DHARMA

InIndian religions,dharma (Sanskrit:???? dharma,Pali:????dhamma) is the Law that "upho ds, supports or maintains the regulatory order of the universe". TheClassical Sanskritnoundharmais a derivation from the rootdh?, which has a menaing of "to hold, maintain, keep",[1]and takes a meaning of "what is established or fi rm", and hence "law". It is derived from an olderVedic Sanskritn-stemdharman-, with a literal meaning of "bearer, supporter", in areligious senseconceived as an aspe ct ofRta. Rajiv Malhotrastates "Dharma is not the same as religion, every entity in the cos mos has its particular dharma -- from the electron, which has the dharma to move in a certain manner, to the clouds, galaxies, plants, insects, and of course, m an. Man's understanding of the dharma of inanimate things is what we now callphys ics". The contemporary religions ofHinduism,Jainism,Buddhism, andSikhismall have the concep t ofdharmaat their core. In Buddhism and Hinduism it points to the purification an d moral transformation of human beings. InBuddhist philosophy,dhamma/dharmais also the term for "phenomena".In Sikhism self liberation is not the goal; rather, the aim of a Sikh devotee is to be detached from the world and attached to the Guru 's feet. Etymology In theRigveda, the word appears as ann-stem,dhrman-, with a range of meanings encomp assing "something established or firm" (in the literal sense of prods or poles), figuratively "sustainer, supporter" (of deities), and semantically similar to t he Greekethos("fixed decree, statute, law"). InClassical Sanskrit, the noun becomes thematic,dharma-. It is a derivation fromProto-Indo-Iranianroot*dhar-("to fasten, to support, to hold" ), in turn reflectingProto-Indo-Europeanroot*d?er-("to hold"),[6]which in Sanskrit is reflected as class-1 rootvdh?. Etymologically it is related toAvestanvdar- ("to h old"),Old Persianvdar-("to hold, have"), Latinfrenum("rein, horse tack"), Lithuaniande reti("to be suited, fit"), Lithuanian derme (agreement),[7]darna ("harmony") andOld Church Slavonicdr? ati("to hold, possess"). Classical Sanskrit worddharmaswould forma lly match with Latin o-stemfirmus*Proto-Indo-European*d?er-mo-s "holding", were it not for its historical development from earlier Rigvedic n-stem. From theAtharvavedaand inClassical Sanskrit, the stem is thematic,dhrma-(Devanagari: ? ???), and inPali, it takes the formdhamma. It is also often rendereddharamincontempor ary Indian languagesand dialects. Definition and meaning Dharma is a concept of central importance inIndian philosophyandreligion.[8]It is di fficult to provide a single concise definition fordharma, as the word has a long and varied history and straddles a complex set of meanings and interpretations. In theRigvedathe following verse from the Rigveda is an example wherertais mentioned : O Indra, lead us on the path of Rta, on the right path over all evils RV 10.133.6 As well as referring to Law in the universal or abstract sense,dharmadesignates th ose behaviours considered necessary for the maintenance of the natural order of things.[9]Dharmamay encompass ideas such as duty,[10]vocation, religion and all be haviour considered appropriate, correct or morally upright. In technical literature, e.g., inSanskrit grammar,dharmaalso means "property" anddha rminmeans "property-bearer". In a Sanskrit sentence likeshabdo'nitya?, "sound is im permanent", "sound" is the bearer of the property "impermanence". Likewise, in t he sentenceiha ghata?, "here, there is a pot", "here" is the bearer of the proper ty "pot-existence" this shows that the categories of property and property-beare r are closer to those of a logical predicate and its subject-term, and not to a grammatical predicate and subject. The antonym ofdharmaisadharma, meaning unnatural or immoral. The word "dharma" was already in use in thehistorical Vedic religion, where it wa s conceived as an aspect ofRta.[2]Ethics in the Vedas are based on the concepts o

