Forwarded message from S. Kalyanaraman
Distinction between Dharm and Religion — Vishal Agarwal
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Vishal Agarwal (17 June 2009)
*1. Religions are Proselytizing, Dharm is Self-Transformation :*
Why does Religion breed fanaticism whereas Dharm does not? This is
explained very succinctly by David Frawley[1]
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:
"Perhaps nothing more so than religion that stimulates the passions
of humanity toward either higher or lower actions. This is because
religion introduces absolutes into human life. Religion sets up a
standard of judgment that goes beyond life and death and all the
limited values of our transient existence. Such a standard can deepen
our sensitivity or can breed fanaticism and bigotry, depending upon
whether we use these absolutes to provide a higher standard for our
own behavior or to become harsher in our criticism of those who think
differently than we do. True religion directs us to the Absolute,
which requires that we cleanse our minds of our limited opinions and
judgments. False or imperfect religion tries to make absolute these
very prejudices, opinions and limitations.
To understand religion, we must look at religion as a whole, not as a
belief system but as a way of life, a system of ethical, mental and
spiritual culture — what is called in the Eastern world, dharm or the
guiding law of our being. Otherwise we will be unable to extract the
essence of religion from its mass of conflicting beliefs. This
requires that we look at our own lives as a whole, and that we
examine religion as a living phenomenon, as part of our greater human
potential, our inner dharm, from whatever different land or culture
it may arise. We must learn to look at religion as a way of
connecting with Reality through our own consciousness, which is the
view of the science of Yog. This is the view of religion that India
has given us, the land wherein human beings have spent the most time
in pursuit of the sacred, not to convert others, but to realize the
Truth."
*2. Religions demand belief, Dharm stands for Self-Realization*
"In the Western world religion is associated with a belief in
something unseen, miraculous, or perhaps even irrational. For the
Western mind religion is something removed from ordinary existence,
and apart from the world of Nature, something super-natural, like the
miracle of Christ of turning water into wine. The fruits of our
religious practice are gained after death, in heaven, and seem little
related to the events of this life. Such religion is different than
religion in the Eastern or Hindu sense, and appears artificial and
imaginary, rather than the product of any profound meditation."[2]
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"There is no such term as religion in this sense in the teachings of
India. The term for a spiritual teaching is Dharm, the natural law of
Truth and its universal and eternal principles. The so-called
religions of India — like Hinduism and Buddhism — are not religious
belief systems but ways of cultivating dharm, ways of developing
higher awareness. To follow the Dharm is possible only through direct
perception, which requires freeing the mind from its conditioned
responses. It does not rest upon belief or speculation. The
cultivation of Dharm . . . .means developing an awareness which is
clear enough to perceive things as they are . . . ."[3]
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"We could say, therefore, that there are two basic types of religious
teachings in the world. The first are the belief-oriented systems
that predominate in organized Western religions, which emphasize sin
and salvation leading to either hell or heaven. Their idea of cosmic
law is something imposed from above by the will of God, which may
appear to be arbitrary or even vengeful. The world of Nature is
looked upon not as part of our own being but as a hostile reality to
be controlled or conquered, or as a realm of temptation.
Second are the dharmic traditions of the Eastern world which
emphasize natural law, meditation and Yog leading to Self-
realization. Dharmic traditions seek to know the truth of things and
do not set any dogma over our own enquiry . . . ."[4]
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"Dharmic traditions are experiential rather than belief-oriented —
as we see among Hindus, Buddhists and Taoists. They are open,
creative and meditative in their approach, an attitude often shared
by Western pagan religions and philosophies as well. Such
experiential traditions have a great appeal to the inquiring spirit,
with their knowledge of deeper levels or consciousness and
extrasensory powers. They have a greater history of tolerance and
respect for other beliefs, a necessary attitude in the multi-cultural
world order in which we live today. Hinduism as Sanatan Dharm has
always been able to accommodate many different religious and
spiritual approaches. From its standpoint, religious beliefs are not
absolutes but merely theories, working models, guides to practice,
which must eventually be left behind." [5]
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*3. Religions advocate Monolithic Beliefs, Dharm Accepts Diversity of
Approaches to the Divine:*
" Such [Abrahamic] religions identify religion with the belief in One
God, one primary representative of him, and one book of revelation
from him. The right belief is said to bring about salvation. The
wrong belief is thought to be the worst of all sins and bring about
damnation. Such religions are trying to convert the entire world to
their belief, which conversion they view as salvation for humanity.
While such monolithic belief systems can state their beliefs in clear
and uncomplicated terms, they often sound more like slogans or
stereotypes — absolute statements that appeal to an emotional need
for certainty and security but fail to deal with the complexity of
life itself. Is Truth really that simplistic or have we narrowed it
down according to our own bias which, however well intentioned, falls
short of what life in its abundance really is?"[6]
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"A statement of such exclusive absolutes about religion is not
possible for dharmic traditions like Hinduism, nor would Hindus find
it desirable. Coming from a universal background such restrictions
appear arbitrary. They appear not as a deep understanding of the
Infinite but as the attempt to arrive at a mental or emotional
formulation that satisfies not the soul�s longing to merge into the
Divine, but the ego�s need for certainty, security and control."[7]
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"As part of Sanatan Dharm, Hindus are not restricted from studying
other religions or respecting Truth wherever and in whomever they see
it. Hinduism does not have any word like heretic, pagan or kafir.
Hindus have never invaded any country and tried to force people to
adopt their religion. There is no excommunication in Hinduism, nor do
Hindus ever condemn anyone to eternal hell. Hindu leaders do not
issue proclamations restricting the forms of worship that can be
practiced by Hindus. Hindus do not have blasphemy laws that prevent
anyone from criticizing Hindu teachings.
Hinduism does not require that we all have the same view of Divinity
but encourages unique and diverse ways for the full unfolding of
creative intelligence. It says that there is something unique about
each person, which is their special connection with the Divine, and
that there should be no standardized religion for all people.
Hindus are not required to agree with one another on religions
matters but are encouraged to develop their own insights. Hindus
respect original and honest thinking, rather than merely parroting
what someone else, however great, has said. If two Hindus do not
follow the same guru, worship the Divine in the same form, or study
the same scripture, it is not a problem. They will not fight with or
try to convert the other person. They respect their diversity as part
of the great abundance of life."[8]
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"Hinduism is not merely a single religion, one among many, but a
harmony of many different religious teachings that maintained a
peaceful coexistence with each other as parts of a universal
tradition. It has not forced or molded these different teachings into
uniformity, in fact this diversity itself has manifested because of
the universality of the Hindu view, which is that it is not the many
who became One but the One that expresses itself as all. This
recognition of the
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