I love kids and the cute little innocence that comes with them. Child’s Innocence is what needs to be preserved for a better world! The story you will read below happened yesterday. I am still so happy hearing all these things from my little kids and reading this I hope you all smile too. ❤️
The word dharma comes from the Sanskrit root word dhri, which means “to hold,” “to maintain,” or “to preserve.” In the early Vedas and other ancient Hindu texts, dharma referred to the cosmic law that created the ordered universe from chaos. Later, it was applied to other contexts, including human behaviors and ways of living that prevent society, family and nature from descending into chaos. This included the concepts of duty, rights, religion and morally appropriate behavior, and so dharma came to be understood as a means to preserve and maintain righteousness. (Yogapedia)
Even though we can find all these different definitions of Dharma in the internet and the books, We all are stuck to one definite definition of Dharma where Dharma simply means Religion. If someone goes and asks some random person about Dharma, That person will start ranting about Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Abrahamic, Jainism and all other different religion from around the world.
I recently had a discussion about Dharma and Sins with the students I teach. I am currently teaching students of Grade 4 two different subjects, one is Nepali (Our National Language) and next is Mathematics. Yesterday I planned to teach my students a new chapter from their Nepali Book, where it had described what exactly Dharma was. It was a conversation between a teacher and students where students start off with the belief that Dharma means to visit Temple, Church, Mosque, Gumba and worship gods according to their Religion and ends with the teacher explaining what Dharma really is. I started my class with random talks and had a small chat with everyone about their holiday. Then I decided to begin the chapter and asked everyone individually about What Dharma actually is? I was expecting the same answers as was in the book from my students. I was expecting them to explain it the way students in the conversation explained it. But rather to my surprise, my students started describing Dharma in the most beautiful way possible.
They said that Dharma means to help someone who is needy. Dharma according to them means to help poor people and those who really need that help. Dharma for them meant to do their own task by themselves. They said that Dharma is something that you do, that doesn’t harm others and that helps others as well as you to grow as a better human being. Taking care of your Grandparents and helping them when they need your help is Dharma according to them. They even said that Dharma is doing something that makes you happy without the intention of hurting anyone. And when I asked “What do you guys know about Paap (Sin)?” they replied even more beautifully. They said that Sin is something that hurts others. When you kill other birds, animals, insects for your pleasure then that is Sin. When you discriminate people on the basis of the wealth you have, that is Sin. When you discriminate people on the basis of Caste you belong to, That is Sin. When you do something morally wrong then that is Sin. From ripping apart your books and copies to bullying your friends that is Sin. They even said that sending your older parents to old age home is a Sin.
I was in awe the whole moment during this conversation. I asked them several times to make sure whether they read the chapter before or not. But they hadn’t gone through the text before, it left me even more shocked to hear those wonderful things from them, which came straight from their heart. At that moment, I realized that Religion, Caste system and everything else that divides us, creates boundaries and drags us towards chaos is manipulated and inserted into our system as we start growing up. As a kid, we all are same, we all dream the same and we all aim the same. We don’t want to hurt others and we all know what’s right and what’s wrong. Slowly as we grow up our pure innocence is replaced by ego, selfishness and all the negativity that these boundaries gives us. I have no intention of saying anything bad about religions, Religion is good and is kind of playing a major role in maintaining the boundary of peace. But if we see on the other side, where two different religions collide together and start going against each other and create chaos, that’s when everything, including the innocence of those little children starts going downwards and extincts at some point.
People really need to protect the innocence and the purity that these children have. They are the future and our only hope for the better one.
What do you think Dharma Exactly is? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to hear it from your point of view.
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Everyone has a Dharma or Purpose in life!– Deepak Chopra
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