· MISSION STATEMENT
· MEANING OF DHARMA
· CONTRASTING DHARMA & RELIGION
MISSION
STATEMENT
The mission of the Dharma Academy of North America (DANAM) is to identify
methodologies for intersubjective understanding of, reflection on, and critical-constructive interpretations of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh traditions— what DANAM has termed the Dharma
Traditions— in reference to the contemporary global era.
We seek to foster scholarship that simultaneously works with the common ground and interconnected histories of these traditions,
and uncover the rich diversity of Dharma philosophy and theology, within the context
of common or similar categories of theology, philosophy, observance, and practice.
DANAM aims to cultivate methods for the study of these traditions using
hermeneutics indigenous to these traditions
within the framework of
internationally accepted standards of scholarship. We further
seek to examine the complexities caused by the juxtaposition of religious and national identities within
given cultural contexts by using the category of Dharma, in contrast to that of 'Religion,' as the lens through which to view
the Dharmic systems of
thought and tradition. DANAM seeks to cultivate discourse on new
approaches to pedagogy, epistemology, spiritual practices, theology,
arts, ethics, and hermeneutics of the Dharma Traditions. It is hoped that DANAM can explore the possibility that
the academic study of these traditions can begin to view the
conventions of descriptive methodologies not as limitations but as
starting points in order to engage the conceptual depth and
intellectual applicability of these traditions in an inclusive
forum. Since 2002, DANAM has supported
cultivation of a new field of inquiry that we call Dharma Studies.
This endeavor is rooted in the hope that the dialogue, debate, and
mutual illumination between these related but unique traditions that
have marked their interrelated histories can be honored and continued
under these auspices.
MEANING OF DHARMA
The term 'Religion' is derived from the Greek word 'religio,' meaning 'to bind back,' that became interpreted as being bound back to sets of doctrines (or laws) and their respective founders, as opposed to God (Theos) alone or the individual's inner self. Thus, each religion requires that adherence to its doctrines and its founder is the only path to attain salvation, as mentioned earlier. The term 'Dharma,' like many other Sanskrit words or terms in other Dharmic languages, has no exact equivalent in English, so its exact translation is rather difficult. It has been variously translated as 'religion' (which strictly is incorrect, as described earlier in this section), 'law,' 'duty,' 'religious rite,' 'code of conduct,' etc. It can mean one or more or all of the latter, depending upon the context. The reason seems to be that the word itself has been used in various senses throughout the ages, and its meaning, as well as scope, has been expanded. However, it is universally accepted that the word 'dharma' is derived from the Sanskrit root
'dhriâ' ('to uphold,' 'to support,' 'to sustain'). That which upholds, supports or sustains this universe, without which the universe would disintegrate, is dharma (Ref. 1).
Hindu Dharma: From the perspective of the Hindu tradition(s), Dharma
(please see Footnote below) is associated with the Supreme Being or Godhead (Brahman, Ishvara, or Paramaatma), or what the Upanishads describe as sat or tat, the very essence of one's being. In addition, whatever conduct or way of life helps one to reveal this fundamental principle (that is, one's inherent essence or nature) within, can also be called dharma, though in a secondary sense. Hence, 'religious' rites, ceremonies and observances; fixed principles of conduct, privileges, duties and obligations of a person depending upon one's stage of life and status in society; and even rules of law, customs and manners of
society—every one of these (categories) can be included under the term Dharma. It may be instructive to note two more ancient words, rta and satya (truth), that are closely connected with, if not forms of, dharma. The word rta, used profusely in the Vedas, especially Rgveda and Krishna Yajurveda, in its simplest form, seems to indicate 'a straight or direct line,' and hence, 'universal laws of nature, an impersonal order.' When extended to the 'moral' world, rta denotes a 'straight conduct' based on truth, which itself is also 'dharma. Used in the sense of an inner awareness of what is true, as expressed through words and actions based on the scriptural teachings and needs of duties on hand, rta becomes satya (Truth). Thus, the meanings of all the three words, rta, satya, and dharma, more or less coalesce.
Jain Dharma: The word Dharma, in Jain thought includes these major conceptions: (1) The actual nature of a phenomenon; (2) Rational perception, knowing, and action; (3) The Ten Dharmic Qualities (known as the ten forms of Dharma); (4) Nonviolence (Ahimsa) to all living beings as the highest dharma
(paramadharma); (5) The two-fold spiritual paths of the monk and the householder. Jointly, Samyak darsana (Rational Perception), Samyak jnana (Rational Knowledge) and Samyak caritra (Rational Conduct) are referred to as the Ratnatraya or the "Three Jewels of Jainism" are seen as constitutive of Dharma. The twofold Dharma of the laity and the
monastics/ascetics are known as Sravakadharma and Sramanadharma respectively. The religious path for the laity emphasizes charity and worship, in addition to the observance of sacred vows. The Dharma of ascetics emphasizes meditation, scriptural study, and the five Mahavratas or great vows; they are expected to be informed by right faith, right knowledge, right conduct, sanctified by penances, and capable of great self-restraint.
