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I read through the story “Dvaitam” in Telugu by Vivina Murthy and detailed discussion developed by you with keen interest.
For number of years I have been struggling ----
To get clarity on “Swadharma” and “Manodharma”.
Is Swadharma a static activity while manodharma is a changing activity?
As the human understanding deepens I do think he has no choice but to follow path of new manodharma.
If a man follows a dharma yet there is an inner conflict, which is not his manodharma. Quite often a person is lulled by various conditionings that lead to an activity which is in conflict with his body mind and spirit.
When persons don’t follow their Manodharma, then adharma spreads in the world and only an Avatara Purusha can come and cleanse it.
I need your understanding on these.
I read through the story “Dvaitam” in Telugu by Vivina Murthy and detailed discussion developed by you with keen interest.
For number of years I have been struggling ----
To get clarity on “Swadharma” and “Manodharma”.
Is Swadharma a static activity while manodharma is a changing activity?
As the human understanding deepens I do think he has no choice but to follow path of new manodharma.
If a man follows a dharma yet there is an inner conflict, which is not his manodharma. Quite often a person is lulled by various conditionings that lead to an activity which is in conflict with his body mind and spirit.
When persons don’t follow their Manodharma, then adharma spreads in the world and only an Avatara Purusha can come and cleanse it.
I need your understanding on these.
1.
Language is our first hurdle in our understanding issues and concepts. Word and its meaning are compared to Parvati and Parameswara by Kalidasa in a famous sloka.
Understanding of the philosophy of language is absolutely essential for obtaining true awareness of words (denotations and connotations) and concepts (pada, padartha (pada+artha, also an ontological category of Vaiseshika) ) - represented by them. It is the first step in Indian logic (nyaya-tarka), which all our sastras make use of. Many Sanskrit terms are “untranslatable” into English and vice versa. E.g. dharma, karma, manas, atman…, in Sanskrit and mind, human spirit, understanding … in English… We talk about spoken language while Westerners speak of written language in developing language theories. We have varna-mala (not akshara mala) and they have alphabet which is a different concept altogether. (For example, literacy has nothing to do with jnana, awareness)
Language is our first hurdle in our understanding issues and concepts. Word and its meaning are compared to Parvati and Parameswara by Kalidasa in a famous sloka.
Understanding of the philosophy of language is absolutely essential for obtaining true awareness of words (denotations and connotations) and concepts (pada, padartha (pada+artha, also an ontological category of Vaiseshika) ) - represented by them. It is the first step in Indian logic (nyaya-tarka), which all our sastras make use of. Many Sanskrit terms are “untranslatable” into English and vice versa. E.g. dharma, karma, manas, atman…, in Sanskrit and mind, human spirit, understanding … in English… We talk about spoken language while Westerners speak of written language in developing language theories. We have varna-mala (not akshara mala) and they have alphabet which is a different concept altogether. (For example, literacy has nothing to do with jnana, awareness)
2
The most complex word is dharma itself. The word dharma in words such as Sanatana dharma, sva-dharma, manodharma, dharma sastra, adharma, dharma-cyuti, dharma-glani - assumes different shades of meaning.
The most complex word is dharma itself. The word dharma in words such as Sanatana dharma, sva-dharma, manodharma, dharma sastra, adharma, dharma-cyuti, dharma-glani - assumes different shades of meaning.
Dharma : “Adheya padartha” , It has to rest on something to define it and determine its meaning.
Dharmi: “Adhaara padartha” Substratum; that which possesses the Dharma.
Some definitions in sastras
A. The one (goal of life), which gives you elevation and ultimate bliss, that is dharma (yato abhyudaya nihsreyasa siddhi sa dharma.) The tendency to do good deeds (punya karmas) is dharma.
B.Dharma is human tendency for righteous way of living, as enjoined by the sacred scriptures; virtue. (yeyam punya-rupa pravrtti dharma) ,
Dharmi: “Adhaara padartha” Substratum; that which possesses the Dharma.
