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The Sanskrit term Dharma (help·info) (Devanagari: ) (Pali: Dhamma) signifies the underlying order in nature and life (human or other) considered to be in accord with that order. The word dharma is generally translated into English as ’law’ and literally translates as ’that which upholds or supports’ (from the root ’Dhr’ - to hold), here referring to the order which makes the cosmos and the harmonious complexity of the natural world possible. As in the West, the concept of natural or divine law, has, throughout the history of Indian civilisation, governed ideas about the proper conduct of living. The symbol of the dharma - the wheel - is the central motif in the national flag of India.

In its most frequent usage (in the sphere of morality and ethics) dharma means ’right way of living’, ’proper conduct’, ’duty’ or ’righteousness’. With respect to spirituality, dharma might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. What is in the West called religion in India comes within the general purview of dharma. Thus the various Indian religions (sanatana dharma, Buddhadharma, Jain dharma etc.) are so many versions of Dharma - versions of what is considered to be ’right’ or in truest accord with the deepest realities of nature.

Each of the various Indian religions emphasize Dharma as the correct understanding of Nature (or God, as the origin of nature) in their teachings. In these traditions, beings that live in accordance with Dharma proceed more quickly toward Dharma Yukam, Moksha or Nirvana (personal liberation). Dharma also refers to the teachings and doctrines of the founders of these traditions, such as those of Gautama Buddha and Mahavira. In traditional Hindu society with its caste structure, Dharma constituted the religious and moral doctrine of the rights and duties of each individual. (see dharmasastra). Dharma in its universal meaning shares much in common with the way of Tao or Taoism.

The antonym of dharma is adharma meaning unnatural or immoral.

Etymology

The word is from a root common Indo-Iranian root dhar "to fasten, to support, to hold", continuing PIE *dher, in the IEW connected with Latin frenum "rein, horse tack", Germanic words for "hidden, held back" (OHG tarni "latens"), and extended to dher-gh, with OCS dr&158;o, dr&158;ati "to hold, possess". Etymological identity of dharma with Latin firmus (whence English firm) has been suggested, but remains uncertain.

In the Rigveda, the word appears as an n-stem, dhárman-, with a range of meanings encompassing "something established or firm" (in the literal sense of prods or poles), figuratively "sustainer, supporter" (of deities), and in the abstract, similar to the semantics of Greek ethos, "fixed decree, statute, law".

From the Atharvaveda and in Classical Sanskrit, the stem is thematic, dhárma- (Devanagari: ), and in Pali, it takes the form dhamma. It is also often rendered dharam in contemporary Indo-Aryan. Monier-Williams attempts to gesture at the semantic field of the spiritual and religious meanings of the term with "virtue, morality, religion, religious merit". It being used in most or all philosophies and religions of Indian origin, sometimes summarized under the umbrella term of Dharmic faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, it is difficult to provide a single concise definition for Dharma. The word has a long and varied history and straddles a complex set of meanings and interpretations.

In modern Indian languages, such as Hindi, dharma can also mean simply "religion." Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are called Hindu Dharma, Buddha-Dharma, Jain-Dharma and Sikh dharma, respectively.

In scripture translations dharma is often best left untranslated, as it has acquired a lively life of its own in English that is more expressive than any simplistic translation. Common translations and glosses include "right way of living," Divine Law, Path of Righteousness, order, faith, "natural harmony," rule, fundamental teachings, and duty. Dharma may be employed to render the rules of the entwining operation and relationship of bodymind and Universe, microcosm and macrocosm; the binding metaphysical system, laws of reciprocity and comportment in, and of, an ethical and energetic complex.

In Hinduism

Rene Guenon, father of the 20th century school of perennial philosophy, said:

Dharma is, so to speak, the essential nature of a being, comprising the sum of its particular qualities or characteristics, and determining, by virtue of the tendencies or dispositions it implies, the manner in which this being will conduct itself, either in a general way or in relation to each particular circumstance. The same idea may be applied, not only to a single being, but also to an organized collectivity, to a species, to all the beings included in a cosmic cycle or state of existence, or even to the whole order of the Universe; it then, at one level or another, signifies conformity with the essential nature of beings.. (from Guenon’s "Introduction to the Study of Hindu Doctrines").

