What is Dharma (धर्म)`?
The following is a discussion with Arhant and Arya, rendered into verse in December’2022
ARHANT
Baba, I had a question today.
You always talk about Dharma.
Can you explain what it is, Baba?
BABA
Arhant, you ask a good question.
There are many ways to talk about Dharma, as many as there are people.
But I will tell you its basic nature, the common denominator, it is quite simple.
Dharma is a common word from the ancient language called Sanskrit.
Today it has many meanings, some are valid, others not so much.
ARHANT
(happily)
Ok, Baba. You rhymed that!
BABA
Yes, I know it’s funny. I’m not even half trying to rhyme anything.
But let’s talk about Dharma, and start with the common meaning.
The Traditional Meaning of Dharma
BABA
On average, a Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, or Sikh.
Would say that Dharma is the right behavior, duty, or belief.
We talk about the Dharma of a son, a tailor, or a scholar.
Some turn “Dharma” into “Religion” in Abrahamic fervor.
The common use of dharma differs for each situation and person,
Some equate dharma with – of scriptures, of rules without explanation!
Duty, faith, traditions, conventions are tangled up in a web of confusion.
ARHANT
Ok… So baba, I’m confused… can you share an example?
BABA
Let us see some examples of Dharmic duty. Suppose that I am a carpenter.
My dharma is to work with my hands and make furniture.
I must be careful with sharp blades and keep everyone safe.
I mustn’t waste resources. My workshop should be as clean as a slate.
If I were a teacher, I would be patient with every student.
I would know the subject and prepare meticulously for instruction.
If I were a child, my dharma would be to respect the teacher.
Arhant, do you now understand dharma a little better?
ARHANT
Yes, Baba, but where do these rules come from? Who decides them?
BABA
Well, of course, our parents tell us the rules when we are younger,
We learn from friends, bosses, and even the media, when we are older.
Politicians give rules special authority to gain power. Using our own desire.
To preserve life and property, or stay safe, or have law and order.
BABA
These rules can take a life of their own and become second nature to us.
We may be deceived, so that we are kept in line and turned into caricatures.
4.1 Arhant:
Baba, that sounds like a bad thing…
Are you saying rules are not important?
BABA
Well, that’s a bit complicated. Its a bit dicey.
Maybe I can explain it to you with a story.
ARHANT
(excitedly)
Ok, can you tell me the story right now?
BABA
(chuckling softly)
Of course, Arhant. I know you like a good story.
This one will answer your query! Listen carefully!
The Dharma of the five monkeys
BABA
So, scientists did an experiment with your monkey friends.
ARHANT
They put five of them in a cage, and they were all well-fed.
In the cage was a narrow ladder, on top of which –
The scientists kept a few bananas just out of reach.
When one of them saw the fruit and climbed up to get a bite,
The others were drenched with cold water sprayed from a pipe.
They were in real pain, each poor wet, cold monkey.
But the one who got the banana was blissfully happy
This happened a few times and soon the pattern started becoming clear.
When one climbed the ladder, the rest got nervous about the water.
When one of the monkeys went for the banana, the rest anticipated the pain.
Losing their patience, they attacked anyone who climbed up, angry and profane.
BABA
They did not get mad at the water or the scientists running this spectacle.
They started believing the ladder was evil and climbing it was unacceptable.
At this point the scientists were pleased – they had taught monkeys a sort of Dharma.
The apes understood the connection between the water, the ladder, and the banana.
But this was just the beginning. After this first round of training,
The next phase began, with the removal of the water and the plumbing.
BABA
In this second phase, they started replacing each Monkey with a new face,
Each new fellow saw the bananas and made the same climbing mistake.
The newbie was thoroughly thrashed, totally unaware of the reason.
So he haplessly repeated the error, and every time he was beaten.
Now, remember. The plumbing was gone, and so was the water spray,
But it was too late; the monkeys had become set in their ways.
So, being intelligent, each new entrant learned to avoid violence and anger.
Those poor creatures just wanted to be loved and gave up on bananas altogether.
