Page 16 - NAMAH-Oct-2022

Namah Vol. 30, Issue 3, 15th October 2022

of living which helps the human soul and the a doctrine or slavery to outer mechanism and
collective life of humanity to grow towards machinery. The third, that is dharma, is more
and into Truth and Light and Freedom and intrinsic in nature but extends to the entire
Bliss and Immortality. It does not imprison field of our outer nature and physical actions.
man’s soul in outer machinery nor stifle But instead of looking at action mainly from
it to live within the limits of the cage but outer deeds, it looks at it from the inner point
allows us to soar towards infinite horizons. of the motive and intent. But going still
All law is in fact meant to curb our lower deeper touches the core from where all action
propensities that hurt and harm us in our must originate, the inner poise, the state of
individual and collective life. But they do consciousness from where one acts but not
not automatically bring us nearer to Truth, without taking into consideration the level of
despite the religious injunction that if we consciousness at which the person who acts
behave according to the scripture, we shall stands. Thus, there are different dharmas for
be granted a place in heaven or arrive at some different categories of humanity and even
post-mortem salvation. It does not really set for different epochs of time. But it has within
us free nor helps us to realise our own highest it an inbuilt mechanism for justice. If one
and deepest possibilities. This is so because acts according to dharma one is automatically
this approach is born of a dualistic philosophy pushed up the inner evolutionary ladder
that sees man forever separate from God. from the human to the Divine. If one deviates
Besides the fact that this is an illogical thing from it, then one moves away from the divine
to say since nothing can ever be separate from core and complicates the journey, making it
the Origin, it leaves us forever dependent fraught with struggles and sufferings.
upon something outer and at the end gives
us nearly the same or a similar reward (or
punishment) that one pursues upon earth.
Whether this worldly or other-worldly, it
keeps us forever tied to the circle of pleasure
and pain. Dharma however starts with duality
but ends up with our utter identity with the
a
Source and the Origin, sadharmya gati, which
means growing into the likeness of God or
the Divine Creator. Most importantly the seat
of Dharma is within, in the heart and the soul
of man, svadharma so to say.
But since not all may be able to perceive
Thus seen, we have these three standards dharma, Indian thought opened one more
of conduct that humanity has evolved so possibility for action. It is through the power
far out of its collective wisdom to deal with of discernment. If the seat of dharma is in the
the problem of right action. The first two, heart of man, the Power of discernment can
as we have seen, are inadequate to give the be developed through the mind. Though
perfect answer to the riddle of action. It is a a superficial understanding may conceive
reliance on external source, the obedience to of discernment or buddhi as the power of

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