Dharma as Ultimate Sacrifice

It is difficult to provide a single concise definition for dharma, as the word has a long and varied history and straddles a complex set of meanings and interpretations. There is no equivalent single word translation for dharma in western languages. It is derived from an older Vedic Sanskrit n-stem dharman-, with a literal meaning of "bearer, supporter" In common parlance, dharma means ‘right way of living’, the “law” and ‘path of rightness’. The path of rightness is a complex term, comprising of numerous virtues and practices and good works.

The idea of sacrificing for the good of others is not new. Neither has it its roots exclusively in Hinduism. The meaning of the word “sacrifice” is nothing more than “giving”. In this respect, I see parallels, like so often, between Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. The term ‘Ultimate Sacrifice” is an expression of noble purpose. Christian God sacrificed his own son in order to redeem humanity. Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. The practice and nature of sacrifices in Judaism are based on not less than 613 commandments, also a complex path. Maimonides, a medieval Jewish scholar, was of view that that sacrifice would be a necessary part of the relationship between God and man. He wrote that God's decision to allow sacrifices was a concession to human psychological limitations.

The sacrifice has a spiritual meaning, and refers to some part of an individual's ego, which is given up as a sacrifice to God in honour of the mortality of the worshipper. In keeping with the root of the word, meaning to draw close, and to the common usage as the sacrifice of an animal, so too can the worshipper sacrifice something of this world in order to become closer to God.

Early humans lived in unison with Nature and, by necessity, observed it much more closely than we do today. One of the first things they must have noticed is that life follows a certain circuit. Everything new sprouts from the death of old. Plants grow from the turf, some plants and animals need to give their lives to feed other species and some even die while giving life to their young. Beautiful stone formations are often the remnants of great valleys, destroyed by the powerful tectonic movements. Rivers, with their own substance, feed seas and oceans and vice versa. People are part of this great circuit, and being in tune with it, valued the sacrifice made so they can live. They thanked plants and animals that provided the food and they took care of their old.

Time went by and things have changed. People who just lived their lives the way the sun goes up in the morning, gave place to the “Golden Era” society, when the cities were built and developed, infrastructure has become more complex. Coveting this infrastructure has become a way of life. The more complex the community became, the more time people needed to invest into fitting in and obtaining material things that ensured their status, the more selfish people became. To balance the society, laws were implemented. Just as a nut that falls off the tree is only food for the upcoming seedling, so are we interdependent on each other for sustainment of life. The more time we need to spend on ensuring this life is pleasant, the less attention we can give to the rest.

Now and again, I see people capable of great things I could never do. I watch great dancers float in the air with unparalleled grace. I hear unearthly voices of gifted singers and am in awe of some people’s achievements in the areas of medicine and science. Agree with me, that if all those people would try to achieve anything while earning a living in a sandwich bar, our lives would be much poorer for it. Today’s generations of kids can only achieve a certain level, because we give them every opportunity to learn. This brings me to the meaning of sacrifice in todays society.

One thing is for sure: not every person is a thinker. Now and again, the universe solidifies to produce a density of pure intellect. A human, who is worth more than a passing glance. Such people are rare. These births are the personifications of the “Ultimate Sacrifice” to me. To develop mentally, one needs a lot of time and peace of mind. Great ideas don’t fruit on poor soil. To ensure that minds capable of germinating these ideas don’t wither, laws were implemented to protect them. Just as not every seedling grows to become a great tree, not every one of these minds was worthy of egging and still, a well – cared for garden is more likely to produce good fruit.

There is a notion that it requires a great strength to show humility. The more primitive a person is, the more arrogant he is. This is the underlying meaning of Ramayana to me. By the same token, the development of devotion I see as a means to upkeep this seed of wisdom. An opportunity should be given to those who can do things better than others. Just like it took a devotion of Lakshmana and Hanuman towards Rama, and faith Arjuna had in Krishna. But humility is not equal to subservience. Identifying with heroes is one thing, feeding the greed of charlatans is quite another. The further in history the legends and heroes lay, the more ordinary people can claim their fame and that very protection the world owes to the privileged. The more real devotion, be it towards deities or towards heroes, turns into master and slave relationship, which is a result of misunderstood philosophy, the more it becomes a spiral downward movement which is a mark of todays society, based almost solely on the appeasement of egotistic lifestyle. Stolen faith.

From this point of view I do resist the worshipping of humans, be they priests, gurus or any other prominent people. I do see devotion and respect – a true sacrifice in humility, in a domain of intellect, pure and unadulterated. It may be necessary for some to fix their devotion on someone, and it is okay, if it helps them to visualize the higher good, the most important reason for it. Another purpose is retaining tradition – another important aspect of ascertaining one’s identity. Without it, we are nothing, uprooted, empty vessels, which if left unchecked, can be filled with all sorts of dangerous ideas. It is a fine line.