fSatyaandRta. Satya is the principle of integration rooted in the Absolute,[11]where as ?ta is the expression of Satya, which regulates and coordinates the operation of the universe and everything within it.[12]Conformity with ?ta would enable pr ogress whereas its violation would lead to punishment. The idea ofdharmaas duty or propriety is found in India's ancient legal and religi ous texts, that there is a divinely instituted natural order of things(rta), and that justice, social harmony and happiness require that people discern and live in a manner appropriate to the requirements of that order. The guidelines and ru les regarding this, accumulated in a body of literature called theDharmashastra.[ 13]In these texts civil law is inextricably linked to religion. TheShastrasinclude instructions on the correct way to perform religious rites and rituals, as well as the way to lead a morally pure life. The term "dharma" is used in most or all philosophies andreligions of Indian orig in(sometimes summarized byNeo-Vedantinsunder the umbrella term ofDharmic religions[ includingHinduism,Buddhism,Jainism, andSikhism. In Buddhism and Jainism, it refers to the teachings and doctrines of the founder s of Buddhism and Jainism,the BuddhaandMahavira. In Hinduism it means the religious and moralLaworNatural Lawgoverning the conduct of the individual and of the group .[14]The literal meaning is, from the Sanskrit, decree or custom.[15]In traditional Hindu society,dharmahas historically included s uch phenomena asVedicritual (yajna), ethical conduct,behaviour and duties appropria te to one's caste, and civil and criminal law. Its most common meaning, however, pertained to two principal ideas: that social life should be structured through well-defined and well-regulated classes ((varna) castes), and that an individua l's life within that class should be organized into defined stages known as (ash rama).[16]AHindu'sdharmais therefore affected by age, caste, occupation, and gender .[17] In the modernIndo-Aryan languages, the worddharmaoften is used to just mean "religi on" (i.e. "any of theworld religions").[18]Thus,Hindustanidharm(Hindi????,Urdu????) t s this meaning, combining to ???? ???? "Christianity", ??????? ???? "Islam", ??? ???? "Sikhism", ?????? ???? "Hinduism" etc.[19] Hinduism[edit] The transition of thertato the modern idea of dharma occurs in theBrihadaranyaka Up anishad. The Upanishads saw dharma as the universal principle of law, order, har mony, and all in all truth, that sprang first fromBrahman. It acts as the regulat ory moral principle of the Universe. It issat(truth), a major tenet of Hinduism. T his hearkens back to the conception of theRigvedathat "Ekam Sat," (Truth Is One), and of the idea that Brahman is "Satchitananda" (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss). Dha rma is not just law, or harmony, it is pure reality. In the Brihadaranyaka's own words: Verily, that which is Dharma is truth. Therefore they say of a man who speaks truth, "He speaks the Dharma," or of a man who speaks the Dharma, "He speaks the Truth." Verily, both these things are the same. Brh. Upanishad, 1.4.14[4] In theMahabharata,Krishnadefines dharma as, Dhaaranaad dharma ity aahur dharmena vidhrtaah prajaah, Yat syaad dhaarana sanyu ktam sa dharma iti nishchayah i.e., Dharma upholds both this-worldly and other-worldly affairs Mbh 8.69.58 Through thefourashramas, or stages of life (Brahmacharya,Grihastha,Vaanprastha,Sanyaa sa), a person also seeks to fulfill the four essentials (purusartha) ofkama(sensua l pleasures),artha(worldly gain), dharma, andmoksha(liberation from rebirth). Moksh a, although the ultimate goal, is emphasized more in the last two stages of life , while artha and kama are considered primary only during Grihastha. Dharma, how ever is essential in all four stages. As a purusartha, in terms of a human goal, dharma can also be considered to be a lens through which humans plan and perfor m their interactions with the world. Through the dharmic lens, one focuses on do ing what is right and avoiding what is wrong, while the kama perspective focuses

on doing what is pleasurable to our higher nature and avoiding pain, and the ar tha perspective focuses on doing what is profitable for our higher nature (not r eferring to material goods or money) and avoiding loss. Yamathe lord of justice, also the god responsible for the dead, is sometimes refe rred to as Dharma. Mythologically, he is said to have been born from the right b reast ofBrahma, is married to 13 daughters ofDakshaand fathers Shama,Kamaand Harahsa . In the epicMahabharata, he is incarnate asVidura.[20]Also, Dharma or Yama is invoke d byKuntiand she begets her eldest sonYudhisthirafrom him. Yudhisthira is also known as Dharmaraja, or king of dharma.