Spiritual Forums

Home


Donate!


Articles


CHAT!


Shop


 
Welcome to Spiritual Forums!.

We created this community for people from all backgrounds to discuss Spiritual, Paranormal, Metaphysical, Philosophical, Supernatural, and Esoteric subjects. From Astral Projection to Zen, all topics are welcome. We hope you enjoy your visits.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest, which gives you limited access to most discussions and articles. By joining our free community you will be able to post messages, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload your own photos, and gain access to our Chat Rooms, Registration is fast, simple, and free, so please, join our community today! !

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, check our FAQs before contacting support. Please read our forum rules, since they are enforced by our volunteer staff. This will help you avoid any infractions and issues.

Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Hinduism

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 24-01-2017, 05:47 PM
dattaseva dattaseva is offline
Knower
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 135
 
Dharma - the natural characteristic property of any creature

The word Dharma refers to the characteristic property that is innately associated with the identification of an item. The Dharma of fire is to burn, by which it is identified as fire. It is the expected natural behaviour of an item in creation. If fire is cool, such coolness is Adharma, which means that it is not the expected property of the specific entity.

The human being in this creation is a specified entity and is expected to show certain characteristic properties (Dharmas), by which he or she is identified as a human being. If the human being shows the characteristic properties of other specified items, it loses its identification.

When God created various items in this world, He assigned certain characteristic properties to be associated with corresponding items. The possession of Dharma is the will of God. The balance of the creation is maintained when specified items exhibit their specified properties assigned by God.

All the inert items like fire, water etc., strictly follow the will of God. God created this universe for entertainment (Ekaki na ramate...Veda). This entertainment is disturbed when the natural balance is upset. God has given freedom to human beings, which is the inherent desire of each soul to choose one thing as opposed to another thing.

God has full freedom to change any characteristic property of any specified item. If He wishes, fire cannot burn, air cannot move and water cannot quench even a dry blade of grass. Since He is omnipotent, He has unlimited freedom. But souls have very little potentiality. Their freedom is naturally conditional and limited.

The living being has a certain amount of freedom within a specified boundary of its potentiality. If even this freedom is not given, it can no more be called a living being. Among all living beings, the human being has full potentiality due to its analytical faculty (Buddhi). Relatively more freedom is granted to the human.

As humans, we should understand the limits of our capabilities and should freely behave within those specified boundaries. Such behaviour is known as Dharma, which is expected by God. If these limits are violated and the behaviour of some other category of creatures like animals is shown, such a soul is punished and is pushed into the life cycle of animals. Such an animal goes on to live in the wilderness, where it can have its characteristic behaviour, which does not upset the balance of animal kingdom in the forest.

But when a human being lives in the society of human beings and behaves like an animal, the society of human beings is disturbed.

The humanity is the most advanced race of the living beings into which God often enters in human form (Manusheem Tanumasritam—Gita). Dharma is called as Pravrutti, which is the expected behaviour of the human being with respect to other co-human beings to maintain the balance of humanity.

Only in humanity is spiritual effort taken up by some blessed and realized human beings. The behaviour of the human being should not upset any other human being.

Whether you're an atheist or theist, you are expected to maintain the balance of human society. The highest Dharma is not to hurt any soul including birds and animals. Even a tree is a living being and you should not cut any green tree as far as possible; of course, cutting dead trees is fine. Non-violence towards living beings is the essence of Dharma (Ahimsa paramo dharmah).
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 24-01-2017, 06:32 PM
sky sky is offline
Master
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 15,533
  sky's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by dattaseva
The word Dharma refers to the characteristic property that is innately associated with the identification of an item. The Dharma of fire is to burn, by which it is identified as fire. It is the expected natural behaviour of an item in creation. If fire is cool, such coolness is Adharma, which means that it is not the expected property of the specific entity.

The human being in this creation is a specified entity and is expected to show certain characteristic properties (Dharmas), by which he or she is identified as a human being. If the human being shows the characteristic properties of other specified items, it loses its identification.

When God created various items in this world, He assigned certain characteristic properties to be associated with corresponding items. The possession of Dharma is the will of God. The balance of the creation is maintained when specified items exhibit their specified properties assigned by God.

All the inert items like fire, water etc., strictly follow the will of God. God created this universe for entertainment (Ekaki na ramate...Veda). This entertainment is disturbed when the natural balance is upset. God has given freedom to human beings, which is the inherent desire of each soul to choose one thing as opposed to another thing.

