Classical philosophies, both in the East and in the West, have viewed the world as an orderly whole. From celestial bodies to the tiniest beings on Earth, everything is subject to the laws of nature. They shape and harmonize life, giving it rhythm and regularity in expression, as well as vitality, balance, and beauty. This organized world is interconnected at all levels of existence, and each form of life follows and expresses the law in its own unique way.
The same magnificent image of an orderly world is confirmed by every encounter with nature. It is enough to look up at the sky, be in the forest, walk by the river, or observe the migration of birds and the sunset to naturally evoke a sense of awe in us towards the ceremonial of life, which, with its unfailing repetition, testifies to the laws that govern it.
However, when we observe ourselves in this organized nature, it is difficult for us to perceive the same harmony and interconnectedness, except for understanding our physical dependence on the forces of nature or feeling gratitude for what nature provides us. The law gives. Inevitably, a question arises within us about our human place in the organized whole, that is, how do we as human beings participate in it? Eastern philosophies provide their answer to this by describing the law that governs the world and is the cause of all phenomena, which in Sanskrit is called dharma. This term is commonly translated as “sacred law.”
Dharma, which acts upon nature as a whole, is the law of universal order, the driving force in the “lawful shaping of the world,” as it directs the stages of development of every form of life and their mutual relationships. Hence, it is said in the East that everything that exists has its own dharma, from celestial bodies to the tiniest beings. This law inspires each entity to express its own inner nature. “Realizing one’s dharma” means expressing the full potential of a form of life and achieving harmony with nature as a whole, in other words, realizing the meaning of life.
The law of dharma that affects human beings carries the meaning of a moral order that encompasses the individual’s consciousness and governs all relationships. Among people: from laws and customs to polite behavior. This is a moral law that, in the depths of human consciousness, drives and shapes modes of expression: thoughts, feelings, actions.
“Achieving one’s dharma” for a person means following this inner moral law that inspires them to be noble in all relationships and aspects of life. In doing so, they express the essence of human nature and find their place in the universal order of the world.
Dharma, when applied to a person’s everyday life, is explained as duty, what a human being should achieve. Fulfilling one’s duty is a form of expression of their inner human nature. Fulfilling duty or dharma also means achieving: righteousness, virtue, learning, justice, knowledge, truth, acts of mercy… different aspects of harmonious relationship with life.
Through any human duty they accept and fulfill, a person builds all relationships. In doing so, they align themselves with themselves, with other people, and thus participate in the life of nature. Just as we know how to admire Harmony in nature, the same feeling naturally arises in us as we watch people who, day after day, fulfill the ideal of a humane life, carrying out the duty they have embraced.