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| By Gemini AI |
Dharma is more than duty or righteousness. It is the
underlying order that sustains the cosmos, society, and the individual. The
Vedas speak of dharma as a deep alignment with the divine order. When humans
live in unity of thought, word, and deed, they reflect the cosmic harmony the gods
themselves observe.
In the context of the society, Dharma
guides individuals to perform their roles responsibly – as parents, teachers,
rulers, etc – so that there is harmony everywhere. Each person adhering to
their Dharma contributes to collective wellbeing or social harmony.
Dharma also includes self-discipline,
integrity, and the alignment of thought, word, and deed. This is personal inner harmony.
The Ramayana is a living embodiment
of dharma as harmony. Rama’s mission is to restore the cosmic harmony that is
disturbed by adharma which is symbolised by Ravana’s arrogance and lust. The
relationships in the epic – son to father, husband to wife, brother to brother,
king to subjects – are all structured by dharma. When each individual plays
their role by dharma, there is cosmic order. When the roles are not played
rightly, chaos ensues. Kaikeyi’s selfish demand and Ravana’s abduction of Sita
are examples.
Upholding dharma is not easy,
however. Even Rama, an incarnation of God, faces dilemmas many times. The
treatment meted out to Sita on many occasions, after her abduction, emerges
from the conflict between various dharmas. Should one be an ideal husband
rather than an ideal king? Rama chooses what he determines as his higher
dharma.
Personally I have serious contentions
with some of Rama’s choices. Maybe, I am yet to understand certain nuances of
Dharma as conceived in the epic. Maybe, my personal philosophy which absolutely
fails to recognise a moral order in the cosmos interferes with my understanding
of the epic.
When I was thinking of the
cosmic order – a concept that I find rather unconvincing – a friend of mine
mentioned philosopher Bernard J Lonergan. Lonergan is a bit too complex to
bring in a blog post. I’m going to adapt a fraction of his worldview to
understand cosmic order. Sorry for making Lonergan this simplistic.
There is a classical order in the universe. From the
laws that govern the motion of the planets to the astonishing precision of the
blueprint carried by the DNA of any organism, there is so much mystifying,
awe-inspiring order in the universe. There are clear mathematical patterns
visible in the heavenly galaxies and the simple seashells.
However, there are random occurrences which
are part of the cosmos though they seem to disrupt the harmony. The first
example that came to my friend’s mind as he spoke to me was the extinction of
the non-avian dinosaurs by an asteroid impact. We are familiar with
catastrophes such as tsunamis and earthquakes.
What appears catastrophic to the
human eye may be playing a purposeful role in the vast cosmic order. What seems
like chaos to us may be actually part of a larger unfolding – a kind of
rebalancing. Harmony isn’t static. It includes, even requires, disruption. Just
as pruning helps a tree grow better, or forest fires renew soil, destruction
can be a kind of cosmic recalibration. The moral code of the cosmos is not a
limited human moral code! A tsunami may be necessitated by a disbalance in the
ecosystem of the planet.
Or some of these occurrences – random
occurrences – may have no purpose whatever. Like an accident that kills an
innocent child on the road. They are also part of the cosmic order or lack of
perfect order.
Then there is the concept of emergent probabilities.
The cosmos is not a static force. It is essentially dynamic. The cosmos keeps
evolving every moment. In those churning dynamics, a whole lot of probable
outcomes can emerge offering us new orders and new meanings.
Rama’s exile is a political
and personal tragedy. But it becomes the context for the forging of alliances
with the Vanaras, the awakening of divine purpose, and the fulfilment of
Vishnu’s cosmic mission. Hanuman’s divine potential is unfolded in the process;
an emergent probability. Ravana’s fall indicates the replacement of a morally
disordered system with a new one founded on dharma. Sita now emerges not as a
victim but as an archetype of purity, inner strength, and spiritual
sovereignty.
The universe is not a force that lies out there. Nor is the cosmic harmony. We are all parts of it and creators as well. Our consciousness and understanding are integral to the universe’s evolution. What we do also matters immensely in the creation and maintenance of the cosmic order.
PS. I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. This series looks at the Ramayana
from various angles.
Tomorrow: Vishwamitra:
The King and the Ascetic
Previous Posts in this
series:
Like the Emergent Probability of Lonergan, two other tools to throw light on the Cosmic Interplay/Dance of Chaos in/and Cosmos would be the Epec/Stasis of Gregory of Nyssa and the Whiteheadian Process Philosophy, where God is in Process, as much as the Cosmic and the Human, like Nyssean Marathon, never ending, breaking even the vaults of heaven, to be-come... All what has to be..
ReplyDeleteThis concept of an evolving God is found in many philosophies, I think. I have seen it even in novels such as O V Vijayan's. That's a more sensible concept too.
DeleteI took only a superficial framework from Lonergan. He's capable of intimidating ordinary readers.
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteLove this! I think Fr Lonergan had a grasp of quantum matters/advaitic principles... and proves yet again that all the truly great thinkers start to have pretty much the same understanding. We all can - should we choose to accept the challenge - think our way to the pinacle of existence and purpose. YAM xx
It seems he brought in quantum physics with its confounding equations to his philosophy classes.
DeleteAlmost all genuine seekers arrive at more or less the same notions and perceptions. Nondualism in varied forms, truth, compassion...
Which just means that there's not going to be an ultimate harmony. No matter how hard you try, there will be something that'll come along, and you won't know what the "right" thing to do is.
ReplyDeleteThe 'right' is going to be our individual choice in tough situations!
DeleteLonergan might have been familiar with Quantum and conundrums. He used to fill the blackboard with perhaps Godel's Theorem. To ground his Theological Method and Philosophy of Knowledge in Maths and Physics.
ReplyDeleteQuantum and its conundrums
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed learning about the philosopher and the fact that we all are integral part of the universe. We are, indeed, a part of the cosmos. My today's post is also based on my interpretation of the universe in the spiritual aspect. Looking forward to know your thoughts. - Swarnali Nath
ReplyDeleteIf the cosmos can accommodate our chaos, it will be easy enough...
DeleteI do love to go through your writings.
I just read your piece, The Universe in Pursuit of Harmony, and it really struck a chord with me. The way you delve into the cosmic significance of dharma and the balance between the masculine and feminine energies is profound. I’ve always seen the Ramayana as a tale of heroism, but your perspective adds a layer of depth I hadn’t considered. The idea that Sita's abduction symbolizes a disruption in cosmic harmony is both enlightening and sobering. It's a reminder that true balance requires honoring both energies equally. Your writing has given me a lot to reflect on, especially about how societal norms often marginalize the feminine. Thank you for sharing such a thought-provoking piece; it’s given me a new lens through which to view the epic.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Ramayana and the Mahabharata deserve deeper understanding than what they get in their own country, in their own religion. No one who has internalized Rama can ever make Jai Sri Ram a battle cry of hatred. Dharma... I'm yet to find a Hindu friend who understans what that is!
DeleteLoved reading it as you have just broadened the view of Dharma with all the examples stated above.
ReplyDeleteDharma is a difficult to grasp. I'm trying my best to make it sensible to me..
DeleteThis reflection on Dharma is deeply thoughtful and brings out both its complexity and its profound relevance to the human experience. Your exploration of the interplay between personal, societal, and cosmic dharma resonates strongly, especially in light of the Ramayana's depiction of these tensions. The idea that harmony includes disruption, like the pruning of a tree, adds an insightful layer to understanding dharma as something dynamic rather than fixed. It's fascinating to consider that both order and chaos might coexist in the larger unfolding of the universe, and that our roles within it contribute to its ongoing evolution.
ReplyDelete