Universal Love : The Greatest Dharma

 

Universal Love : The Greatest Dharma

 

What is Dharma?

 

Dharanad dharmamityaahuh, i.e. Dharma is called so because it bears and holds up the entire creation.

In short ---

Dharma is a collection of universal principles, without which there would be no existence of this creation.

Dharma is the loving hand of the Divine Mother, which protects the entire creation from total annihilation and holds it up for further development.

Dharma is the spiritual mother earth, which bears and protects the entire creation, without which our existence would have no ground.

Dharma is the most beautiful maiden Ushas (goddess of the Dawn), it is her radiance and the reddish glow of her most beautiful face which signals the coming of the sun of wisdom and prosperity, and the departure of the darkness of ignorance and poverty.

Dharma is Sanatana (eternal) and pervades all religions, because it comprises of all that is eternal and internal in a religion. A life in accordance of Dharma is a life in accordance of the laws of Nature and creation; hence it leads us towards evolution, development and everlasting bliss.

 

 

"Non-violence is the greatest Dharma. It is the greatest austerity. It is the greatest truth. From it spring all other Dharmas into existence", says Mahabharata.

Non-violence on a physical, verbal and mental level means "Universal Love". This is the greatest Dharma owing to the fact that any other Dharma which is not in accordance of "Universal Love" loses its ground to be a Dharma and, therefore, cannot be called Dharma. Thus for example, the next greatest Dharma "truth" ceases to be a Dharma when inspired by hatred or violence. All other Dharmas, when not inspired by Universal Love or non-violence, cease to be a Dharma similarly. Seeing that "Universal Love" itself has no such conditions imposed on it, therefore it is the greatest Dharma.

Additionally I must mention here that violence is permitted only under very strict circumstances to protect Dharma when all other efforts to change the heart of the wicked have failed. Then this is Dharma Yuddha, a holy war. To make it clear, the sole purpose of such a war is only protection of Dharma or righteousness, and by no means the promotion of it. Though the true Dharma Yuddha (Holy War) is the constant internal war against our vices and impurities, a secondary significance of the word is also such a war against personified impurities (wicked persons) of the society.

Some of the strict rules of Dharma can be relaxed when in a situation of misfortune. Such a moderation of rules is called Apad-dharma, the Dharma of misfortune. But the Mahabharata clearly denies any performance of an abusive or cruel act in such a situation.

 

 

In Shrimad Bhagavatam, Prahlada, one of the greatest devotees of Lord Vishnu, summarises the essence and the purpose of Dharma--

 

"May there be peace in the whole world. May the wicked become peaceful and gentle. Let all people pray with their hearts for peace and mutual wellbeing. May our minds resort only to that which is auspicious and good. May our thought be fixed on Lord Vishnu without any selfish motive." (5-18-9)

 

So accordingly it is safe to say that a Dharma is only a true Dharma, if ---

1. It shows us a path to bring peace to the whole world.

2. It transforms the hearts of those who want to harm and impels them to promote peace, not disturbance.

3. It teaches its followers to pray for world peace and for physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing of all beings.

4. It teaches a method to reach a state of consciousness where our mind only follows that which is auspicious and good for all of us, and avoids that which is harmful to others and ourselves.

5. It teaches devotion to the supreme Lord while at the same time eradicating selfish desires from our heart.

 

So concisely, the purpose of Dharma is ---

1. world peace,

2. transformation of the hearts,

 

...while its essence is ---

1. prayer for universal wellbeing,

2. noble thoughts,

3. selfless devotion.

 

So, in one word Dharma is --- Universal Love.

 

 

Some other Dharmas (universal principles) described in the Holy Texts include non-violence (love), compassion, truth, not stealing, purity (spiritual and physical), control over senses, freedom from vices (viz. lust, anger, greed, ego and hypocrisy), forgiveness, honesty, a desire for the good and wellbeing of all, contentment, austerity, study of the Divine Word, service of the wise, stability and peace of mind, devotion to the Divinity, equality, search for light or wisdom, a constant effort for emancipation from darkness etc.

 

 

The scriptures define Dharma as:

Therefore a good way to understand Dharma is to read and learn about the lives of great saints and sages. They inspire our heart and mind by their noble deeds of selfless service and devotion. Their acts express the will of the Divine Existence, because they are not prompted by hatred or attachment.

 

 

The Mahabharata, in which is found the Bhagavad Gita, describes the eightfold path of Dharma.

 

 

"In whose heart resides Dharma or benevolence, for such a person there is nothing that is difficult to attain." says Goswami Tulasi Das. Dharma helps us to get rid of the animal part and develop the human in us. Therefore it is a path that helps us to become a perfectly developed Human Being. It is the only path that leads to everlasting peace, prosperity and joy in this world.

 

 

According to Manu "The roots of Dharma are the Vedas, the character of and the scriptures by those who know the Vedas, conducts of saintly people and our self-satisfaction". This implies that to understand the true essence of Dharma, one should study the Vedas and the scriptures that explain its true significance, such as the Upanishads, the Gita, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata etc. One should also learn about the behaviour and conducts of saintly people to understand the practical application of the Vedic teachings and Dharma. In the end the most important thing is that true Dharma should give us everlasting self-satisfaction, contentment and peace of mind in our life.

But this doesn't imply that precisely only that which is described in the Vedas is Dharma, and nothing else. The Mahabharata is quite clear about this, "Some say that Dharma is that which is described in the Vedas, others don't accept this view. We don't refute any of the two, but we accept that not everything can be described by the Vedas".

 

 

Generally the equivalent of Dharma in English is considered "religion". However, this translation is based on a fundamental misunderstanding since if "religion" means ---

1. the condition of belonging to a religious order,

2. a particular religious or monastic order,

3. a particular system of a belief in a supernatural power,

...then Dharma has nothing to do with religion. In this sense, the Sanskrit word for "religion" can be "Sampradaya" or "Mata", but not Dharma.

If "religion" means belief in a superhuman controlling power, entitled to obedience, reverence, and worship, then it is just an aspect of Dharma, viz. devotion to the Divinity. In this sense, the Sanskrit equivalent of "religion" can be "Shraddha" or Bhakti", but not Dharma, because, as described above, the true realm of Dharma extends far beyond just that. Either way, Dharma is NOT religion.

It is rather the Universal Truth described by all religious scriptures, yet it is also something that cannot be described completely by any religious scripture; and also transcends all that which has been described by them. It can only be fully understood by a pure heart filled with the light of Divine Love.

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