Development

The idea of dharma as appropriate action or righteousness becomes possible when the concept of a universal order is reached within early vedic culture. In the Rig veda the belief (or observation) that a natural justice and harmony pervades the natural world becomes manifest in the concept of rta. Rta is both ’nature’s way’ and the order implicit in nature. Thus rta bears a resemblance to the ancient Chinese concept of tao and the Heraclitan or stoic conception of the logos.

This power that lay behind the marvel of nature keeping everything in balance becomes a natural forerunner or precuror to the idea of dharma as one can see in this early Vedic prayer, preempting the liturgical strains of classical Hindu mantras involving dharma:

"O Indra, lead us on the path of Rta, on the right path over all evils." (RV 10.133.6)

Thus we see the logical progression of an early ’course of things’ into an all-encompassing moral order, a path and way of righteousness, a universal harmony, in the Vedic conception of Rta. (1)

An early and insightful demonstration of the continuity of thought from rta to dharma is a brief but "pregnant definition" ((3) of dharma given in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, a part of the Veda. Founded upon the Hindu ideas of, as R. E. Hume put it, "intelligent monism," with Brahman as the monad, the Upanishads saw dharma as the universal principle of law, order, harmony, all in all truth, that sprang first from Brahman. It acts as the regulatory moral principle of the Universe. It is sat, truth, a major tenet of Hinduism. This hearkens back to the conception of the Rig Veda that "Ekam Sat," (Truth Is One), of the idea that Brahman is "Sacchidananda" (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss). Dharma has imbibed the rarefied and sublime principles of Truth, and as such is the central guiding principle in the Dharmic Traditions’ conception of existence. Dharma 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) (2)

Sage Kanada, founder of the Vaisheshika system of philosophy, has given this definition of Dharma, in his Vaisheshika Sutras: "Yato-bhyudayanihsreyasa-siddhih sa dharmah", that which leads to the attainment of prosperity (in this life) and eternal bliss (beyond life) is Dharma.

In Mahabharata, Krishna defines Dharma as: "Dhaaranaad dharma ity aahur dharmena vidhrtaah prajaah, Yat syaad dhaarana sanyuktam sa dharma iti nishchayah", Dharma upholds both this-worldly and the other-worldly affairs (Mbh 12.110.11).

Dharma as a Purushartha

In moving through the four stages of life, viz. Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vaanprastha , Sanyaasa, a person also seeks to fulfill the four essentials (purushaartha) of Dharma, Artha (worldly gain}, Kama (sensual pleasures), and Moksha (liberation from reincarnation or rebirth). Moksha, although the ultimate goal, is emphasized more in the last two stages of life, while Artha and Kama are primary only during Grihasthaashram. Dharma, however is essential in all four stages.

Kane’s view

According to Dr.Pandurang Vaman Kane, the word "Dharma" acquired a sense of "the privileges, duties and obligations of a man, his standard of conduct as a member of the Aryan community, as a member of the caste and as a person in a particular state of life."

The God Dharma

Dharma is also the name of a Deva in charge of Dharma. He is born from the right breast of Brahma, is married to ten daughters of Daksha and fathers Shama, Kama and Harahsa. He is also the father of the celebrated Rishis Hari, Krishna, Nara-Narayana.

In the Epic Mahabharata,he is incarnate as Vidura. Also, Dharma is invoked by Kunti and she begets her eldest son Yudhisthira from him. As such Yudhisthira is known as Dharmaputra. There is also an assimilation of God Dharma and Yama, the God of the Dead in the Mahabharata.

In technical literature

In technical literature, e.g., in Sanskrit grammar, dharma also means "property" and dharmin means "property-bearer".In a Sanskrit sentence like shabdo ’nitya , "sound is impermanent", "sound" is the bearer of the property "impermanence". Likewise, in the sentence iha ghata, "here, there is a pot", "here" is the bearer of the property "pot-existence" - this just goes to show that the categories property and property-bearer are closer to those of a logical predicate and its subject-term, and not to a grammatical predicate and subject.

For many Buddhists, the Dharma most often means the body of teachings expounded by the Buddha. The word is also used in Buddhist phenomenology as a term roughly equivalent to phenomenon, a basic unit of existence and/or experience.

