Dharma and the cause-effect law (Karman)
In the remote past, in India, a prince, since he
was a child, was in the care of a master who, first of all, had
the job of instructing him on Dharma, and this kind of learning
had to come before all the other ones, included the specific
martial arts training, concerning the caste of warriors he
belonged to, so that his actions could then be always
enlightened by the Right (Dharma) and consequently bring him to
the self-achievement and the happiness of himself and of the
others.
The Indian spiritual culture, I’d venture to say all along,
suggests the wakening of the awareness as a way of fulfillment.
And it’s just because of the lack of awareness that man makes
today his wrong actions and then, as a child, he complains the
evils caused by himself. Just see what happen in our society
where, without any ethics, we have to live in unhappiness, in
the reciprocal mistrust and in insecurity.
In my opinion, it’s now the time to meditate with bigger
intensity on some natural principles, to harmonize ourselves
with them. Everything has to start from a comprehension of the
fundamental rules of nature that in the Hindu culture are called
Dharma. The word Dharma comes from the Hindu-European word DHR
that means to support, to keep being and sometimes to create.
Dharma is both something fixed, steady and firm as in Sanatana
Dharma, literally the eternal rule, the real spiritual name of
the movement that in the West is called Hinduism, and the nature
of things, what makes them to be what they are, and not to be
anything else.
It’s on the strength of Dharma, in fact, that celestial bodies
follow their way. So, Dharma is a manifestation’s quality like
so the fragrance is a Dharma of the flower. Anyway, Dharma, by
analyzing it from the point of view that interests us in this
report, is law of the Nature and order both of the cosmos and of
the personal life, because it suggests the rules of the
individual behaviour. To live following Dharma (everyone meets
oneself Dharma in the conscience purified by the ego) means to
go towards oneself true nature and to bring it in harmony with
Sanatana Dharma (cosmic order-divine and eternal life) is the
essence itself of the religion for a Hindu.
From a practical point of view, the one near to us, Dharma is
like a code of norms, as the one constituted by Yama of Yoga, to
assure the balanced relation with the others and what is around
us, and oneself spiritual health.
There are five Yama:
-Ahimsa: non-violence, first ethic law, limitation to be
observed and realized to be able to follow the way of
realization.
-Satya: veracity. It consists in coherence of words, thoughts
and actions.
-Asteya: abstention from the theft that is from taking something
does not belong to us but also to suppress in oneself the desire
of that appropriation.
-Brahmacarya: control of instincts, chastity; first step of the
ascetic walk.
-Aparigraha: non-avidity, non-possession.
For a Hindu, do not try to follow the Dharma means to be in the
Avidya (Sanskrit word that usually means ignorance). But Avidya
is do not recognize the truth and do not recognize God and that
brings to destroying consequences as in the whole Hindu culture
is proved by the ancient epic poems that assume big importance
for who is looking for behaviour norms that harmonize themselves
with the divine.
Indian spirituality suggests a life deeply responsible where
actions are regulated by Dharma: it’s based on the big
cause-effect law that is into the manifestation. This law has
been called Karman or Karma, as we love to say. The word Karma
comes from the root of the Sanskrit verb Kr that means to do, to
act.
Also the universe itself is a Karma, it’s the effect and the
consequence of a divine action. In the microcosm the Karma
brings us in the face of the fruit of our actions. In other
words, we result from our past but it’s also true that our
future will be affected by the actions we are making now. The
correct actions bring good and happiness. The correct actions
are regulated by Dharma. So, don’t waste time. Let’s seriously
engage in the study of Dharma, so that it can regulate our
actions and bring us to an enlightened realization full of
Ananda (beatitude).
by Amadio Bianchi