Some definitions in sastras
A. The one (goal of life), which gives you elevation and ultimate bliss, that is dharma (yato abhyudaya nihsreyasa siddhi sa dharma.) The tendency to do good deeds (punya karmas) is dharma.
B.Dharma is human tendency for righteous way of living, as enjoined by the sacred scriptures; virtue. (yeyam punya-rupa pravrtti dharma) ,
Svadharma: One’s own prescribed duty in life - according to the eternal law. Who prescribed it and made the law? This is the question. It can be interpreted as a static, if it is based on a dharma sastra, which is in the form of Do’s and Don’ts – indicating varna dharma, asrama dharma, grihastha dharma, raja dharma, putra-dharma etc. But if it is just so, the concept of dharma is valueless .It will not be different from ten commandments. Dharma is much more.
Svabhava: One’s own nature or potentiality; innate nature. Svadharma is related to Svabhava.
C. (Guruji defines dharma this way) - Dharma is appropriateness in thought, action, attitude and judgment to a thing or a happening or a desire or an incident in life. – A person should “consciously” take a decision (based on his conscience) for every situation but not follow a rule-book of dharma s, (static) which are really vidhi & nishedha (Dos and Don’ts) This definition needs understanding of the internal hierarchy of mind . (see item # 4)
3
One sloka of the Bhagavad Gita deals with the words sva-dharma and para-dharma
శ్రేయాన్ స్వధర్మో విగుణః , పర-ధర్మాత్ స్వనుష్ఠితాత్
స్వ-ధర్మే నిధనం శ్రేయః , పర-ధర్మో భయావహః (3.35, Karma yoga BG)
(sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah, para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah, para-dharmo bhayavahah)
శ్రేయాన్ స్వధర్మో విగుణః , పర-ధర్మాత్ స్వనుష్ఠితాత్
స్వ-ధర్మే నిధనం శ్రేయః , పర-ధర్మో భయావహః (3.35, Karma yoga BG)
(sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah, para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah, para-dharmo bhayavahah)
Prabhupada’s translation
It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.
Guruji
It is preferable to do one’s own dharma even if it is void of qualities, than doing another’s dharma perfectly. It is better to even die while discharging one’s own dharma. Doing other’s dharma is fearful and might even be dangerous.
It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.
Guruji
It is preferable to do one’s own dharma even if it is void of qualities, than doing another’s dharma perfectly. It is better to even die while discharging one’s own dharma. Doing other’s dharma is fearful and might even be dangerous.
Svadharma is beneficial for any one and other’s dharma is fearful and potentially dangerous. Svadharma is not varna-asrama dharma. Svadharma is the dharma as per his sva-bhava, innate nature. He has to undertake the action, in which has earnestness and devotion, without being attached to it. Suppose one wants moksha, he should eliminate all other things from his buddhi , which work against his goal. It is not just controlling his body and senses. One should not take actions against his conscience. In other words a person should act on what his mind says and which his conscience sees and says as dharma, and what does not contradict his true nature.
4.
Manas in Sanskrit and Mind in English do not mean the same thing. Mind is properly translated as the Inner hierarchy of mind as perceived by Indians as consisting of manas, buddhi (smriti, viveka) citta, ahamkara and atman.
Manas – Manas is not a tangible entity. It comes into action only when there is a thought, and it manifests as thought. It is an internal instrument (antah-karaNa) which is in constant interaction with senses and a thought arises in manas when a sense organ contacts an object.
Buddhi – Manas reports this thought to Buddhi (intellect) – the seat of discretion and discrimination (viveka), it has memory (smriti). It is here innate tendencies come into play – sadbuddhi and durbuddhi. Buddhi is the seat of decision making and buddhi projects its decision on to citta, which may be translated as consciousness.
Citta – is like a mirror, which is impersonal, reflecting what is projected on to it by buddhi propelling the person to action – right or wrong. (Citta is a key concept which is emphasized in Indian philosophy e.g. yoga. First Yoga Sutra says – yoga is citta-vrtti –nirodha.)
