In the Western concept it appears that the word Dharma ( of Eastern Concept) and ‘Religion’ are Synonymous, But in the Eastern reality ‘Religion’ is an integral element of Dharma because the word religion is derived from the verb ‘ religere’ that means ‘ to bind’ in the sense ‘to place an obligation on’ which is done through initiation (DIKSHA) by which every individual becomes on oblate and takes upon himself the obligations of oblation to his living Ideal (model). In the East Dharma entails efforts to enrich the conduct and characteristics that enable every one to preserve and nurture his life and growth together with that of his environment. As everyone has to depend on his environment to keep his existence in sound health his primary requirement is to ensure that his environment remains in sound health both in body and mind in tune with the Ideal i.e., the model. This is what economy stands for as the word economy is derived from Latin Oeconomia, Greek Oikonomia ( Oikos – house + nemein – manage) which may mean management of eco or environment. In western concept economy does not include religion, Politics takes care of creating conditions for collective existence. Economy aims at creating jobs to earn money. Politics in different countries are either dictatorial or democratic. In-dictatorial system the autocrat is singular. Democracy is also a modified autocracy where the dictator is plural i.e., a Party. A party is only a part and not the whole. The part remaining outside the ruling part lacks fulfilment. Therefore, in the West neither politics nor economy is holistic. In Eastern concept it is holistic uphold and perfect development of existence. In VAISHESHIC DARSHAN Dharma is defined as “YATO ABHUDAYA NISHREASHA SIDHI SA DHARMA”. “That which accomplishes perfect all round development is Dharma”. It does not aim at creating jobs and earning money. It aims at obliging the Ideal who embodies the source of creation that is expansion and contraction (give and take) by which existence is sustained through this process of exchanging or extending an helping hand to each other. That is why the ward “Tax” is absent in Eastern concept of economy. Instead the word used to mean tax is “ Kaar” meaning hand- to extend a Co-operating hand. Practically money is a ‘token’ obtained in exchange of rendering service. So it is service ‘that enriches both the servant and the served’. For service effort is needed which depends on energetic urge. So the basic requirement is the source of generating energetic urge. Urge is created in a person when he has to obtain some material for pleasing, say wife, children or parents. There is a limit to the requirement of beloved members of the family. Hence urge generated for fulfilling the needs of family is also limited. Each person has immense potentiality to grow. His potentiality increases when the demand from the person whom he loves intensely increases. Demand from the Ideal is endless, so the oblale’s energy also increases endlessly. But what is of utmost importance is love for the Love (Ideal) must be intense. The oblate with an intense love for the Superior Beloved (Ideal) eventually lives in the domain of his Superior Beloved. That is in ‘freedom’. The root of word Free is Preeo. In old English freedom is Freeodom. Dom in Sanskrit means abode (dome), in Greek it is doma (house) and in Latin it is domus (house). Freeodom or Preeodom means house of Beloved the Great. With the influences of Western Culture we understand independence to be non-dependence. But in Eastern outlook it is in-dependence meaning inter-dependence. For taking birth one has to depend on two persons, after coming out of the womb he has to depend on environment for supply of oxygen. Then how can he exist without depending on any body ? Eastern concept of freedom, independence and many other allied subjects have been over shadowed by the culture of the West after the East was subjugated to British Rule. Dharma is confused with Religion and the fact the religion (Isms) may be many but Dharma is ever ONE and only have disappeared from the Eastern concept.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:50:58 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015