Inner Transformation -3 - The Secret to Dharma

[Ravishankar.G]

Dear All,

In the previous articles in this series, we saw that our vision is always tinted with what is inside us. If there is goodness in us, we see goodness around us; if there is deviousness or weakness in us, we see the same in others outside. So the converse is also true: the qualities we see in others are really inside us. When we realize this dramatic truth, a great secret is revealed—to change the world, all we have to do is change ourselves.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. And that is the principle that Gandhiji, and all the other great saints of the world, followed every minute of their lives. A woman once brought her young son to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and told him that the boy always ate too many sweets. Sri Ramakrishna asked her to bring him back in a week. When the lady came back with her son a week later, Sri Ramakrishna advised the boy not to eat sweets. The lady was surprised and asked the saint why he did not give the same advice the previous week. Sri Ramakrishna said that he himself used to eat a lot of sweets so he could not advise the boy. But now, he had given up eating them and so was in a position to advise the boy.

We are told that in order for the world to be a better place, each one of us should adhere to dharma and lead a dharmic life. But what does dharma really mean? There are many explanations for what dharma is. But
a very basic but beautiful explanation is given by the great sage Veda Vyasa, who compiled a majority of the shastras (Scriptures) of Sanatana Dharma. He says dharma means that one should act as one would expect
others to act towards oneself. In other words, we should treat others in the same way that we expect to be treated by them. (It’s no surprise that we keep coming back again and again to the same point that we
should always start with US.)

A man once came to HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji and said, “No one in my office is loving towards me. Rather, everyone seems to hate me.”

Sri Swamiji smiled and said, “You start loving everybody. Then everybody will start loving you too.”

The man went back to work. After a month he came again to Sri Swamiji and said, “I did indeed use sweet sugar-coated words while talking to all my colleagues, but that simply had no effect in their attitude.”

Immediately Sri Swamiji replied, “I asked you to really love all your colleagues, to nurture true love in your heart for all of them; not to feign love through sweet words while your heart burned with anger and negativity!”

The man now promised to try changing himself and left. After about a year, he could see his efforts bear fruit, thanks to the Grace of his Guru. He came back and said, “When I truly put to practice your simple advice, the miracle did happen! Everyone in my office is very amiable and loving towards me now.”

We don’t want others to be angry or irritable with us. On the contrary, we want them to be ever smiling and amiable while talking to us. Thus the simple fact is, if you are amiable and friendly to all, others will be the same towards you too.

So what is dharma? What WE should do is where dharma lies!

!!! Will Continue !!!

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Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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