., Vol. I, p. 117.
14 Ibid., Vol. VIII, p. 296.
15 Katha Upanishad, 2/2/13.
16 C.W., Vol. II, p. 124
17 Ibid., p. 308.
18 Ibid., Vol. I, p. 461.
19 Ibid., Vol. II, p. 7.
20 Ibid., Vol. III, p. 320.
21 Gità, 6/40.
22 C.W., Vol. II, pp. 84-85.
23 Gità, 18/37-38.
24 C.W., Vol. I, p. 425.
25 Ibid., Vol. VIII, p. 261.
* Pravrajika Atmadeepaprana is a nun of Sri Sarada Math, Dakshineswar.
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