Dharmic is Non-Harmic

There are many definitions of Dharma. It requires a collection of words in any language to explain all that dharma encompasses. Language can circle around dharma, but it cannot fully grasp it. I have tried my hand at it here, at the risk of falling short. It may still leave an anglophone unsure of what dharma actually is. That’s the hugger-mugger of dharma.

Dharma is experiential. It is something like humidity—how do you explain humidity to a 10 year old living in a desert? That’s where I think dharma explanations are. Dharma has to be lived and experienced, just like humidity.

Learning dharma requires an analogically constructivist approach, somewhat like a scaffolding, where concepts have to be gradually built up to reach the top. But, dharma is more importantly a phenomenological learning. You might begin with rain, mist, or fog—none of these are adequate models, but they are good starting points.

An important aspect of Dharma is to minimize unnecessary violence. The keyword here is unnecessary. How can you start living a dharmic life? Avoid harming as much as you can—people, planet, and the politics in between. The Bhumi Pledge offers practical first steps.

“I will …. “

• Be mindful of violence caused to animals
• Be responsible for how much energy I use
• Try to save as much water as possible
• Consume fewer resources
• Eat a diet that is less harmful to the planet

In our modern life, the Bhumi Pledge is an example of some of the dharmic precepts one can cultivate. These, in my opinion, more than sufficiently puts one on a path to progress. These are small commitments, but they mark the beginning of a profound journey.

Now pause and imagine the opposite. Imagine choosing to harm the animals for your sense gratification, and exploit the planet, or to consume without restraint. What kind of a mind does that reflect? Is it ignorance? Greed? Or, is it a deep disconnect from the self? It is a dangerous question to avoid.

Remember, dharmic is non-harmic—in thoughts, intent, words, and deeds. It is so non-harmic that Bhagwan Mahavir had a profound opinion on it—more on that later sometime.

_{(Gratitude to Gil Fronsdal, from whose talk I first heard this phrase. It became the seed for the reflections in this essay.)}