Understanding Dharma

1
Understanding Dharma

• Hindu Basics
• Source of the word Hindu?
• Sindhu? Indu Mahasagar? Him-Dhu?
• What is Hinduism?
• The term was used by the Christian missionaries.
  To them it was a strange tribalism and because
  Christianity was the only religion to them, any
  other ideas had to be an ism so the called it
  Hindu-ism.
• Other names?
• Sanatana Dharma, Vedic Dharma, Brahminism or
  Brahminical Dharma or Just Dharma

2
Understanding Dharma

• Hindu Basics
• For thousands of years of experimentation in all
  possible fields of human domain are being done
  by the people of Bharat (indian subcontinent).
• Bharat has a heritage that has developed a great
  spiritual culture, great traditions, unmatched
  artistic achievements, and grand social,
  economic, political, health and educational
  systems from which all nations have learned.

3
Understanding Dharma

• Hindu Basics
• Hindu history is written with immense
  contribution to the world in the field of
  science, math, language and a glorious history of
  heroic valor without attacking others. But the
  most important is its knowledge of the Self and
  the universe in its Vedic and Vedantic treasure
  houses. All of these are part of what is called
  Hinduism

4
Understanding Dharma

• Hindu Basics
• How the universe, a society, a system or a being
  is sustained depends upon certain principles and
  laws. The eternal and unchanging rules of being,
  becoming and sustaining, the order that holds
  things together is literally Sanatana (eternal)
  Dharma (sustaining principles).

5
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• Dharma is a Sanskrit term, which literally means
  that which holds together or sustains the
  natural order of things.
• It refers to the universal principles and laws,
  duties and righteousness, which bring about
  peace, harmony and progress.
• According to Dharma, religion is one of
  innumerable possible paths towards individual
  aspirations
• It includes morality, ethics justice

6
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• "Dharmo hi paramo loke Dharme satyam
  pratisthitam
• Dharma is supreme in the world, and truth is
  based on Dharma The Ramayana
• Dharma is that through which abhyudayaa (welfare
  prosperity) and Nihsreyasa (Spiritual
  Greatness) are
• attained." - Vaisheshika Sutra

7
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• 'Yatha Dharma tatha jaya' - Mahabharat Literal
  meaning is "Victory Is There, Where Dharma Is'..
  we can modernize and say 'Dharma or righteous
  actions in tune to the truth brings success and
  victory'. 'jaya' means victory, glory, success
  etc.

8
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• Stephen Covey (Author of the international best
  selling book The 7 habits of highly effective
  people) '...principles that govern human growth
  and happiness - natural laws..'

9
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• 'Dharmo rakshati rakshitah' literal meaning is
  dharma protects the protector of Dharma. We can
  also say 'One who follows the path of Dharma
  will always be sustained/safeguarded.'

10
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• Slogan ideas
• 'What is your Dharma now/today/this moment?'
• 'Understand Dharma - Find your path'

11
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• "Dharanat dharmam ityahu dharmo dharayate praajah
  Yah svadharansamyuktah sa Dharma iti nischayah."
• The word Dharma is derived from dharana or
  sustenance Dharma sustains society that which
  has capacity to sustain, is indeed Dharma.
  -Mahabharat, Karnaparva, 69,59.

12
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• "Dharmadartha prabhavate Dharmat prabhavate
  sukham Dharmena labhate savam Dharmasaramidam
  jagaat.
• From Dharma arises wealth, Dharma is the source
  of happiness, through Dharma we attain
  everything, Dharma is the essence of the world. "
  - Ramayana (III.9.30)

13
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• "Vatthu Sahavo Dhammo"
• Dharma is nothing but the real nature of an
  object. Just as the nature of fire is to burn and
  the nature of water is to produce a cooling
  effect, in the same manner, the essential nature
  of the soul is to seek self-realization and
  spiritual elevation. - Mahavir Swami, Jain
  Tirthankar

14
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• Taji sabh bharam bhajio paarbrahm. Kahu Nanak
  attal ih Dharma
• Renounce all your doubts, and ponder upon the
  Supreme Lord. Says Nanak, this is the eternal
  Dharma - Guru Nanak, founder of Sikh Dharma

15
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• Taoism Tao is an emblem, meaning order, the
  whole, responsibility, efficiency. It is the
  Responsible Efficient, Total Order, creations as
  a whole, the whole of what is, multiplicity..
  this is from a web-site, not anybody's quote, yet
  very close to the definition of Dharma.

16
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma as virtues
• Dhritih kshama damosteyang shouca,indriyanigrahah
  Dhirvidya satyamakrodho dashakam
  Dharmalaksananam. -Manusmriti
• Fortitude, forbearance, self restraint,
  non-stealing, purity, control of senses,
  discrimination (good and bad), wisdom,
  truthfulness and sense of anger are the ten
  characteristics of Dharma

17
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• Dharma as virtuesAhimsa satyamakrodho
  danaametat caturbidham
• Ajatoshatro sevasva esa Dharma sanatana. Same
  as previous(Manusmriti) with the 11th virtue
  Ahimsa added. - Mahabharat
•  

18
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• Dhamma means (a) the state of nature as it is,
  (b) the laws of nature, (c) the duties that must
  be performed in accordance with the laws of
  nature, and (d) the results that are derived from
  the fulfillment of such duties.
  - Buddhadasa

19
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• "Twofold is the Vedic Dharma Of the nature of
  advancement in the world of action and
  achievement (pravrttilaksana) and withdrawal or
  turning inward into the world of Spirit and
  Freedom (Nivrtti-laksana), both of which are the
  necessary means and counterparts of the world,
  leading directly to the attainment of secular
  welfare and prosperity (abhyudaya) and Spiritual
  Good (nihsreyasa) of all beings." - Acharya
  Sankara (Introduction to his commentary on
  Geeta).

20
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• "Religion (Dharma) has made man what he is, and
  will make of this human animal a God. That is
  what religion can do. Take religion from human
  society and what will remain? Nothing but a
  forest of brutes." - Swami Vivekananda.
• Note Vivekananda used the word Dharma and was
  later translated to religion.

21
Understanding Dharma

• Dharma
• "...is the manifestation of divinity already in
  man. It is being and becoming, not hearing and
  acknowledging." - Swami Vivekananda.
• DHARMA ltgt Sustenance, growth, evolution
  progress!

22
Understanding Dharma

• Uniqueness
• The knowledge and systems are not based on
  beliefs but through experiments and experiences
  over thousands of years.
• It is super-scientific
• Modern science relies only on physical and
  sensory evidences.
• Dharma is based on physical, emotional,
  intellectual and intuitive experiences and needs.