God has full freedom to change any characteristic property of any specified item. If He wishes, fire cannot burn, air cannot move and water cannot quench even a dry blade of grass. Since He is omnipotent, He has unlimited freedom. But souls have very little potentiality. Their freedom is naturally conditional and limited.

The living being has a certain amount of freedom within a specified boundary of its potentiality. If even this freedom is not given, it can no more be called a living being. Among all living beings, the human being has full potentiality due to its analytical faculty (Buddhi). Relatively more freedom is granted to the human.

As humans, we should understand the limits of our capabilities and should freely behave within those specified boundaries. Such behaviour is known as Dharma, which is expected by God. If these limits are violated and the behaviour of some other category of creatures like animals is shown, such a soul is punished and is pushed into the life cycle of animals. Such an animal goes on to live in the wilderness, where it can have its characteristic behaviour, which does not upset the balance of animal kingdom in the forest.

But when a human being lives in the society of human beings and behaves like an animal, the society of human beings is disturbed.

The humanity is the most advanced race of the living beings into which God often enters in human form (Manusheem Tanumasritam—Gita). Dharma is called as Pravrutti, which is the expected behaviour of the human being with respect to other co-human beings to maintain the balance of humanity.

Only in humanity is spiritual effort taken up by some blessed and realized human beings. The behaviour of the human being should not upset any other human being.

Whether you're an atheist or theist, you are expected to maintain the balance of human society. The highest Dharma is not to hurt any soul including birds and animals. Even a tree is a living being and you should not cut any green tree as far as possible; of course, cutting dead trees is fine. Non-violence towards living beings is the essence of Dharma (Ahimsa paramo dharmah).




' Such behaviour is known as Dharma, which is expected by God '
What religion does this belong to please ?
I understand Dharma as the Buddhas teachings and dharma as ' universal law '
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 24-01-2017, 07:20 PM
Vinayaka Vinayaka is offline
Guide
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 537
 
Dharma means different things to different people. There are also levels or various types of dharma, such as rta dharma (universal dharma) svadharma (individual dharma), and more. It's complicated.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 24-01-2017, 08:01 PM
sky sky is offline
Master
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 15,533
  sky's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinayaka
Dharma means different things to different people. There are also levels or various types of dharma, such as rta dharma (universal dharma) svadharma (individual dharma), and more. It's complicated.


Thanks must read up on your info:, i've learned something new.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 25-01-2017, 05:54 PM
dattaseva dattaseva is offline
Knower
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 135
 
@sky, the Dharma mentioned in the OP is the Dharma as given in the Vedas. This interpretation of Dharma from the Vedas has been given by my preacher.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 26-01-2017, 04:28 PM
Jyotir Jyotir is offline
Master
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,847
 




Agreeing here with Vinayaka,

Dharma is as complicated as karma.

Reason is, that each individuated life is necessarily subsumed within ‘greater’ lives - including but not limited to: family, nation, race, religion, world, etc. - each having their ‘own’ karma and dharma according to the divine Will…which allows and supports the karma and dharma of so-called ‘lesser’ lives within them, their own differentiated limited free will accordingly.

So it is not as one dimensional as described in the OP (imo).

Not to mention that a human being who swims the English Channel, is not likely to reincarnate as a dolphin as “punishment” for violating the human dharma (upright bi-ped; not a fish), since within the ‘path’ of the general class - especially human beings in the CURRENT era, there are infinite specific paths available to individuals which are not only allowable, but celebrated as the experiential manifestation of divine possibility in its fullest expression of delight in and through the physical plane within that unfolding dharmic path which is now in general more advanced (than in Vedic times). Humanity is no longer in its infancy.

~ J



Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 26-01-2017, 06:40 PM
Vinayaka Vinayaka is offline
Guide
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 537
 
Within Hinduism, there are 4 major divisions based on which God is Supreme, 6 main philosophical schools, several thousand sampradayas (schools) and paramparas (guru lineages) Many Hindus speak as if their particular lineage is representative of the entire spectrum of Hinduism, and as though that particular school is the final authority on all things Hindu. For an outsider looking in, it is well to keep this in mind. People don't generally preface there words with 'in my opinion' or 'according to my school'.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:14 AM.


Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
(c) Spiritual Forums