[21] Buddhism[edit] For many Buddhists, the Dharma most often means the body of teachings expounded by theBuddha. The word is also used in Buddhistphenomenologyas a term roughly equi valent tophenomenon, a basic unit of existence and/or experience. Nastika dharma is referred to in the Mahabharata as more attached to Buddhist pr actice which draws upon the principles and disciplines of yoga to encourage equa lity and harmony among people, which promotes altruism.[22] In East Asia, the translation for dharma is?, pronouncedfain Mandarin,beopin Korean,h oin Japanese, andphpin Vietnamese. However, the term dharma can also be transliterat ed from its original form. Buddha's teachings[edit] For practicing Buddhists, references to "dharma" (dhammain Pali) particularly as "the Dharma", generally means the teachings of the Buddha, commonly known throug hout the East as Buddha-Dharma. The status of Dharma is regarded variably by different Buddhist traditions. Some regard it as an ultimate truth, or as the fount of all things which lies beyond the "three realms" (Sanskrit:tridhatu) and the "wheel of becoming" (Sanskrit:bhav acakra), somewhat like the pagan Greek and Christianlogos: this is known asDharmak aya(Sanskrit). Others, who regard the Buddha as simply an enlightened human bein g, see the Dharma as theessenceof the "84,000 different aspects of the teaching" (Tibetan:chos-sgo brgyad-khri bzhi strong) that the Buddha gave to various types of people, based upon their individual propensities and capabilities. Dharma refers not only to the sayings of the Buddha, but also to the later tradi tions of interpretation and addition that the variousschools of Buddhismhave devel oped to help explain and to expand upon the Buddha's teachings. For others still , they see the Dharma as referring to the "truth," or the ultimate reality of "t he way that things really are" (Tib. Cho). The Dharma is one of theThree Jewelsof Buddhism in which practitioners of Buddhism seek refuge, or that upon which one relies for his or her lasting happiness. Th e Three Jewels of Buddhism are theBuddha, meaning the mind's perfection of enligh tenment, theDharma, meaning the teachings and the methods of the Buddha, and theS angha, meaning those awakened beings who provide guidance and support to followe rs of the Buddha. Buddhist phenomenology[edit] Other uses include dharma, normally spelled with a small "d" (to differentiate), which refers to aphenomenonorconstituent factorof human experience. This was gradu ally expanded into a classification of constituents of the entire material and m ental world. Rejecting the substantial existence of permanent entities which are qualified by possibly changing qualities, BuddhistAbhidharmaphilosophers enumerat ed lists of dharmas which varied by school. They came to propound that these "co nstituent factors" are the only type of entity that truly exists (and only some thinkers gave dharmas this kind of existence). This notion is of particular impo rtance for the analysis of human experience: Rather than assuming that mental st ates inhere in a cognizing subject, or a soul-substance, Buddhist philosophers l argely propose that mental states alone exist as "momentary elements of consciou sness" and that a subjective perceiver is assumed. One of the central tenets of Buddhism, is the denial of a separate permanent "I" , and is outlined in thethree marks of existence. 1. Dukkha Suffering or unsatisfactoriness (Pali:Dukkha) 2. Anitya Change/Impermanence (Pali:Anicca)

3. Anatman Not-Self (Pali:Annatta) At the heart of Buddhism is the understanding of all phenomena asdependently orig inated. Later, Buddhist philosophers likeNagarjunawould question whether the dharmas (mome ntary elements of consciousness) truly have a separate existence of their own. ( i.e. Do they exist apart from anything else?) Rejecting any inherent reality to the dharmas, he asked (rhetorically): sunye?u sarvadharme?u kim ananta? kimantavat kim anantam antavac ca nananta? nantavacca ki? ki? tad eva kim anyat ki? sasvata? kim asasvata? asasvata? sasvata? ca ki? va nobhayam apyata? 'tha sarvopalambhpasama? prapacopasama? siva? na kvacit kasyacit kascid dharmo buddhena desita? When What What What all dharmas are empty, what is endless? What has an end? is endless and with an end? What is not endless and not with an end? isit? What isother? What is permanent? What is impermanent? is impermanent and permanent? What is neither?

