The word "Dharma" is much used and abused in today's political and social discourse.
This term, pregnant with meaning and of diverse interpretations, has become an integral part of the worldview of Indians ( Bharatiyas). And precisely because of its loaded undertones, it is seldom understood without being refracted through the colored lens of preconceived notions and religious underpinnings.
The word "Dharma" is derived from the Sanskrit root "Dhr" which means "that which sustains".
One of the many meanings of the word is "property"- the dharma of water is dampness, that of fire is to burn.
And so we ponder what is the dharma of mankind?
That is considered to be our Dharma that helps in sustaining humanness in Man and order in society. The fundamental difference between humans and animals lies in the former's relative freedom to "choose". While the animal is subservient to its inherent instincts; for every event he faces, Man has the ability to choose and decide from varied alternatives of reactions.
In most situations Man has to choose either that which is pleasant or that which is good. And because of this dichotomy and conflict that man inevitably has to contend with in its myriad forms, Dharma becomes all the more important!
It is suppose to guide him to the "right" way to act. It is right as it has evolved over the collected consciousness of Man, tested and verified over aeons. It is not born out of individual fancy, neither is it the product of modernity's fad. It is right because it is the experience of Man that life when based on it, sustains.
It is suppose to guide him to the "right" way to act. It is right as it has evolved over the collected consciousness of Man, tested and verified over aeons. It is not born out of individual fancy, neither is it the product of modernity's fad. It is right because it is the experience of Man that life when based on it, sustains.
The twenty-first century has brought man face to face with a reality that is unprecedented in human history. The common citizen of today's world, with all the information at his/her fingertip, with the four corners of the world only a click away, with his/her almost unrestricted connectivity, in many ways is far more powerful than the most powerful kings of history.
But with increased power, comes increased responsibility. Cleverness needs to be tempered with wisdom. Information should lead to transformation. In this era of unhindered possibility, if the human mind does not impose on itself a moral compass, an enhanced awareness of right from wrong, an increasing understanding of our fundamental humanness and the eternal values that has sustained our race over millennia, we face very real dangers. And it is here that a life based on Dharma becomes not only important, but gravely urgent. It becomes an imperative like never before.
But with increased power, comes increased responsibility. Cleverness needs to be tempered with wisdom. Information should lead to transformation. In this era of unhindered possibility, if the human mind does not impose on itself a moral compass, an enhanced awareness of right from wrong, an increasing understanding of our fundamental humanness and the eternal values that has sustained our race over millennia, we face very real dangers. And it is here that a life based on Dharma becomes not only important, but gravely urgent. It becomes an imperative like never before.
But what is this Dharma? When life is based on truth, lived for sharing love and joy, when it is obligated to maintain peace and harmony, when it is tempered with the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness, eager to embrace and unite, it is a life based on Dharma.
It has nothing to do with what form of Divinity one prays to, which house of God one visits or which custom or tradition one follows. It is that way of life which finds meaning for itself and adds value to others.
It has nothing to do with what form of Divinity one prays to, which house of God one visits or which custom or tradition one follows. It is that way of life which finds meaning for itself and adds value to others.
To state in an aphorism, " Dharma is to live and let live".
