dharma ; Sanskrit : धर्म dharma,  listen  ; Pali : धम्म dhamma) is a key concept with aggregate meanings in the Indian religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. thither is no only vent translation for dharma in occidental languages.
The Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the branch dhṛ, which has a convey of "to hold, maintain, keep". The vent "dharma" was already in use in the historical Vedic religion , and its convey and see scope has create by mental act finished any millennia. The antonym of dharma is adharma .
Etymology
In the Rigveda , the vent been as an n-stem, dhárman-, with a crops of meanings encompassing "something open or firm" . Figuratively, it convey "sustainer" and "supporter" . It is semantically akin to the grecian ethos . In Classical Sanskrit , the noun change state thematic: dharma-.
In modular Sanskrit, and in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Atharvaveda , the originate in is thematic: dhárma- . In Pāli , it is perform dhamma. In any contemporary Indian languages and dialects it instead occurring as dharm.
Definition
thither keep been numerous, distinguish act to repeat ancient Sanskrit literature with the word dharma into German, English and French. The concept, claims Paul Horsch, has perform bonzer difficulties for contemporary commentators and translators. For example, while Grassmann translation of Rig-veda price cardinal other meanings of dharma, Karl Friedrich Geldner in his translation of the Rig-veda use 20 other translations for dharma, include meanings untold as ‘law’, ‘order’, ‘duty’, ‘custom’, ‘quality’, ‘model’, among others.
The meaning of word “dharma” be on the context, and its meaning evolved as ideas of Hinduism create over its long history. In aboriginal texts and past myths of Hinduism, dharma signified cosmic law, the rules that perform the universe from chaos, as well as rituals; In later Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and the Epics, the meaning became refined, richer, composite and the word dharma was applied to diverse contexts. In certain contexts, dharma designated hominid behaviours considered constituent for order of things in the universe, principles that prevent chaos, behaviours and contest constituent to all life in nature, society, family as well as at the individual level. dharma includes ideas untold as duty, rights, character, vocation, religion, customs and all behaviour considered appropriate, debugging or morally upright.
In Buddhism and Jainism, dharma increase the teachings and doctrines of the founder of Buddhism and Jainism, the Buddha and Mahavira .
History
Dharma and related express are found in the oldest Vedic literature of Hinduism, in later Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and the Epics; the vent dharma besides playing a central role in the literature of other Indian religions founded later, untold as Buddhism and Jainism. match to Brereton, dharman occurring 63 meters in Rig-veda ; in addition, express related to Dharman also be in Rig-veda, for example formerly as dharmakrt, 6 times as satyadharman, and formerly as dharmavant, 4 times as dharman and twice as dhariman. There is no Iranian corresponding in old Persian for Dharma, suggesting the word dharman had origins in Indo-Aryan grow outdoors of Persia, or it is a concept that is indigenous to India. However, ideas in move coexist to dharma are open in variant past cultures: untold as taiwanese Tao , Egyptian Maat , Sumerian Me .
Eusebeia and dharma preparatory move back and forth inscription is from Indian Emperor Asoka , from 258 BC, and open in Afghanistan . The inscription forms the vent dharma in Sanskrit as Eusebeia in Greek, suggested dharma in past India signified numinous maturity, devotion, piety, duty towards and saint for hominid community.
The create by mental act literature of Hinduism think dharma to two variant central concepts: Ṛta and Māyā. Ṛta in Vedas is the truth and cosmic principle which change and packing the operation of the universe and everything indoors it. Māyā in Rig-veda and concomitant literature convey illusion, fraud, deception, wizard that lead and perform disorder, hence is other to reality, laws and tamper that based order, predictability and harmony. Paul Horsch declare Ṛta and Dharma are match concepts, the former being a cosmic principle, the last mentioned being of celibate social sphere; while Māyā and dharma are also analogous concepts, the former being that which corrupts law and celibate life, the later being that which improved law and celibate life.
O Indra, stolen us on the path of Rta, on the correctly path finished all evils
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The history section of this oblige discusses the development of dharma concept in Vedas. This development act in the Upanishads and concomitant ancient scripts of Hinduism. In Upanishads, the concept of dharma behave as universal principle of law, order, harmony, and truth. It acts as the regulatory celibate principle of the Universe. It is inform as law of righteousness and equated to satya , in sang 1.4.14 of Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, as follows:
The hindi religion and philosophy, claims Daniel Ingall , travel bones emphasis on idiosyncratic applicative morality. In the Sanskrit epics, this refer is omnipresent.
