Dear Member,
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Dharma
Straight is the line of Duty, Curved is the line of Beauty;
Follow the straight line, thou shalt see The curved line ever follow thee.
Those lines appear in a poem entitled 'Duty' written by William Maccall. They seem particularly appropriate to introduce the subject to be discussed in this letter - a principle called dharma, which is closely linked with the concept of karma. Commonly translated as 'duty', dharma is much more than that, as we shall see, for rightly understood and embodied in our lives, dharma can become a living reality underlying all our relationships and illuminating all our endeavours.
Dharma is a Sanskrit word which has no exact English equivalent. Dr J.J. van der Leeuw, in The Conquest of Illusion, speaks of it as 'that which is lawful, right and fitting'. He explains further: 'This rightness or fitness would be law in social procedure, duty in the life of the individual, truth in philosophical and religious matters, but always the central idea would be that which is right and fitting.' From this it can be seen that dharma is a universal concept, which can be applied to all areas of life. But the universal can scarcely be other than a reflection of that which is within each one of us, and if human solidarity and the unity of life are to be realised, we must begin with ourselves, right where we are. It is therefore with dharma as it applies to the individual that this letter will be primarily concerned.
In a sense, we have to 'feel' our way into the meaning of dharma. To do so, we must first discard what may be a characteristic reaction to the word 'duty'. So often that word carries the connotation of a burden. Our duty is something that we may grit our teeth and do, regardless of the fact that it is almost certain to be unpleasant! But something of the true nature of dharma as duty may be seen in the implication of Maccall's poem that the simple performance of duty has a depth, a dimension of experience which we all too frequently fail to appreciate. Dharma may at times be difficult - although it is not necessarily so - but it does not mean we need to fight circumstances. Rather it is the law of our own being in action; it is the sounding of our own keynote. If we sound the keynote truly, then indeed does beauty follow and we find harmony of being and of expression.
The relationship between dharma and karma is a subtle one. Arthur Osborn, in his book The Cosmic Womb, calls them 'complementary principles of the cosmic order'. Indeed, karma and dharma operate through and by means of each other. In the Bhagavadgītā, the Lord Krishna seems to use the two words interchangeably, when he tells Arjuna: 'Better one's own dharma, though destitute of merit, than the well-executed dharma of another. He who doeth the karma laid down by his own nature incurreth not sin.' Dharma has been called the right relationship between an individual and the environment; in this right relationship, what is here termed 'sin' may be thought of as disharmony.
Dharma may be further explained as the inner nature of a being at any given stage of evolution plus the law of the next stage of unfoldment. The expression 'Be yourself'' is an accurate one in this context. One must be oneself in relation to the total circumstances of one's life, for dharma, as Annie Besant has put it, is 'the law of the unfolding life which moulds all outside it to the expression of itself'. This has to do with the evolutionary task of perfecting the individuality. If we find our place in life and do the work that is right for us, we will be giving the truest service to the world because we will be doing more efficiently our portion of the world's work. We are then quite naturally in harmony with our environment, and this very fact frees energies that would otherwise be wasted in futile battering against frustration. We can begin to extend our talents and capacities through whatever fields of service and interest open out to us, for interest is the seed of talent, just as service is the seed of capacity- to be nurtured in one life to bear fruit in another.
All this is not meant to imply that if one is fulfilling one's dharma, there will be no struggle, no difficulties to overcome. We would cease to grow were that the case. Dharma is not a static state into which we move once and for all. It is a continuous flow between individual and environment, between ourselves and our circumstances; a continuous process of adjustment in which right action commands right response through the silent working of spiritual law.
A glance back over your own life may throw some light on the nature of dharma. Perhaps you can recall times when you experienced a deep sense of rightness about a particular course of action you were pursuing; when you knew with a certainty you could neither explain nor deny that your action sprang from the truth of your own nature and was in harmony with the truth of the circumstances involved. The straight line of duty and the curved line of beauty moved together to a fulfilment of dharma. This may be true even in the small routines of one's daily life. In The Mahatma Letters we find the statement: 'Does it seem to you a small thing that the past year has been spent only in your ''family duties''? Nay, but what better cause for reward, what better discipline than the daily and hourly performance of duty? Believe me, the man or woman who is placed by karma in the midst of small plain duties will, through these faithfully fulfilled, rise to the larger measure of Duty, Sacrifice and Charity to all Humanity.'
As you contemplate the meaning of this great principle of dharma, seeking inwardly for a true realisation of its significance as a liberating concept, you will discover more and more its nature. Let me close, then, with a quotation from Annie Besant, from her little book, The Laws of the Higher Life. There she writes that dharma 'is the first truth which a man must obey if he wishes to rise to the spiritual life. It varies with every stage of evolution, though the principle is ever the same. It is progressive, as evolution is progressive. In the path of spiritual aspiration, we must not expect to find the way easy and plain; for the spiritual life is not obtained save by repeated endeavour and constant failure, and the path of duty is not found but by undaunted perseverance. Let us but desire to know the right, and we shall surely know it, no matter by what path it is to be found.'
Some Ideas for Study and Reflection
Express in your own words your understanding of the concept of dharma. How do you think this concept applies to nations as well as to individuals? Can you trace the relationship between karma and dharma in your own life?
How can an understanding of dharma lead to the development of an ever broadening concept of ethics and moral standards?
Some Suggested Reading
Unfortunately, not a great deal has been written specifically on the subject of Dharma, although the concept is referred to throughout much of theosophical literature. Specific sources are therefore limited, but the following are recommended, and the earnest student will find many more references in various books.
Dharma, by Annie Besant
The Laws of the Higher Life, by Annie Besant
Glimpses into the Psychology of Yoga, by I.K. Taimni
The Conquest of Illusion, by J.J. van der Leeuw
The Cosmic Womb, by Arthur Osborn
The Bhagavadgītā and commentaries on this work, especially The Bhagavad Gita Explained by Ernest Wood
