“Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing with the particular object. We conclude that there is heat and light along with the fire; without heat and light, there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly, we must discover the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant companion. That constant companion is his eternal quality, and that eternal quality is his eternal religion.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Introduction)

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“Here is something that puzzles me. I am familiar with the Vedic tradition. I am well beyond the visuals. I first thought there were these many gods, with these different chants of a foreign language, with people sitting in front of a fire and dropping small amounts of ghee and uncooked rice on command, whenever the priest ordered them to. I knew the different kinds of drawings, the attire for men and women, and the general idea of the continuation of an existence.

“But now I know much more. This is because I have read the books. Many books, in fact. I have a connection through one of the teachers, who is the latest in the long line that traces its lineage back to the one person who is supposed to be the origin of everything and everyone. He is like the original fire that diffuses its heat and light across the widest range possible. This original fire goes both deep and wide, but it never burns out.

एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर्
ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा
परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्
तथेदम् अखिलं जगत्

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

“Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.22.52)

“The thing that puzzles me is why so many people ignore this tradition. I get it that the less intelligent erect barriers based on dogmatic insistence. They believe in their particular savior. Anyone who doesn’t believe in the same is supposedly doomed. The nonbelievers are the sinners, you see. They have no other chance at redemption. Since they failed in this one opportunity, in making the wrong choice, they have committed the greatest blunder, one which they will have to regret for the rest of eternity.

“I get it that others are turned off to religion, but to me the Vedic tradition is well beyond that. It is like the seers have figured out the essence to life. You may not believe in all of the imagery, in all of the deities, in all of the samskaras, but at least acknowledge the animating spark which makes or breaks life. Why is that completely ignored? It seems like any other scientific endeavor is a waste of time. How long can you honestly study the universe while continuing to ignore the vital force that brings everything to light?”

This is the concept known as the active principle. For the human being especially, any area of study, any real implementation of science, should begin with the active principle. This is because the active principle is the spark. It is the first ingredient in what is otherwise known as a functioning machine.

ईश्वरः सर्व-भूतानां
हृद्-देशे ऽर्जुन तिष्ठति
भ्रामयन् सर्व-भूतानि
यन्त्रारूढानि मायया

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

Anyone who intentionally ignores this active principle, while proclaiming to be advancing the cause of science, is a cheater. They should not feel ashamed, as they are not isolated. This cheating propensity is one justification provided for the existence of this world. It is created in the first place to serve as a playing field for the cheaters.

The cheating propensity is not limited to a single lifetime. The turn away from the actual truth, from the acknowledgment of the active principle, can continue for lifetime after lifetime. This is known as reincarnation in common parlance, but the scientific mechanism is actually the transmigration of a single individual. It is like taking off clothes and putting on a new set.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरो ऽपराणि
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्य्
अन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ‘parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

The cheaters will study everything up and down, but they will not acknowledge this active principle. This is why genuine religion is known as dharma. Dharma is something that can never change. It is always valid. It always applies. It is there in whichever direction of time you travel, whether in the past or towards the future. This is why we have the term sanatana-dharma. Real religion has no beginning and no end.

As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains, dharma refers to the essence of something. In the simplest comparison, the dharma of fire is heat and light. The dharma of water is wetness and its ability to take the shape of its container. The dharma for the individual is service. The individual of jivatma category is always subservient to the individual of the paramatma category. Dharma as exercised on the playing field of the material world, in the manner known as sanatana-dharma, is the jivatma serving paramatma.

This explains all of the external manifestations of dharma, such as worship of the deity, hearing from sacred texts, voluntarily accepting vows of austerity, and chanting powerful mantras, such as: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If you fail to acknowledge the essence, you do not know anything. And so those who know the essence of life itself have more knowledge than that contained in all of the scientific journals and periodicals combined.

ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषत:
यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते

jñānaṁ te ’haṁ sa-vijñānam
idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj
jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

“I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.2)

In Closing:

Take all printed literature combined,
And if to those words confined.

Still of the truth unaware,
The active principle not there.

Only from this point starting,
Otherwise into ignorance departing.

Dharma on this foundation to stand,
The soul first should understand.

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Tags: dailyprompt, life, philosophy, poem, poems, poetry, science