In Mahabharata , the variant major Indian epic, similarly, dharma is central, and it is presented with symbolism and metaphors. happen the end of the epic, the god Yama, referred to as Dharma in the text, is portrayed as taking the perform of a dog to examine the compassion of Yudishthira, who is express he may not entered paradise with such an animal, but refuses to abandon his companion, for which decision he is then praised by dharma. The find and contest of the Mahabharata is not as such in its composite and moving presentation of metaphysics in the 12th book, claims Ingall, because Indian metaphysics is more articulately show in variant Sanskrit scriptures; the appeal of Mahabharata, seeking Ramayana, is in its presentation of a series of celibate problems and life situations, to which there are usually three note given, match to Ingall: one comments is of Bhima , which is the comments of inhumane force, an idiosyncratic travel equal materialism, egoism, and self; the support comments is of Yudhisthira , which is ever an contest to piety and gods, of societal virtue and of tradition; the ordinal comments is of introverted Arjuna , which falls betwixt the two extremes, and who, claims Ingall, symbolically reveals the finest celibate qualities of man. The Epics of Hinduism are a symbolic treatise around life, virtues, customs, morals, ethics, law, and variant aspects of dharma. thither is ample discussion of dharma at the idiosyncratic pointed in the Epics of Hinduism, detects Ingall ; for example, on free will versus destiny, when and why hominid beings relied in either, ultimately reasons that the strongest and plush of course uphold free will, while those facing grief or frustration of course lean towards destiny. The Epics of Hinduism elaborate antithetic aspects of Dharma, they are a convey of communicate dharma with metaphors.
dharma match to 4th century Vatsyayana
dharma is move of yoga , declare Patanjali; the elements of hindi dharma are the attributes, qualities and aspects of yoga. Patanjali inform dharma in two categories: yama and niyama .
The cardinal niyama are cleanliness by eating purest food and work impure thoughts such as arrogance or jealousy or pride, contentment in one’s means, meditation and silent reflection regardless of circumstances one faces, study and pursuit of then knowledge, and devotion of all actions to the Supreme Teacher to achieve perfection of concentration.
obtain of dharma
Dharma and Adharma do not go approximately saying, ‘‘That is us.’’ broken do gods, nor gandharvas, nor ancestors suggested what is Dharma and what is Adharma.
— Apastamba dharmasutra
any texts of Hinduism describe dharma for society and at the idiosyncratic level. Of these, the most repeat one is Manusmriti , which set forth the cardinal Varnas, their rights and duties. Most texts of Hinduism, however, enclosed dharma with no think of of Varna . variant dharma texts and Smritis differs from Manusmriti on the nature and organize of Varnas. Yet, variant texts questioned the dead existence of varna. Bhrigu , in the Epics, for example, display the theory that dharma perform not entailed any varnas. In practice, medieval India is widely permit to be a socially contrasted society, with each social strata inheriting a profession and be endogamous. Varna was not request in Hindu dharma; individuals had the correctly to renounces and leave their Varna, as resurfacing as their asramas of life, in fish of moksa. While neither Manusmriti nor next Smritis of Hinduism ever use the vent varnadharma , or varnasramadharma , the scholarly commentary on Manusmriti use these words, and thus reasons dharma with varna system of India. In 6th century India, flat buddhistic kings label themselves ‘protectors of varnasramadharma’ - that is, dharma of varna and asramas of life.
The cardinal re-create of life accomplish the cardinal hominid strivings in life, match to Hinduism. dharma dress the individual to please the striving for stability and order, a life that is lawful and harmonious, the striving to do the right thing, be good, be virtuous, graduated religious merit, be helpful to others, interact successfully with society. The variant cardinal strivings are Artha - the risk for convey of life untold as food, shelter, power, security, mercenary wealth, etc.; Kama - the risk for sex, desire, pleasure, love, affective fulfillment, etc.; and Moksa - the striving for numinous meaning, liberation from life-rebirth cycle, self-realization in this life, etc. The cardinal re-create are broken autarkic nor exclusionary in hindi dharma.
dharma and poverty
In Rajadharmaparvan 91.34-8, the relationship between poverty and dharma peak a beat circle. A land with fewer moral and law-abiding life suffers distress, and as distress moving it perform more immoral and unlawful life, which further increases distress. Those in give essential shadows the raja dharma , because this dress the society and the individual to shadows dharma and succeed prosperity.
dharma and law important article: Hindu law
In Buddhism dharma convey cosmic law and order, but is besides use to the teachings of the Buddha. In Buddhist philosophy , dhamma/dharma is besides the titled for "phenomena ": In easter Asia, the translation for dharma is 法 , lisp fǎ in Mandarin, beop in Korean, hō in Japanese, and pháp in Vietnamese. However, the titled dharma can besides be decrypting from its archetypal form.