In East Asia, the character for Dharma is , pronounced fa in Mandarin, beop in Korean, and ho in Japanese.

Buddha’s teachings

For practicing Buddhists, references to "dharma" or dhamma in the singular, particularly as "the" Dharma, is used to mean the teachings of the Buddha, commonly known throughout the east as Buddha-Dharma. This latter signification has nothing to do with the personality of the spiritual teacher Siddhartha Gautama but rather signifies the importance of the attitude of bodymind that enables an adept or practitioner to re-harmonise their personal nature with the underlying principle (Dharma) behind natural phenomena leading towards the undoing of all egoistic falsehood constituted by the aggregates and ultimately release in nirvana - generically referred to in Indian religions as liberation (moksha).

The status of the Dharma is regarded variably by different traditions. Some regard it as an ultimate and transcendent truth utterly beyond worldly things, somewhat like the Christian logos. Others, who regard the Buddha as simply an enlightened human being, see the Dharma as the 84,000 different teachings that the Buddha gave to various types of people based on their propensity and capacity.

"Dharma" usually refers not only to the sayings of the Buddha but also to the later traditions of interpretation and addition that the various schools of Buddhism have developed to help explain and expand upon the Buddha’s teachings. For others still, they see the dharma as referring to the "truth" or ultimate reality or "the way things are" (Tib. Cho).

The Dharma is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism of which practitioners of Buddhism seek refuge in (what one relies on for his/her lasting happiness). The three jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha (mind’s perfection of enlightenment), the Dharma (teachings and methods), and the Sangha (awakened beings who provide guidance and support).

Qualities of Buddha Dharma

The Teaching of the Buddha also has six supreme qualities:

(Svakkhato) The Dharma is not a speculative philosophy, but is the Universal Law found through enlightenment and is preached precisely. Therefore it is Excellent in the beginning (Sila - Moral principles), Excellent in the middle (Samadhi - Concentration) and Excellent in the end (Panña - Wisdom),

(Samditthiko) The Dharma can be tested by practice and therefore he who follows it will see the result by himself through his own experience.

(Akaliko) The Dharma is able to bestow timeless and immediate results here and now, for which there is no need to wait until the future or next existence.

(Ehipassiko) The Dharma welcomes all beings to put it to the test and come and see for themselves.

(Opaneyiko) The Dharma is capable of being entered upon and therefore it is worthy to be followed as a part of one’s life.

(Paccattam veditabbo viññunhi) The Dharma can be perfectly realized only by the noble disciples (Ariyas) who have matured and enlightened enough in supreme wisdom.

Knowing these attributes, Buddhists believe that they will attain the greatest peace and happiness through the practice of the Dharma. Each person is therefore fully responsible for himself to put it in the real practice.

Here the Buddha is compared to an experienced and skilful doctor, and the Dharma to proper medicine. However efficient the doctor or wonderful the medicine may be, the patients cannot be cured unless they take the medicine properly. So the practice of the Dharma is the only way to attain the final deliverance of Nibbana.

These teachings ranged from understanding karma (cause and effect) and developing good impressions in one’s mind, to how to reach full enlightenment by recognizing the nature of mind.

Dharmas in Buddhist phenomenology

Other uses include dharma, normally spelled with a small "d" (to differentiate), which refers to a phenomenon or constituent factor of human experience. This was gradually expanded into a classification of constituents of the entire material and mental world. Rejecting the substantial existence of permanent entities which are qualified by possibly changing qualities, Buddhist Abhidharma philosophy, which enumerated seventy-five dharmas, came to propound that these "constituent factors" are the only type of entity that truly exists. This notion is of particular importance for the analysis of human experience: Rather than assuming that mental states inhere in a cognizing subject, or a soul-substance, Buddhist philosophers largely propose that mental states alone exist as "momentary elements of consciousness" 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 the three marks of existence. The three signs:

Dukkha - Suffering (Pali: Dukkha), 
Anitya - Change/Impermanence (Pali: Anicca), 
Anatman - No-I (Pali: Annatta). 
At the heart of Buddhism, is the denial of an "I" (and hence the delusion) as a separate 
self-existing entity.

