By Periyava
Translation from Tamil: V. Krishnaraj
தர்மமே தலைக்காக்கும் : தெய்வத்தின் குரல் (முதல் பகுதி)
That is the plenitude of sympathy. Then, the weather is pleasant and clement, though the idols are seated in the sunlight. Come Spring, the sun gets a little hot; the Mother Nature in her affection to the deities makes the weather seasonable. When the sun’s rays get hotter, Mother Nature impels the trees to spring forth with sprigs and leaves and holds a canopy of green over the deities. Fall and spring are nature, and world order. They have been happening without fail over eons.
There is an established order in the universe. The universe functions according to this order ensuring a proper universal life. Otherwise, everything will go out of whack. Isvara established Dharma, order… for each genus and species so they get along with each other and expressed his love for good living and welfare of multitudes of living beings in this world. His primary concern was to safeguard his children from sun and rain. When the life forms need seasonable temperatures, Īśvara gives, and embraces them as an act of love and wielded power over Nature and established an order and Dharma for the trees and other flora.
Are we not deserving of his love? Yes, we do. The order for the tree and the frond applies to us too. We can make a claim for love, if we for the weal of the world follow the natural order. That order established for man is Dharma. He gave us brains (intellect) to override Dharma so he can watch our play. Man wanders seeking wellness and betterment in something by using his brain. In this pursuit, he transgresses the order established for him. At the end, Dharma is the source of wellness.
Some entity has turned all the people of the world toward Dharma by some means. Because of it, man all over the world besides fulfilling his worldly needs is engaged in some wondrous activities. One holds the cross and reads the Bible. Another one says, ‘Namās.’ Yet another one applies the sacred ash. Another one applies Namam on his forehead. Though these acts do not show cause and effect, over generations, people followed these practices as principles. Why is it like that?
To lead a worldly life, man accumulated money and articles. He saved for the future. How many years into the future? He discovered he won’t live for a thousand years. During life, man accumulated wealth for his progeny.
When the life ended, the question of afterlife was raised. Mahāṉs of various countries perceived that physical death was not the end (of everything). They discovered the accumulated wealth was of no use to the dead after death. The Mahans found what was necessary for the attainment of salubrious afterlife. Various nations found disparate ways: cross, Namās, sacred ash, sacred earth…
‘Realizing that God owns the whole universe, Man’s Dharma was to conduct oneself according to God’s suzerainty. All selfish deeds push man towards Adharma. Therefore, one should curtail one’s selfishness. All religions came into being by reminding people of the ever-abiding Isvara and instilling the thought of his suzerainty over this universe. There is no religion in the world that preaches the follower to conduct oneself according to his whims and desire and accumulate wealth for oneself. If a man puts his self-interest in the forefront, he will act only in his self-interest. Knowing this tendency of man to self-interest, all religions brought to man’s attention to the fact that he is nothing before the Māhāsakti that created the whole universe and helped attenuate his ego. If you adhere to Mahāsaktimān, the creator of our brain will correct it to his liking and make us steeped in Dharma. Most religions advanced Bakthi as the mainstay.
When the Gurus say that Godhood is a principle and the mind should be immersed in devotion to him, our mind cannot have a steady hold on to it. Channeling devotion into action is feasible for ordinary people. (Exoteric worship as a form of devotion is feasible by ordinary people.) Every religion has rites, rituals, sun worship, prayer, Namās… The religions teach Dharma and virtuous conduct in worldly life as a form of Bakthi (devotion). ‘Show love to everyone; be philanthropic; do service’: These are the teachings of all religions. If a person lives a life as said here, his soul after his physical death will reach God. This is a doctrine that declares the soul is non-different from Monistic God and becomes one with God. The doctrine’s other position is the soul renders service to God, receives his grace and lives in ecstasy. We need not fight and break our heads over this conclusion. By some path, whatever it is, we reach God. There is a total freedom from this life on earth with its attendant unhappiness, difficulties, disappointments, failures… Irreversible complete ecstasy alone is the natural state of the soul, non-different from God. Learning this alone is sufficient for now.
If Paramātma should take us into his hold and fold, we should perform faultlessly the duties to the world and him. These duties are our injunctive Dharma. This Dharma stands us in good stead while living in body and after leaving the body. Once the body is gone, there are no limbs. Therefore, when the body is alive, we should perform Dharmic deeds conducive to salvation and eternal bliss. This is more important than having life insurance for the benefit of others contingent upon our death. Dharma is the permanent insurance for our welfare in the afterlife and besides, gives us enduring lifetime tranquility and wellness (during life on earth).
There is no confusion on what Dharma we should observe. We are soaked in Dharma observed by our elders over many generations. Their experience tells us they lived well. Unlike dissatisfaction and insurrection in this generation, our elders lived in tranquility and mental peace. Therefore, it is sufficient to follow the afore-mentioned Dharma. It is unnecessary trouble, to do something new and hold on to it (untenable Adharma). We will have constant doubt whether the newly contrived Dharma is good or bad. Therefore, it is for the good of us we uphold the tried and true Dharma devised, observed and advocated to us by our ancestors.
Taking birth as a human, trouble, danger… are in the offing. Realizing it, in the new year, we ingest the first (bitter) efflorescent flowers of the Neem tree. In the beginning of the new year, we accept the bitterness of the taste. We taste the sugarcane, towards the end of the year during Pongal festival. If we taste sweetness in the beginning, the end will result in bitterness. We need not entertain hatred for the bitterness. Let us invite and embrace bitterness as Mother Nature’s or Dharmic law’s (bitter) medicine. As we move forward, we develop a mental poise to regard any experience as sweet.
SriRama’s difficulties and danger during his forest exile were huge. As the mother gives food-viaticum (கட்டுச்சாதம் = kaṭṭ-c-cātham = Food for the journey) on his journey, Kausalya did a similar thing. ‘What food is good for a fourteen-year exile? What can be given to a child?’ She consulted extensively. As the permanent life sustainer (பக்ஷணம் pakṣaṇam = confection), she offered Dharma ( as succor for the long journey).
“Raghava! The Dharma you safeguard with courage and good conduct with pure soul will safeguard you.” Saying such sage words, she sent Dharma as the life-sustaining soul companion on his fourteen-year exile.
Dharma only brought victory to Rama at the end. If a person is in a Dharmic path, even animals support him. If a person falls into Adharma, even the sibling will become an enemy, as proven in Ramayana. The Vāṉarās supported Rama and Ravana’s brother Vibhishana withheld his support of Ravana.
Dharma will safeguard a person’s head. Dharma as the savior of Rama’s head, felled the ten-headed Ravana allowing Ramamurthy to walk with his head held high as Vijayarāghavan. For everyone, the Dharma of the ancestors became a religion. May every individual observe the Dharma with courage and justice and attain eternal happiness.