Auspicious is the pacification of phenomenal metastasis, the pacification of all apprehending; There is no dharma whatsoever taught by the Buddha to whomever, whenever, wherev er. Mulamadhyamakakarika,nirv?anaparik?a, 25:22 24 Righteousness[edit] According toS. N. Goenka, a teacher ofVipassanameditation, the original meaning of dhamma is "dharayati iti dharmaH", or "one that contains, supports or upholds" a nd dharma in the Buddhist scriptures has a variety of meanings, including "pheno menon" and "nature" or "characteristic". Dharma also means "mental contents," an d is paired withcitta, which means heart-mind. The pairing is paralleled with the combining ofshareera(body) andvedana(feelings or sensations which arise within the body but are experienced through the mind) in majorsutrassuch as the Mahasatipat thana sutra. Dharma is also used to refer to the direct teachings of the Buddha, especially t he discourses on the fundamental principles (such as theFour Noble Truthsand theNob le Eightfold Path), as opposed to the parables and to the poems. East Asian Buddhism[edit] Dharma is employed inCh'anin a specific context in relation to transmission of aut hentic doctrine, understanding and bodhi; recognized inDharma transmission. Jainism[edit] Main article:Dharma (Jainism) InJainism, dharma is natural.AcharyaSamantabhadrawrites,Vatthu sahavo dhammo: "the dh arma is the nature of an object". It is the nature of the soul to be free, thus for the soul, the dharma isparalaukika, beyond worldly. However the nature of the body is to seek self-preservation and be engaged in pleasures. Thus there are t wo dharmas. AcharyaHaribhadra(c.6th 7th centuries) discusses dharma in Dharma-Bindu. He writes (T ranslation by Y. Malaiya):soayam-anu??hat?-bhedat dvi-vidho g?hastha-dharmo yati-dharmas ca| Because of the difference in practice, dharma is of two kinds, for the household ers and for the monks. tatra g?hastha-dharmo api dvi-vidha? samanyato vise?atas ca| Of the householder's dharma, there are two kinds, "ordinary" and "special" tatra samanayato g?hastha-dharma? kula-krama-agatam-anindya? vibhavady-apekshaya nyato anu??hana?| The ordinary dharma of the householder should be carried out according to tradit ion, such that it is not objectionable, according to ones abilities such as weal th, in accordance with nyaya (everyone treated fairly and according to laws). Somadevasuri (10th century) terms the "ordinary" and "special" dharmaslaukika("worl

dly") andpralaukika("extra-worldly") respectively: dvau hi dharmau g?hastha?am, laukika?, paralaukika?| lokasrayo bhavedadyah, parah syad-agama-asraya?|| A householder follows both laukika and the paralaukika dharmas at the same time. Sikhism ForSikhs, the wordDharmmeans the "path of righteousness". What is the "righteous pa th"? That is the question that the Sikh scriptures attempt to answer. The main h oly scriptures of the Sikhs is called theGuru Granth Sahib. It is considered to b e more than a holy book of theSikhs. The Sikhs treat this Granth (holy book) as a livingGuru. The holy text spans 1430 pages and contains the actual words spoken bythe Sikh Gurusand various otherSaintsfrom other religions includingHinduismandIslam. Sikh Dharma is a distinct religion revealed through the teachings of ten Gurus w ho are accepted by the followers as if they were spiritually the same. The Gurus are considered "the divine light" and they conveyedGurbani(the word of God) in th e form of the Guru Granth Sahib to the world. The Guru Granth Sahib of the Sikhs rejects the Hindu systems of Dharma and Karma. In this faith, God is described as bothNirgun(transcendent) andSargun(immanent). Further, God pervades in His creat ion and is omnipresent, but cannot be incarnate. The principal Sikh belief lays stress on one's actions and deeds rather than religious labels, rituals or outwa rd appearance or signs. The primary object of a Sikh's life is to seek union with God and hence, liberat ion from the cycle of births and deaths (cycle of re-incarnation) which is dicta ted by a person's thought, deeds and actions in this life. Liberation can be ach ieved through meditating on God, truthful living and sharing ones wealth in the context of a normal family life and through divine grace.Amrit Pahul Sikh baptism f or both men and women was instituted in 1699 byGuru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru . All Sikhs, on takingAmrit, are enjoined to lead a disciplined life by following a code of ethics leading to a "Saint-Soldier" way of life. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh vested spiritual authority in the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh scriptures) as the eternal Guru and hence Sikh Dharma acknowledges the end of human Gurushi p. At the same time, the temporal authority was vested in theKhalsaPanth(a communit y of Sikhs who have taken Amrit). Other important aspects of a Sikh's life includeSewa(dedication to the service of God's creation) where the emphasis is often upon manual work, undertaking of goo dwill towards other faiths and their followers, to defend for justice and assist ance of the oppressed. In contrast to many other faiths, Sikhs believe that when all other means to achieve justice are exhausted, then it is just to wield the sword. Congregational worship includes the following: 1. Paath Reading of the Holy scriptures 2. Kirtan Singing ofShabads(hymns). 3. Langar A communal vegetarian meal also call free kitchen is an important featur e of the Sikh way of life, and food is served to everyone at the end of a Sikh s ervice. 4. Ardas Sikhs conclude their prayers by doing the Ardas and invoking God's blessi ngs on everyone not just on Sikhs. Scriptures and dharma[edit] The Guru Granth Sahib lays down the foundation of this "righteous path" and vari ous salient points are found. 1. Sikh is bound by Dharma: The followers of this faith are bound by Dharma as a dvocated in their holy scriptures. The committed Sikh is encouraged to follow th is path at all times. The first recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib called theJap jiSahib says the following: "The path of the faithful shall never be blocked. The faithful shall depart with honor and fame. The faithful do not follow empty rel igious rituals. The faithful people are fully bound to do whatever the Dharma wa nts them to do. Such is the Name of the Immaculate Lord. Only one who has faith comes to know such a state of mind." (14) (Guru Granth SahibJapjipage 3.) 2. Deeds are recorded: The persons thoughts and deeds are said to be recorded an d the faithful is warned that these will be read out in the presence of the "Lor

d of Dharma". Two scribes calledChitrandGupt,[23]the angels of the conscious and th e subconscious mind are busy writing ones thought and deeds. On death, the soul of the person he brought before "Lord of Dharma" are these account are read out as recorded in this quote: Day and night are the two distracting but fascinating nurses, in whose lap all t he world forgetting reality is at play. Good deeds and bad deeds the record is r ead out in the Presence of the Lord of Dharma. According to their own actions, s ome are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away. Those who have pondered on the Name have earned Merit through hard endeavor. Nanak, their faces radiant with Divine Light, many shall be emancipated in company with them."[24] 1. Dharma administered by God: The scriptures further outline how the "Judge of Dharma" administers justice depending on the way that one has conducted life on Earth. The soul is either "cleared" or "subject to God's command" depending on t he review of the person history. The holy text says: "The Righteous Judge of Dha rma, by the Hukam of God's Command, sits and administers True Justice".[25]and th ose followers who "chant the name of the Lord" are cleared as outlined thus: "He r account is cleared by the Righteous Judge of Dharma, when she chants the Name of the Lord, Har, Har.