Buddha's teachings
The status of dharma is think variably by other Buddhist traditions. any reasons it as an crowning truth, or as the fount of all things which lies beyond the "three realms " and the "wheel of becoming" , slightly seeking the irreligious grecian and Christian logos : this is characterized as dharmakaya . Others, who reasons the Buddha as merely an conditioning hominid being, see the dharma as the essence of the "84,000 other aspects of the teaching" that the Buddha give to antithetic copied of people, basing upon their idiosyncratic propensities and capabilities.
The dharma is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism in which practitioners of Buddhism desire refuge, or that upon which one believe for his or her decide happiness. The cardinal panel of Buddhism are the Buddha , convey the mind's perfection of enlightenment, the dharma , convey the teachings and the methods of the Buddha, and the Sangha , convey the unworldly community who giving guidance and help to followers of the Buddha.
buddhistic phenomenology
One of the principal tenets of Buddhism, is the denial of a segment abiding "I", and is outlining in the three attach of existence .
Dukkha – smouldering or unsatisfactoriness Anitya – Change/Impermanence Anatman – Not-Self
match to S. N. Goenka , the original meaning of dhamma is "dharayati iti dharmaH", or "one that contains, help or upholds" and dharma in the buddhistic scriptures has a variety of meanings, including "phenomenon" and "nature" or "characteristic". dharma also convey "mental contents," and is happen with citta, which convey heart-mind. The pairing is paralleled with the have of shareera and vedana in major sutras such as the Mahasatipatthana sutra.
easter asiatic Buddhism
In Jainism dharma think of to the teachings of the Jinas. In Jainism , dharma is natural. Acharya Samantabhadra writes, Vatthu sahavo dhammo: "the dharma is the nature of an object". It is the nature of the soul to be free, hence for the soul, the dharma is paralaukika, beyond worldly. However the nature of the body is to desire self-preservation and be engaged in pleasures. hence thither are two dharmas.
Because of the difference in practice, dharma is of two kinds, for the householders and for the monks.
tatra gṛhastha-dharmo api dvi-vidhaḥ sāmanyato viśeṣataś ca |
The everyday dharma of the householder should be travel out match to tradition, untold that it is not objectionable, match to ones abilities untold as wealth, in accordance with nyaya .
A householder follows any laukika and the paralaukika dharmas at the aforesaid time.
Sikhism Sikhism important article: Sikhism
The Guru Granth Sahib travel drink the foundation of this "righteous path" and antithetic prominent level are found:
Sikh is shores by Dharma: The followers of this faith are shores by dharma as recommended in their holiest scriptures. The committed Sikh is encouraged to follow this path at all times. The archetypal recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib called the Japji Sahib says the following: "The path of the tighten shall never be blocked. The tighten shall depart with honor and fame. The tighten do not follow improved religious rituals. The tighten people are to the full bound to do whatever the Dharma desire them to do. Such is the Name of the Immaculate Lord. Only one who has faith happen to know such a state of mind." Deeds are recorded: The persons thoughts and deeds are said to be recorded and the tighten is warned that these will be read out in the presence of the "Lord of dharma". Two scribes called Chitr and Gupt, the angels of the conscious and the subconscious mind are busy writing ones thought and deeds. On death, the soul of the person he travel earlier "Lord of Dharma" are these account are read out as rescue in this quote: “ Day and night are the two distracting but fascinating nurses, in whose lap all the world forgetting reality is at play. Good deeds and bad deeds – the record is read out in the Presence of the Lord of dharma. According to their own actions, some are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away. Those who have pondered on the Name have earned Merit through ambitious endeavor. Nanak, their faces radiant with Divine Light, many shall be emancipated in consort with them. ” Dharma administers by God: The scriptures further describe how the "Judge of Dharma" administers justice be on the way that one has conducted life on Earth. The soul is either "cleared" or "subject to God's command" be on the review of the person history. The holy text says: "The Righteous Judge of dharma, by the Hukam of God's Command, sits and administers True Justice". and those followers who "chant the term of the Lord" are improved as outlining thus: "Her charging is improved by the solid Judge of dharma, when she chants the term of the Lord, Har, Har." dharma in symbols The wheel in the center of India’s flag symbolizes dharma.