Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Dharm and Karm

A couple of days ago I published a blog on "Hatred and Forgiveness". One is such a quick concept and another is such an incomprehensible concept. One is a very natural concept, while the other one is an unnatural concept. People hate many things. Whatever they don't like it, they do not say that, "We don't like it." They say, "We hate it." In fact the "hate" word itself is a very intense negative word. "Don't like it" expression is still better because it is much more milder than the "hate" word.

Now as much intense negative is the expression, to forgive is difficult in the same proportion. That is why if one cannot be pure positive, one should be at least only mildly negative, so that forgiveness becomes easier and he can walk on the right path soon and easily.

One can save himself from this situation by following his Dharm and Karm. When he follows his Dharm and Karm, he finds easier to feel peace in his heart, to do many things according to his desires, and to deal with different types of people easily. Why? Because he is following his Dharm and Karm; and other people cannot blame him for saying or doing anything wrong. When other people cannot blame you, you are free from all kinds of criticism, evil thoughts, dissatisfaction etc etc.

One has to think this with a clear mind, not with irrationality, that how a Karm done with Dharm is different from a Karm done without following Dharm? What are their consequences and then compare them to evaluate them.Which one seems better - at this point forget that which one is difficult or impossible or it is in your interest or not, just compare them as if you are guiding others to follow your advice (it is easier to do it). When you have decided it then you choose your path.

Dharm and Karm
Now let us see what is Dharm and Karm, and how they can be followed by us. Dharm means what ever are our duties, or whatever we should do in a certain context - with a certain person, at a certain place,  at a certain time or our responsibility in lay man terms, is our Dharm. One can behave with one person differently when he is at different places and at different times, , I need not to explain this in detail, otherwise this will take a book, but everybody knows it that how people behave differently in different circumstances with the same person.

And Karm or action is the translation of what in theory is our Dharm,  though Dharm has a wider connotation encompassing gamut of entire animate and inanimate spectrum. So Karm is the action what we do with all our 11 Indriyaan (senses) according to our Dharm, whatever our Dharm is. If our Dharm is to offer water to a thirsty man, that is our Dharm, but to offer water in actuality is our Karm.

In this context one must know that everybody has his own Dharm - a set of his own actions. One cannot compare one's own actions with th other person's actions. All have their own Dharm and Karm. although there are some general Dharm also which are common for all and all should follow them.

Who are not following their Dharm, or whose actions are not according to their Dharm, they are very far from God. Why? Because as explained above, Dharm is not biased. It does not see whether somebody is our relation or an enemy, an animal or a human being, black or white - it has nothing to do with cast, race, color or species. As God has no cast, race, color or species, in the same way Dharm is also beyond them. For the same reason if a human being does not follow his Dharm, he is far from God.

That is why one should find out his Dharm, and follow it sincerely, he would soon find himself near to God; and after a while he would feel so much satisfaction in it that he would advocate it to everybody.


Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

1 comment:

  1. So much has been written and discussed on this subject; so much is talked about it by our preachers every where. In theory we all understand it but in practice we do not follow at all.DHARAM here does not mean RELIGION`. Sushma has rightly said that it is different in different situation.A person as an individual acts in different roles - a son to his father, a father to his children, brother,friend,an employee to his employer, sunordinate, a boss ...... a devotee to his GOD etc.Therefore, he has different responsibilities and hence duties and accordingly the ACTIONS. A student has his main duty to study sincerely to pass his examination...and a teacher to teach him sincerely.

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