Buddhi – Manas reports this thought to Buddhi (intellect) – the seat of discretion and discrimination (viveka), it has memory (smriti). It is here innate tendencies come into play – sadbuddhi and durbuddhi. Buddhi is the seat of decision making and buddhi projects its decision on to citta, which may be translated as consciousness.
Citta – is like a mirror, which is impersonal, reflecting what is projected on to it by buddhi propelling the person to action – right or wrong. (Citta is a key concept which is emphasized in Indian philosophy e.g. yoga. First Yoga Sutra says – yoga is citta-vrtti –nirodha.)
5
Spiritual sadhana (or yoga-marga) means the following. A conscious and conscientious decision in taking an action free from attachment and malice, entanglement, jealousy, ego, possessiveness and aversion.
When your manas and citta are cleansed of these internal enemies buddhi also falls in line and you stay out of para-dharma and remain fixed in your svadharma
When your manas and citta are cleansed of these internal enemies buddhi also falls in line and you stay out of para-dharma and remain fixed in your svadharma
6
The answer to the first part of the question is obvious. There is no need for two words – svadharma and manodharma. The svadharma proposed by Sri Krishna in BG is a dynamic and evolving entity which resolves your inner conflicts as per your perfection in sadhana in mano-vrtti and citta-vrtti nirodha by controlling and conquering your own internal enemies.
The answer to the first part of the question is obvious. There is no need for two words – svadharma and manodharma. The svadharma proposed by Sri Krishna in BG is a dynamic and evolving entity which resolves your inner conflicts as per your perfection in sadhana in mano-vrtti and citta-vrtti nirodha by controlling and conquering your own internal enemies.
7. Adharma in the world
We know that while both Dharma and Adharma hail from the same God, we pray and request him to be as Dharma in us. No Purana denies the existence of God in hell who permeates heaven and earth.
Unless Dharma is protected all around, we will not get the ideal atmosphere to live in. Unless we abide by Dharma, we cannot contribute to it. So, for the sake of the society or the country, we should live in Dharma and only when it is protected all around, it is possible. One should live for Dharma. Leading a Dharmic life is a reward in itself. No Aryan would ever seek a reward for upholding Dharma. It is only through Dharma that one can work out one′s life and become eligible for spirituality. If you skip this vital step, you will trip. After all, if there was no Dharma, what is there to live for?
Unless Dharma is protected all around, we will not get the ideal atmosphere to live in. Unless we abide by Dharma, we cannot contribute to it. So, for the sake of the society or the country, we should live in Dharma and only when it is protected all around, it is possible. One should live for Dharma. Leading a Dharmic life is a reward in itself. No Aryan would ever seek a reward for upholding Dharma. It is only through Dharma that one can work out one′s life and become eligible for spirituality. If you skip this vital step, you will trip. After all, if there was no Dharma, what is there to live for?
Sanatana Dharma does not preach sermons. It stresses on individual and his relation to divinite and his own spiritual practice to evolve into a better person for a society to uphold dharma.
8 The second question
When persons don’t follow their Manodharma, then adharma spreads in the world and only an Avatara Purusha can come and cleanse it.
This concept has undergone radical change in Kaliyuga after the advent of Krishna and his sojourn on earth. All avataras before him had also come down to uphold dharma to eradicate evil and protect the good. But adharma and evil were concentrated in individuals – Somaka, Hiranyaksha, Hiranya Kasipa, Ravana, Sisupala and Kamsa and others. But by the end of Dwapara itself evil has spread into the society both in humans and even in animals and trees. He has planned the Mahabharata war as a massive cleansing operation. That worked for two thousand years. There was advent of Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus, Mahmud, upto Chaitanya and Nanak to propagate newer paths or religions. If you observe the world, even India today in that matter, you can say with confidence that all of them failed. The on-going attempts at religious conversion by some religions today are plainly evil, adharma. The only option in the world today is to follow the true message of Krishna. As evil is spread in degrees all across the globe, there is need for million gurus, not prophets or messengers many of them influencing individuals by thousands to cleanse the minds. Organized religions are destructive. The mission seems to be on the way. .
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