Later, Buddhist philosophers like Nagarjuna would question whether the dharmas (momentary elements of 
consciousness) truly have a separate existence of their own. (ie Do they exist apart from anything 
else) Rejecting any inherent reality to the dharmas, he asked (rhetorically):

sunyeu sarvadharmeu 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 prapañcopasama siva
na kva cit kasyacit kascid dharmo buddhena desita|

When all dharmas are empty, what is endless What has an end
What is endless and with an end What is not endless and not with an end
What is it What is other What is permanent What is impermanent
What 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, wherever. 
--Mulamadhyamakakarika, nirvanaparika, 25:22-24

Dharma as righteousness

According to S. N. Goenka, teacher of Vipassana Meditation, the original meaning of dhamma is "dhareti ti dhamma", or "that which is contained". Dharma in the Buddhist scriptures has a variety of meanings, including "phenomenon" and "nature" or "characteristic". Dharma also means ’mental contents’ and is paired with citta, which means heart/mind. The pairing is paralleled with the pairing of kaya (body) and vedana (feelings or sensations, that which arise within the body but experienced through the mind), in major sutras such as the Mahasatipatthana sutra. Dharma is also used to refer to the teachings of the Buddha, not in the context of the words of one man, even an enlightened man, but as a reflection of natural law which was re-discovered by this man and shared with the world. A person who lives their life with an understanding of this natural law, is a "dhammic" person, which is often translated as "righteous".

Dharma in Ch’an

Dharma is employed in Ch’an in a specific context in relation to transmission of authentic doctrine, understanding and bodhi; recognized in Dharma transmission.

For Sikhs, the word "Dharma" means the "path of righteousness". What is the "righteous path" That is the question that the Sikh scriptures attempt to answer. The main holy scriptures of the Sikhs is called the Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS.) It is considered to be more than a holy book of the Sikhs. The Sikhs treat this Granth (holy book) as a living Guru. The holy text spans 1430 pages and contains the actual words spoken by the Sikh Gurus and various other Saints from other religions including Hinduism and Islam.

Sikh Dharma is a distinct religion revealed through the teachings of ten Gurus who are accepted by the followers as if they were spiritually the same. The Gurus are considered "the divine light" and they conveyed Gurbani (the word of God) in the form of the Guru Granth Sahib to the world. In this faith, God is described as both Nirgun (transcendent) and Sargun (immanent). Further, God pervades in His creation and is omnipresent, but cannot be incarnate. The principal Sikh belief lays stress on one’s actions and deeds rather than people’s religious labels, rituals or outward appearance or signs.

Background

The primary object of a Sikh’s life is to seek union with God and hence, liberation from the cycle of births and deaths (cycle of re-incarnation) which is dictated by a person’s thought, deeds and actions in this life. Liberation can be achieved 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 for both men and women - was instituted in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru. All Sikhs, on taking Amrit, 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 Guruship. At the same time, the temporal authority was vested in the Khalsa Panth (a community of Sikhs who have taken Amrit).

Other important aspects of a Sikh’s life include Sewa (dedication to the service of God’s creation) where the emphasis is often upon manual work, undertaking of goodwill towards other faiths and their followers, to defend for justice and assistance 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:

Paath - Reading of the Holy scriptures

Kirtan - Singing of Shabads (hymns).

Langar - A communal vegetarian meal also call free kitchen is an important feature of the Sikh way of life, and food is served to everyone at the end of a Sikh service.

Community Centre - Today, in most countries, a Gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship, also serves as a centre to promote Sikh culture and such other needs of the community.

Ardas - Sikhs conclude their prayers by doing the Ardas and invoking God’s blessings on everyone - not just on Sikhs.

Scriptures and Dharma

The Guru Granth Sahib lays down the foundation of this "righteous path" and various salient points are found.

Sikh is bound by Dharma: The followers of this faith are bound by Dharma as advocated in their holy scriptures. The committed Sikh is encouraged to follow this path at all times. The first recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib called the Japji Sahib 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 religious rituals. The faithful are firmly bound to the Dharma. Such is the Name of the Immaculate Lord. Only one who has faith comes to know such a state of mind." (14) (Guru Granth Sahib Japji page 3.)