One by one, your friends were replaced, the new ones had never seen cold water.
And yet they avoided the ladder. They acted in the same manner.
"Forever Rules" are For Fools
BABA
So Arhant, did you like the story, and can you guess what it means?
ARHANT
I think it means that sometimes rules don’t have a reason.
Sometimes we just do things; we don’t ask for an explanation.
BABA
Exactly.
We follow many rules due to peer pressure alone.
The original reason remains largely unknown!
ARHANT
But Baba, people are more curious,
Would they try new things and be courageous?
BABA
Well, you listen to me when I tell you not to eat chocolate, right?
And yet, sometimes you steal M&Ms from the kitchen at night.
ARHANT
Baba, that’s not true. I only did that once!
BABA
(laughing) Don’t get upset, Arhant, I know you listen to me.
But always ask ‘Why,’ and never trust authority blindly.
Do not let yourself be programmed to be a follower.
Trust your inner voice, there is no greater power.
ARHANT
Baba, so should the monkeys take a risk and climb the ladder?
BABA
Yes, Absolutely.
To help traditions thrive, we must remember their purpose.
The rules we want to enforce must have some practical importance.
You have learned from this story that new ideas must be given space.
If we can persist through disappointment, they lead to a better place.
We are alive because we make choices constantly and act accordingly.
Dead things cannot change the rules, but life can adapt repeatedly.
ARYA
Baba. I have a question…
If we can’t be sure which rules are right,
What do we do? How do we decide?
BABA
Arya, welcome to the party. You are pointing to a deeper mystery!
Let’s double-click into Dharma and discover the bigger story.
The word Dharma has two parts – “Dhr” is “support,” and “Ma” is “creation.”
Together Dharma is the foundation of creation, of something in existence.
Thus the word Dharma indicates a property, just like the word intelligence.
the hierarchical view into Dharma
BABA
Dharma is a recursive idea, you can visualize it as a hierarchy.
I can use any relationship to show you how that works practically.
Consider a husband and a wife the foundation of any family.
Both are humans, a form of Life. This becomes a dharmic hierarchy.
Because, to be a good family, you must know how to be man and wife.
And to be a good human being, you must understand life.
If Dharma is a hierarchy, you can imagine it as a pyramid.
Explore as you see fit, up and down its length and width.
A better view, a Vedic view
ARYA
Baba, have people figured out the different levels of Dharma?
BABA
Yes, of course, we have been trying. It is complicated and requires time.
Now, I should warn you that progress is always slower than we would like.
It is more worrying that a deeper study of Dharma has all but died.
Like the 5 Monkeys, we are content to let ideologies and religions thrive.
ARYA
Baba, Does the pyramid seem a bit simplified?
Is there a better way for Dharma to be described?
BABA
Arya, you are right, words and diagrams are tricky. Finicky.
They are limited, as we are. But they are still our best way to describe Reality.
To explain what this means, let’s use the Katha Upanishad, an ancient book.
In it, the Ashwattha, the tree of Brahman, is used as a teaching tool.
The Ashwattha is an inverted tree, and its root is the source of existence,
The branches and leaves represent all ideas and all things we experience.
When you seek knowledge, Arya, first know where you are in the leafy periphery –
And work backward, digging deeper, to find the foundation of every theory.
BABA
So you see, all exploration of Dharma is a process of reverse engineering.
As we move to the apex, we discover more foundational theories of everything.
As you explore the tree, you find math and science, architecture, and biology.
And beyond reason, beyond all initial conditions, is the Observer and Causality.
Finally, the hardest to describe, especially with words, is ‘Truth’ unfathomable,
The Sanatan Dharma – The Self-supporting, The Free, the Subliminal.
This Sublime source was called Brahman in Vedanta and the Gita –
That is just one name. There are others. Shiva, Vishnu, Sunyata, and Krishna.
So The more you explore Dharma, the more you learn – about reality, its Meaning, and its Design.
And you will inch towards that ultimate goal – to align your purpose with the Sublime.
