Dharma is a Sanskrit word which literally means righteous living, rightful duty or responsibility. We speak of the dharma as "The right way", which the Buddha teaches in the dhammapada that the one who resides in the dharma is beyond all this, they are in the natural flow of life. Since we are not perfect, we call this practicing. What is it that we are practicing?
Doing the right thing, which is taking responsibility for our own lives, which includes our thoughts, emotions and reactions. The first line in the dhammapada states "You are what you think you are". This is a powerful belief, yet coming to this understanding takes time and practice. Reflecting on this through meditation helps us experience the right way to live. Following one's own dharma may not be easy at first, but as we learn to allow space between ourselves and our problems, it gives us better focus on the path.
The dharma makes us aware of our body, mind and spirit. We may call this mindfulness, awareness or the natural state. When we act as individuals our dharma may be faulty but when we take responsibility to be kind, loving, truthful, compassionate and serve our community we become one. When we sit in meditation with our sangha our practice becomes real. It reflects an experience that leads us to self-discipline, which allows us to understand that all paths may look different, but eventually all paths lead to inner peace and happiness.
We are all part of this beautiful manifestation which we all share, and we all practice something every day. It may be anxiousness, greediness, Christianity, Mormonism, these are all paths. The dharma is just another path in which we are conscious of this body, mind and spirit.
Comments