As mentioned in Geeta..... Dharma is differenct from religion...so what is Dharma ?
2007-10-21 19:55:36 · 27 answers · asked by ۞Aum۞ 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
dharma is the path of righteousness and living one's life
dharma is the moral law combined with spiritual discipline that guides one's life. it is the very foundation of life.
hinduism accepts the concept of reincarnation, and what determines the state of an individual in the next existence is karma which refers to the actions undertaken by the body and the mind. In order to achieve good karma it is important to live life according to dharma, what is right. This involves doing what is right for the individual, the family, the class or caste and also for the universe itself.
dharma is like a cosmic norm and if one goes against the norm it can result in bad karma. hence it affects the future according to the karma accumulated. therefore one's dharmic path in the next life is the one necessary to bring to fruition all the results of past karma.
the term dharma can best be explained as the "law of being" without which things cannot exist, just as the essential factor in human being is life - the atman without which he cannot exist. the dharma of human being is atman. and hence any good atmic quality is dharmic. dharma also implies duty - a course of conduct. it is one's dharma to marry, raise a family and provide for that family in whatever way is necessary.
anything that helps human being to reach god is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching god is adharma.
the essence of dharma lies in possessing a certain ability, power and spiritual strength. vedic dharma is always truthful because its basis is the unique combination of spiritual brilliance and physical prowess.
the practice of dharma gives an experience of peace, joy, strength and tranquillity within one's self and makes life disciplined.
according to the Bhagavat Purana, righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four aspects: austerity (tap), purity (shauch), compassion (daya) and truthfulness (satya); and adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: pride (ahankar), contact (sangh), and intoxication (madya).
manusmriti written by the ancient sage manu, prescribes 10 essential rules for the observance of dharma: patience (dhriti), forgiveness (kshama), piety or self control (dama), honesty (asteya), sanctity (shauch), control of senses (indraiya-nigrah), reason (dhi), knowledge or learning (vidya), truthfulness (satya) and absence of anger (krodha). manu further writes, "non-violence, truth, non-coveting, purity of body and mind, control of senses are the essence of dharma". thus dharmic laws govern not only the individual but all in society.
the purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of the soul with the supreme reality, it also suggests a code of conduct that is intended to secure both worldly joys and supreme happiness.
2007-10-21 23:42:11 · answer #1 · answered by Renu 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Dharma = Respecting your parents - Your Teachers - Elders - Wife / Husband - Loving your Sister / Brothers - Blood Relations / Relations - Being an Idol to Society & Human Beings - Trying to Create a New Family System - Locality - Humanity - Nation & World = Dharma = Lord Rama & Lord Krishna - The Super Power Gods.
2007-10-21 23:23:05 · answer #2 · answered by Rama Krishna 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dharma is so called, because it holds; Dharma alone holds the people, etc. The word Dharma is derived from the root Dhr - to hold - and its etymological meaning is - that which holds - this world, or the people of the world.
Geeta talks of Dharma in a sense according to dharma of each person. Like the Dharma of a Kshatriya caste is to fight. if he refrain from fighting, then he is not following his dharma. Here the word used by Geeta is Swadharma, that is ones own true nature. anyone who goes against the true nature is not a respectable man.
2007-10-21 21:24:27 · answer #3 · answered by Raja Krsnan 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have not read Gita.
Nevertheless,I can give some excerpts from the Saiva Hindu scriptures about Dharma.
Dharma
Dharma yields Heaven's honor and Earth's wealth. What is there then that is more fruitful for a man? There is nothing more rewarding than dharma, nor anything more ruinous than its neglect.
Dharma is God's divine law prevailing on every level of existence, from the sustaining cosmic order to religious and moral laws which bind us in harmony with that order. Related to the soul, dharma is the mode of conduct most conducive to spiritual advancement, the right and righteous path. It is piety and ethical practice, duty and ob ligation. When we follow dharma, we are in conformity with the Truth that inheres and instructs the universe, and we naturally abide in closeness to God. Adharma is opposition to divine law. Dharma is to the individual what its normal development is to a seed--the orderly fulfillment of an inherent nature and destiny.
By Satguru Sivaya SubramuniyaSwami.
2007-10-21 21:45:09 · answer #4 · answered by Siva 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The equivalent of the english word religion in Sanskrit is Dharma.It is Dharma that sustains the life of every individual.By means of Dharma the entire social order is organised and the stability of the universe is dependent on Dharma.Life is uplifted by Dharma,Dharma means that which sustains...
