Dharma by Design- A Universe in Harmony

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"To Egypt in old days, the word (that is, the peculiar word given by the Eternal that each one was to speak) was Religion; to Persia, the word was Purity, to Chaldea the word Science; to Greece, the word was Beauty, to Rome, the word was Law; and to India, the eldest born of His children; to India He gave a word that summed up the whole in one, the word Dharma. That is the word of India to the world." (Annie Besant: Dharma).

Dharma is a word used in many senses in the religions of India-Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism that does not admit of accurate rendering in English. Broadly, it can be described as righteous living in harmony with society and with nature, but different interpretations, nuances and complexities abound. In some contexts, it stands for religious observances, in some others for virtuous conduct, elsewhere for duties of different classes of people, sometimes for charity, concern and respect for others and at times for the proper relationship of the ruler and the subjects. While many of these elements are to be found in other religions and philosophical traditions, it is difficult to find elsewhere one word that encapsulates all the concepts.

To seek to explain the concept of dharma to a general audience is indeed a courageous intellectual exercise and Surekha Kothari is to be commended for unpacking the essential elements of dharma with considerable success in this book. This she has done based not just on her understanding of the traditional texts on dharma but also on her eclectic reading of Eastern and Western writings from the Bhagavad Gita to Chanakya to Rumi to Shakespeare to Sankara as well as some new age commentators on dharma.

The word "dharma" is often tossed about in a casual manner. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that "in Hinduism, dharma is the religious and moral law governing individual conduct and is one of the four ends of life."The Oxford Dictionary defines dharma as "the eternal and inherent nature of reality". Buddhism calls it "dhamma" or cosmic law and phenomena. Truth be told, ask anyone, and their understanding and perception of dharma will differ. For many, dharma is religious concept. For others, dharma simply implies a duty or task. Some like to see it as part of a duality of dharma and karma. The variations are endless. That's precisely why this book "Dharma by Design: A Universe in Harmony" by Surekha Kothari is so very appropriate and timely.

The present cycle of humanity-kaliyug-is characterised by greed, crime, materialism and intolerance. What has caused this? Have we lost our religious moorings thus leading to the negative traits that surround us? Surekha demolishes this view. In a simple and easily understood narrative, she explains why dharma has very little to do with religion. In her view, religion has become prone to subjective interpretations and works as a separating force rather than a uniting one.

Dharma, on the other hand, is about living one's life in a better way. It's about inculcating spiritual qualities like love, trust, respect and tolerance. It's about encouraging behaviour that allows for peaceful coexistence among families, societies and nations. It is dharma that leads us to the notion of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" in which an individual is encouraged to see oneself as being connected to a wider universe and family.

Dharma embraces multiple truths. 33 million deities can be part of the same family. Jesus Christ can be incorporated on the façade of a Hindu temple and the Buddha can be absorbed as an avatar of Vishnu.

"No matter how long you have travelled in the wrong

direction, you can always turn around."

Unknown

Each one of us is a whole Universe within, a sum total of several personality traits imbibed over many life times. Many of these are not compatible traits, but conflicting ones. Within this scenario, if man desires to journey through life peacefully and with minimum struggle, he has no choice but to don dharma like a second skin. Learning a valuable lesson from the famous story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden apple, this second skin must be worn as an intelligent and deliberate choice, not as a temptation-led choice. Years of study and the continuous attempt to practice the universal concepts, has given me valuable insights. I can with confidence say that the practice of dharma in its pure form contributes to a blissful life. Since we live amidst people, the art of living has been simply and clearly elucidated within the parameters of dharma since time immemorial.

We have habitually used religion as a synonym for dharma. But the fact is, though religion may form a part of dharma, it is not the whole. Dharma transcends religions. Religion may separate atheists and agnostics, but no human is beyond dharma. This is the vast canvas of understanding that has eluded many and may be the reason for limitations, boundaries and conflicts. We are a bit like the blindfolded men who could describe only those parts of the elephant that they could touch; but did not know what the whole elephant looked like.

It does not matter that religions often appear to confine us within limitations and rigidities. We still have the freedom to incorporate a set of duties and responsibilities towards our brethren, while remembering that everything in life has pluses and minuses, because we live in a world of dualities.