Deeds are recorded: The persons thoughts and deeds are said to be recorded and the faithful is warned that these will be read out in the presence of the "Lord of Dharma". Two scribes called "Chitr and Gupt" 1 , the angels of the conscious and the 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 recoded in this quote: "Day and night are the two nurses, in whose lap all the world is at play. Good deeds and bad deeds - the record is read out in the Presence of the Lord of Dharma. According to their own actions, some are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away." (Guru Granth Sahib Japji page 8, Salok.) 2

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 the review of the person history. The holy text says: "The Righteous Judge of Dharma, by the Hukam of God’s Command, sits and administers True Justice". (Guru Granth Sahib page 38) (4) and those followers who "chant the name of the Lord" are cleared as outlined thus: "Her account is cleared by the Righteous Judge of Dharma, when she chants the Name of the Lord, Har, Har." (Guru Granth Sahib page 78) 5

Karma and Dharma

Karma and Dharma are intrinsically linked in the Sikh faith. Karma is the baggage of ones thoughts, deeds and action in ones present and past lives. When ones mind is not fixed on the Almighty, one is governed by the Five Evils - Lust, Rage (anger), Ego, Attachment and Greed. The Sikh text tell the faithful that these "Five Evils" have the effect of restricting the person’s spiritual development and the person falls into the trap of Maya (worldly affairs) which then begins to control the person’s daily life and routine. Yogi Harbhanjan Singh Khalsa said the following regarding the influence of the "five evils" - "The folly of man is that all he seeks is self-praise for all that he has no right over - he grooms himself and compliments himself over how he looks like when he sees his reflection in the mirror; expects his wife and children to regard him as good;.. "

Dharma is natural. Jain Acharya Samantabhadra writes: "Vatthu sahavo dhammo" the dharma is the nature of an object. It is the nature of the soul to be free, thus for the soul, the dharma ia paralaukika, beyond worldly. However the nature of the body is to seek self-preservation and be engaged in pleasures.

Thus there are two dharmas.

The two Dharmas

Acharya Haribhadra (approx. 6-7th cent.) discusses dharma in Dharma-Bindu. he writes (Translation by Y. Malaiya):

soayam-anuhat-bhedat dvi-vidho

ghastha-dharmo yati-dharmas ca |

Because of the difference in practice, dharma is of two kinds, for the householders and for the monks.

tatra ghastha-dharmo api dvi-vidha

samanyato viseatas ca |

Of the householder’s dharma, there are two kinds,"ordinary" and "special"

tatra samanayato ghastha-dharma kula-krama-agatam-anindya

vibhavady-apekshaya nyato anuhana |

The ordinary dharma of the householder should be carried out according to tradition, such that it is not objectionable, according to ones abilities such as wealth, in accordance with nyaya (everyone treated fairly and according to laws).

Somadeva suri (10th c.) terms the "ordinary" and "special" dharmas laukika ("worldly") and pralaukika ("extra-worldly") respectively:

dvau hi dharmau ghasthaam, laukika, paralaukika |

lokasrayo bhavedadyah, parah syad-agama-asraya ||

A householder follows both laukika and the paralaukika dharmas at the same time.

References in pop culture

TV

Dharma is a frequent allusion on ABC’s hit show Lost.

The female lead character in Dharma and Greg is named Dharma. She was raised by hippie parents, is a practitioner of yoga and an adherent of Eastern spiritualities.

Music

In the 1968 Jethro Tull album, This Was, there is a song called Dharma for One, which Tull also played two years later at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival

Donald Roeser, guitarist for Blue öyster Cult listed his name on albums as "Buck Dharma."

Up Dharma Down, a Filipino band, whose curious name is from the idea that everything in existence is connected no matter how diverse they are.

FM (Canadian band), wrote a song called Dialing For Dharma, which can be found on the album Black Noise.

Literature

Jack Kerouac wrote The Dharma Bums loosely based on his own spiritual awakening with friends Gary Snyder and John Montgomery in the late 1950s. Dharma Punx: A memoir by Noah Levine

See also
Tao (Chinese) 
Perennial philosophy 
Mysticism 
Rta 
Hindu philosophy 
Buddhist philosophy 
Karma 
Dhammapada 
Dharmacakra 
Dharma Maharaja 
Dharma transmission 
Yuga Dharma 
Mitzvah (Jewish) 
Fard (Islamic) 
Themis (Greek) 
Essence 
Ma’at (Egyptian) 
Spontaneous order