2007-10-21 20:48:18 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Revered AUM, Humble obeisances! In mahabharata it is said "DhAraNAt dharmam iti Aahu:, dharmo dharayate
prajA | Yasya dhAraNa samyuktam, sa dharmo iti
nishchaya: || Aims & objectives, guidelines, regulations, practices, scriptures, and any other literature or material, faiths, beliefs, which bound the masses together in peaceful and progressive manner, ensures peaceful and cordial co-existence of each and every member of society formed by masses and every member has common ideal that leads towards social and cultural development with God at center, and moreover all ways and means stated earlier are easily adoptable to all, is Dharma. In this consideration, only Aryan culture has fulfilled all the conditions and hence it is only Dharma, Arya dharma which is termed at present as Hindu dharma.
2007-10-22 03:01:21 · answer #6 · answered by keshav pd 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dharma is what should do and observe in our life
Its not relgion
irrespective of caste creed and culture one should understand his dharma choose in right order and execute and act upon
as a human being born we have a set of duties and responsibilities towards parents
then as a community being towards our elders teachers and those who are knowledgble
as a society being to uphold valued in society and well being of society
and some times these dhrma in one context might well conflict with the other and we have to choose
Dhruthraashtra was called to make this choice as parent towards Duryodhan to up keep and bring him up BUT as king for good of country to discard the boy
but Dhrutharashtra ignored his Dharma as king but upkept dharma as parent
and then the whole country was put to suffer
2007-10-22 09:41:14 · answer #7 · answered by srevalsan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What one has to observe and practise is called Dharma. In Sanskrit it is defined as Dharayati iti Dharma. Which means what one practises. It has no religion. Even animals and plants have Dharma. Mango tree gives only mangoes but not apples. Lion or tiger kills another animals and fills its belly. It is their dharma. Elephant or cow lives on greens, it is their dharma. They never violate it and never get any doubt on Dharma.
Unfortunately only humans get all sorts of doubts. Living according to Devinne law or natures law is called Dharma. Though humans live with nature they never respect it but try to exploit it for their advantage. Hence they try to define Dharma to suit their convenience.
2007-10-22 02:12:00 · answer #8 · answered by ravipati 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dharma means doing very bad thing in your life. Yes In kali yoga Dharma is doing bad things consistantly and lead very happy life.
God is selfish fellow and showing lots of partiality amoung the human beings. So you also do the same. You will get blessing from the god. Because your character and god's character now remain the same. So you are like by the god
2007-10-21 23:23:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one's life according to the codes of conduct as described by the Vedas and Upanishads. Dharma means "that which holds" the people of this world and the whole creation. It refers to the religious ethics as propounded by Hindu gurus in ancient Indian scriptures.
Hinduism describes dharma as the natural universal laws whose observance enables humans to be contented and happy, and to save himself from degradation and suffering. Dharma is the moral law combined with spiritual discipline that guides one's life. Hindus consider dharma the very foundation of life. The Atharva Veda describes dharma symbolically: Prithivim dharmana dhritam, that is, "this world is upheld by dharma".
The term dharma can best be explained as the "law of being" without which things cannot exist, just as the essential factor in human being is life - the atman without which he cannot exist. Therefore the dharma of human being is atman. And hence any good atmic quality is dharmic. Dharma therefore implies duty - a course of conduct. For example, Hinduism endorses the idea that it is one's dharma to marry, raise a family and provide for that family in whatever way is necessary.
Anything that helps human being to reach god is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching god is adharma.
The purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of the soul with the supreme reality, it also suggests a code of conduct that is intended to secure both worldly joys and supreme happiness.
Life on a dharmic path has four aspects: austerity (tap), purity (shauch), compassion (daya) and truthfulness (satya); and adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: pride (ahankar), contact (sangh), and intoxication (madya).
Hinduism is the religion that suggests methods for the attainment of the highest ideal and eternal bliss here and now on earth and not somewhere in heaven.
2007-10-22 16:24:03 · answer #10 · answered by sita 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dharma , in it's easiest way is...duty.
what you are supposed to do in a particular situation is dharma. It means a desired code of conduct.
When u r confused or u have more than one way out, it is ur dharma to select the one.
e.g...u see an accident. u r in a hurry to reach ur office. It is ur dharma to reach office i time. But it is ur more important sharma to help the victim of the accident.
Now returning to Gita....
Gita says, u can't avoid the result of ur acts. Now to achieve salvation, u need to zero down ur acts. How this can be acheved? As per Gita, do the acts (good or bad) as a "spectator" & not as an actor.A bank cashier counts lacs of rupees a day but never feels happy that he has all money b coz it is not his. A postman does not feel happy to deliver a "congrats" message nor feels sad to deliver a death message. His duty is to deliver the mails.
I know the examples given above are very simple ones but that is what is req'd as per Gita...do ur work as a spectator, never boast of doing a good job.
2007-10-22 01:02:00 · answer #11 · answered by JJ SHROFF 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