Category:That Is Dharma
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category clarifies the true meaning of the word dharma. Often mistranslated simply as "faith" or "religion"—which can be changed according to personal preference or societal trends—Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that dharma actually means the original, eternal, and inseparable characteristic of a living entity, just as liquidity is the dharma of water and sweetness is the dharma of sugar. For the spirit soul, this inherent characteristic is the inescapable tendency to serve. In the conditioned state, this service spirit is misdirected toward the temporary material senses. However, real dharma (sanātana-dharma) is awakened when this service is rightfully directed toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Furthermore, dharma strictly means the laws and orders given directly by God (dharmam tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam); it cannot be manufactured by human concoction. True religion is simply obedience to God's order, culminating in complete surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
- The Inseparable Characteristic: Dharma is not a changeable faith; it is the constitutional position and natural quality of an entity, just as pungency is the dharma of a chili and liquidity is the dharma of water.
- The Eternal Occupational Duty: The eternal dharma of every living entity is the spirit of service. When this service is misdirected to the material senses, it is adharma; when directed to the Supreme Lord, it is true dharma.
- The Laws Given by God: True religion cannot be manufactured by human beings. Dharma strictly means the codes, laws, and direct orders given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Rejecting Concocted Religion: Modern society manufactures many defective, speculative religious systems. Lord Kṛṣṇa demands that we abandon all these concocted dharmas and simply surrender unto Him.
- The Ultimate Conclusion: The highest stage of dharma is to feel completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa, constantly serving Him, and abiding by His orders without imitation or independent speculation.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: The Original Characteristic of the Soul - That Is Dharma.
Pages in category "That Is Dharma"
The following 38 pages are in this category, out of 38 total.
A
- A big lawyer means who is quite aware of the laws of the state. Similarly, a religious person means who knows completely, at least - partially also - the laws of God. That is dharmic. That is dharma
- According to Vedic civilization, that is dharma-yuddha, religious fight. When the actual need is there to fight, we must fight. Not that when there is need of fight, one becomes nonviolent
D
- Dharma means obedience to the laws of God. That is dharma. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, whether you accept God as the supreme authority and whether you abide by the laws of God, then you are dharmic
- Dharma means original, constitutional position. That is dharma. I have several times said. . . Just like water. Water is liquid. That is its dharma
- Dharma means the codes or the law given by God. That is dharma. And our life is meant for dharma. Dharma. But unfortunately we have created so many dharmas. But there cannot be so many dharmas. There cannot be
- Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture. Who cares for your manufactured system
- Dharma means the natural characteristic. That is dharma. We don't mean dharma is a certain type of faith. No. Faith or no faith, the characteristics must be there. Just like salt. It has got a particular type of taste
- Dharma means the order of Krsna. That is dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma. All adharma
- Dharma means what is given to you by the Supreme Lord, that is dharma. Otherwise, if you manufacture some ritualistic ceremonies, some formulas, some dogma, that is cheating. That is not religion
- Dharma means which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture dharma. Just like nowadays so many dharmas have been manufactured. They are not dharma. dharma means the order which is given by the Lord
- Dharma means your constitutional position and duty. That is called dharma. Just like the other day I explained. Just like chili should be pungent, sugar must be sweet, this is the idea. Water must be liquid. A stone must be solid. This is the dharma
- Dharma, when it is reverted, transferred to the service of the Lord, that is called real dharma
- Dharmasya hy apavargyasya. To become religious means how to counteract these five principles. That is dharma
- Do not fall victim to this sentimental idea of peaceful life in seclusion. That is not our dharma
I
- If the chili becomes sweet and sugar becomes hot, that is adharma. Try to understand this. So first of all, who can give us dharma? That is stated in the sastras, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam
- If the woman is trained, a girl is trained from the very beginning, that, "You should remain chaste," that is dharma. It is called satita dharma. Sati means chastity
T
- Take this simple approach (from BG 18.66). Then everything will be immediately done. Real dharma, real religion, means dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: (SB 6.3.19) what God says, that is dharma
- That is dharma, discipline, to abide by the state laws. There must be some discipline. Similarly, to make yourself advanced to spiritual life, you must have to observe the discipline. Without discipline, it is not possible
- The eating, sleeping, mating, this is also dharma. Dharma means the activities, constitutional activities. Any man or any animal who has got this body, he must eat. This is also dharma. Dharma means which we cannot avoid
- The members of modern civilization manufacture defective religious principles through speculative concoction. This is not dharma. They do not know what is dharma and what is adharma
- The real occupational duty of the living entity is called sanatana-dharma. Dharma means not religion. Dharma means the natural characteristic. That is dharma
- This duty, this eternal occupational duty, is there in every living entity, the service spirit. But the service spirit is now misplaced on account of our conditioned stage. So when it is properly placed, service, that is our dharma
- This is dharma, as Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. Don't manufacture dharma
W
- Water is liquid; that is dharma, that it is his religion. Water cannot be solid. If you say, "Yes, water sometimes becomes solid; it becomes ice," but that is unnatural
- We cannot imitate God. We have to simply follow His order. That is dharma. And if you imitate Krsna, that is adharma
- What God says, that is dharma. God says: "Do this." That is dharma. Not that you manufacture your dharma. God says, Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru
- What is depending on faith, that is not dharma, that is not religion. The quality which you cannot change, that is religion. Therefore, the definition of dharma is given in the Vedic literature: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam
- What is explained in the Veda, that is dharma. Not . . . You cannot manufacture dharma. If it is mentioned in the Vedas what is dharma, what is adharma, then it is acceptable
- What is our duty? To feel obliged. That is our duty. That is dharma. Not that you manufacture some dharma. Real dharma is you try to understand what is your relationship with God and then act accordingly - your life is perfect
- What is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead or what is ordained by the supreme authority, that is dharma
- Without any scientific knowledge, if somebody says in some religion, for eating meat, that "Animal has no soul. You can kill as many as you like," so that is not dharma