Notes by Dwija Ramesh

Recap:

2 weeks ago, we talked about the Bhagavad Gita – a text on one who is wise that has lived life well – so that we can live well. When we discussed this manual of living, we covered 3 Yogas

1. Karma Yoga
   1. Purify the mind
   2. Decrease quantity of thoughts and increase the quality
2. Bhakti Yoga 
   1. Harness the mind
   2. Unify the direction of thoughts
3. Jnana Yoga
   1. Transcend the mind
   2. Now your true nature and realize your true nature

Discourse:

Dharma – 

“Dhr” (Uphold or sustain – integrate) — The essential nature of something and without it, it would cease to exist.

What is the Dharma of fire?

• Heat

What is the Dharma of your physical body?

• space, fire, earth, water, air

All animals and objects follow their Dharma. However, man is a very unique animal. What is the Dharma of man? 

• Support and integrate society

When we do this, everyone benefits. 

• Imagine: The power rangers are all fighting together and to defeat one villain, they all formed one hero. But to defeat the villain they had to be calm and be one with each other. 

Individual Dharma

• Regardless of what you want to do, you need to be healthy
  • At our mental level, we always want to be happy which comes from positive and supportive thoughts and mindsets
• Positive loving thoughts are Dharmic; knowledge
• Negative hateful thoughts are Adharmic; ignorance 

Activity: 

Discussion: Can anything be inherently Dharmic or Adharmic?

No. Looking at our body as an example, proper sleep, exercise and hygiene are Dharmic. However, if you get horribly sick, exercising is not dharma anymore. Dharma is relative to what it is supporting or integrating. If someone had diabetes, they shouldn’t have sugar, but if they have low blood sugar, eating sugar is Dharmic. Whatever supports your health is Dharma. 

Our scriptures tell us that non-injury mentally, verbally, and physically  is the greatest Dharma. However, if a surgeon has to cut someone open, that is Dharmic. Our motive to integrate or destroy is what dictates what Dharma is for us.

Discussion Part 2: Can war ever be Dharmic?

At the physical level, when the body is healthy, everything is good and we just go on living. But when we do get sick, the only way to save our lives is to cause “apparent” physical harm. Sometimes, small “apparent” harm needs to happen in order of the support and integration of the whole body. This can be paralleled to our society. We need to cause harm to a part of society(like the Nazis) in order for the whole of society to be safe and be integrated. 

Reflection Adventure of the Week

RAW Debrief: What do you want from the 30+ hours we are about to spend together? 

If you have done this, send it to Sumanji, Nina didi, and Lavanya didi. 

This week’s RAW is:  Each day, write down 5 things you did that day and label them as Dharma or Adharma.