Buddha Dharma: Dharma (Dhamma, Pali) is the Buddhist ethos which has four interrelated meanings: (1) The Universal Law of Nature (similar to the Hindu
rta); (2) The teachings of the Buddha which apply an understanding of this law to the conduct of human life; (3) The characteristics/properties of an particular phenomenon (physical or psychological); (4) The 'Truth Body,' or ultimate nature of the Buddha, which is known as the
Dharma-Kaya. The term "The Dharma" is often used in the Buddhist Scriptures as a synonym for the Buddha's teachings and their scriptural literary revisions, and can be extended to include the later traditions of commentary and interpretation that the various schools of Buddhism have developed to help explain and expand upon the Buddha's teachings. In relation to this context of being synonymous with the Buddha's teachings, the Dharma comprises one of the Three Jewels of Buddha Dharma in which adherents of Buddhism 'take refuge.' The three jewels of the tradition are the Buddha, the Dharma (teachings and methods), and the Sangha (a community of practitioners who offer support).
Dharma in Buddhism in terms of the 'Nature of Things: In Buddhist thought, the development and realization of clear insight is a major step in attaining wisdom. In order to cultivate wisdom one must understand the nature of things (the dharma of things) and aim of Buddhist practice is the investigation of the nature of
phenomena-dhamma-vicaya.
Dharma as the Ultimate Body of the Buddha: The qualities of the Dharma (Law, truth) are the same as the qualities of the Buddha and form his 'truth body' or
'Dhamma Kaya': In the Samyutta Nikaya, Vakkali Sutta, Buddha proclaims to a disciple that:
"Yo kho Vakkali dhammam passati so mam passati"—O Vakkali, whoever sees the
Dhamma, sees me.
Sikh Dharm: Dharma (Dharm) refers to the "way of righteousness" for Sikhs, which is indicated by the main scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, the proclamations of the Ten Sikh gurus, and the developments of Sikh historical tradition. A dharmic Sikh will undertake
paath—reading scripture; kirtan—singing of hymns; langar—a communal meal served to everyone at the conclusion of a Sikh worship;
Ardas—this is a special prayer done before the performance of any important work or after taking on any significant endeavor; after any religious activity, before and after eating. It is an invocation for blessings and assistance for the one who is praying, but also for the wellbeing of humanity, as well as a prayer of gratitude. Service to God's creation, the promotion of justice, aid to the oppressed, goodwill towards other traditions and their adherents are part of Sikh ethical dharma.
CONTRASTING DHARMA AND
RELIGION
The word religion is often employed to refer to the four 'religions' of indigenous Indic origin: Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh Dharma, which may be referred to as what might be called the network of Dharma traditions. The use of the word religion, which arose in the context of non-Dharma traditions, and was subsequently secularized into global use, to denote the religions of Indian origin is, in many ways, problematic. Three features are closely associated with the concept and, therefore, the definition of religion in a Western context: (1) that it is 'conclusive,' which is to say that it is the final revelation; (2) that it is 'exclusionary,' which is to say that those who do not belong to it are excluded from its embrace and often from salvation; and (3) that it is 'separative,' which is to say that one who belongs to it, separates oneself from allegiance to, and affiliation with, other religions. The religions of indigenous Indian
origin—the Dharma
Traditions—do not share these features. They are usually non-conclusive, in the sense that they are not the only path to salvation; they are non-exclusionary, in the sense that their membership is a sufficient but not a necessary condition for salvation; and historically, they have, for the most part, been non-separative, in the sense that one need not necessarily negate one's previous identity to join them, or to disown one's culture, ancestry, or name. This is visible not only in ancient India but in China in the concept of Sanjiao or the 'Three Teachings,' referring to the insights of the Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist teachings. It, therefore, makes more sense to refer to these 'religions' by the term 'Dharma' than by the term religion. At this point, the question might arise, what is the need to draw this distinction now. Prior to the emergence of the academic study of religion in the 1860s, most of the communication taking place in religious studies, broadly speaking, followed an 'insider-to-insider' pattern, namely, most Hindus wrote for an audience of other Hindus, Christians, for other Christians, and so on. However, as the West expanded imperially during the 17th and 18th centuries, Westerners began to write about the various religious traditions they encountered for the benefit of other Westerners, so that 'outsider-to-outsider' also became a major mode of communication. With the establishment and spread of imperial educational systems in the colonized world, the colonized peoples themselves increasingly began to acquire knowledge about their own religious traditions through the works of the Western scholars writing about them, resulting in communication being acquired in an 'outsider-to-insider' mode. After the 1960s, with the end of the colonial era, the followers of the religious traditions in the formerly colonized nations began to react to the depiction of their religious traditions by outsiders, causing the emergence of an 'insider-to-outsider' mode of communication. The various branches of postcolonial theory reflect these developments.
