Discover your Dharma
What is Dharma?
It can be difficult to get a hang of the yogic terms and concepts, due to the language, but also because we just are not taught about these things, in school, from our parents, nor by society either. This can make it daunting when we are confronted with things that make us examine ourselves and question what we are doing in life. So the word dharma can seem completely foreign to us, firstly because we don’t understand the meaning of the word, and secondly we have no equivalent concept in our own language. I’ve come to realise that we aren’t taught the most important lessons in life, we have to seek them out and learn them for ourselves.
Everyone seems familiar with karma, and most of us have a vague idea what it is (check out my karma blog ). Dharma is less familiar, unless you have studied Buddhism or have looked into eastern philosophies, then you may know a little bit more about it. However, when you find out what it is, it becomes as familiar as putting on your favourite sweater, and in fact we all have an innate urge to find out what our Dharma is within us already.
The two types
There are 2 main types of dharma. When The Buddha left his home and took up a life of solitude and went searching for meaning, in his journey he was enlightened to his true nature and the true nature of life. The resulting teachings that he dedicated his life to are called Dharma. This is the cosmic order of life, common to all of us. So in this context, the overall universal dharma is what we all should practice as the way to maintain order and harmony in the world. The Buddha just put into words that which has already been known and understood throughout history.
The second type of dharma is that which is personal to you. Your genetic makeup, your personality, your unique and individual self will have a story to tell and a mission to accomplish, and it is in your best interest to find out what this is. Think of it like career guidance for the soul. We all have our contribution to make to the world, however big or small that may be. Dharma relates directly to the individual and the link between society as a whole. In that way, karma and dharma are intimately intertwined.
Like karma, dharma is not linked to any religion or culture, so it doesn’t conflict with anything. However, as religion often discourages free thinking, you may find that figures of authority in schools and churches will be hostile to anything that comes from an eastern philosophy. This really shouldn’t be the case, and we should welcome any input from another culture or philosophical school that can put you on a more meaningful path.
How to work it out
They say that everyone has at least one book in them, and if that is the case, what would your book be? What catchy title would you give it, and what is the overall theme. Human beings can have a really hard time finding out what we are supposed to be doing in life. Think of a kettle for example; it’s dharma is to boil water. It is so easy for the kettle as it’s only purpose is that, and it doesn’t have to spend years trying to find out what it is. For us, especially with the way we are conditioned in our neighbourhoods, countries, education systems, work, our purpose in life can be well and truly buried beneath a mountain that we need to dig into to discover it.
We all know those people who have always been certain of who they are and what they want to do, so for them it is pretty easy to discover their dharma. Think of Martin Luther King, who knew what his dharma was and who couldn’t turn away from that path, even though it ultimately led to his death. The majority of the rest of us have to do a little (or a lot) soul searching to find it out. It is easier to say what you don’t want to do, and often you realise more in retrospect than having a clear plan for the future. Your dharma is not necessarily your job or career path, although this can be as well, or it can be a hobby that you participate in outside of work, or a passion that you pursue. You can know from very early on, or have an epiphany late in your journey.
Dharma is multi-layered as it filters into every part of your life. If you have elderly parents or a family member that are dependent on you, then the dharma in this case is to care for them, in whatever capacity you can. If you are a parent, then your dharma is to raise your children. In your work, if you are a sales person, then you have to sell. So not only can it relate to your purpose in life, but also to whatever task you are doing at the time. The object of dharma is to do it, to do it well and to extract whatever wisdom you can from that. In doing that, you learn more about what you are doing, and more about yourself too.
Trying to work out our dharma can take us on a journey of self discovery, and it can expand our minds. It might even be a journey of several lifetimes. With all of your skills and talents, your interests, your unique story, what can you contribute to the world? What have you contributed already? Throughout our lives we will have many teachers, and these teachers can all be instrumental in helping us, and us them. Finding our tribe will also be incredibly important. Having said that, you may have many tribes throughout your life.
Practices like yoga and meditation can be very powerful, as they encourage us to stay still, slow down and go inwards. Travel can expand your mind and open you up to the world around you. Walking, art, music, dance, sport, the list goes on. Basically find out what presses your buttons.
Ask yourself, do you feel that you are a blank canvas, and in your life you are creating a work of art as you go along, or are you a block of stone, and you are chipping away to uncover the masterpiece within.
Depending on your perspective then, you are creating your dharma from scratch or you are sculpting away to uncover it. Either way, you are your own life’s work, and you are on a very worthwhile journey. It is not about being a perfect person, but an authentic one.
I find this analogy very helpful, I hope that you do too. You are catching a flight to Hong Kong (pick your destination!) and you are in your seat, looking at the menu, watching the in-flight films, enjoying the whole experience, maybe chatting to other passengers, listening to your podcasts. All in all, you are having a great time. After a while, you become settled and even forget what you are doing on the flight. However the Dharma of your journey is not to enjoy the in-flight entertainment; It’s to get to Hong Kong! Otherwise you are just on a journey to nowhere. That is not to say you can’t enjoy all that there is to offer, but do not forget what we are here for.