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Footnote: The Sanskrit word for world is
‘jagat’, literally meaning that which is continuously changing,
which embodies that change occurs in a periodic (cyclic or pulsating)
or phase-changing manner without beginning (creation) and without end
(destruction), then the question arises what is the foundation on
which this jagat is being continuously sustained. According to
Chandogya Upanishad 6.2.1-3, ‘in the beginning sat alone existed,
the One without a Second. It (sat) reflected, “May I become many!
May I be born!”’. The ‘many’ that emerged, needed a central
integrating principle, or law; otherwise, chaos would result. This law
or principle is ‘Dharma’, which emerged from Godhead itself, per
Shukla Yajur Veda, Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.14, Godhead
‘specially created that dharma, in the form of the highest
good—therefore, there is nothing higher than dharma—verily, that
which is dharma is satya’. This dharma is the firm foundation upon
which the entire universe stands (‘dharmo visvasya jagatah pratistha’
Mahanärayana Upanisad 79.7). Obviously here, dharma means righteous
conduct based on truth (satya) and knowledge of the unity in spite of
the diversity, and capable of bringing the highest good to the whole
of cosmos (jagat). All other meanings, senses and derivations of
Dharma in later literature are corollaries of this central idea. The
word dharma occurs in the Rgveda fifty-six times (e.g., 5.63.7,
5.72.2, 9.7.1, 9.25.2, 10.88.1, 10.170.2). But in almost all these
places it has been used in the sense of duty or action which
contributes to the sustenance of the world or cosmos (‘jagad-dhăraka-karma’).
In the Upanishads, this sense becomes more explicit. Each member of
the society has certain duties and obligations that must be discharged
by performing the prescribed actions in order to sustain its
structure. Similarly, in one’s path towards perfection one has to
pass through several stages of spiritual development and each such
stage devolves upon one certain duties or a code of conduct. This
helps to sustain one’s inner development and simultaneously
contributes to the well-being of the society also. The seeds of this—which
is well known as ‘varna-ashrama-dharma’ in later literature—are
to be found in the Purusasukta and in the earlier Upanishads also.
(Ref. 1: This and other excerpts above are adapted from “What is
Dharma?” by Swami Harshananda, Ramakrishna Mission, Bangalore,
India.) From the perspective of Buddhist tradition, the use of the
term Dharma is instructive in that, at a basic level, Dharma is taken
to mean “the teachings of the Buddha.” But these teachings are
seen as embodying Truth itself. Thus, the deeper understanding of
Dharma (in Pali, Dhamma) is linked to the foundation of Reality. The
Buddhist Abhidhamma literature, for example, does a thoroughgoing
enumeration and classification of what it calls the ‘ dhamma-s’
(in Sanskrit, dharma-s). These are the fundamental patterns—including
certain groups of spiritual qualities—which comprise the underlying
networks that generate the processes of psychological and physical
phenomena. The word “dhamma” is used to convey both the ongoing
process of the constant arising and passing of events of fleeting
duration as well as the events themselves. The Abhidhamma breaks down
forms and phenomena into component dhamma-s that form the fundamental
patterns nesting within the Greater Network that is the very nature of
Ultimate Reality (Dhamma). The concept of pratitya samutpada,
Conditioned Arising (also referred to as dependent origination, and
co-dependent co-arising), is fundamental to the Buddhist understanding
of the nature of Ultimate Reality (Dhamma). The Majjhima Nikaya
(1.191) states: “Whoever sees Conditioned Arising, sees Dhamma,
whoever sees Dhamma, sees Conditioned Arising.” The experience of
Conditioned Arising engendered by meditative disciplines, is key to
developing an appreciation for interdependence (or, as Buddhist
teacher Thich Nat Han suggests, “interbeing”) of all component
functions of physical reality. Thus the term Dharma-kaya (Dharma-body)
of the tri-kaya doctrine of Mahayana Buddhism, has a two-fold meaning
whereby it refers both to the ultimate “body” or form of Gautama
Buddha (and, indeed, all Buddhas), as well as the self-existent form (svabhavika-kaya)
of tathata (things-as-they-are, thus-ness, such-ness), of sunyata
(emptiness) or the non-essential nature that is the true nature of all
dhamma-s. As the Astasahasrika Prajna-paramitaSutra (307) proclaims,
the such-ness of the Tathagata (Buddha) and the such-ness of the all
dharma-s are not two separate things but an undivided reality.
