Dharmas and Karmas
Dharmas (Duties, Dharam) and Karmas (Actions, Karam),
From Discourse 36 of, Prem Patra Radhasoami, Book One,
by Huzur Maharaj, Agra, India
1. Dharma refers to those rules of conduct and that mode of behaviour which everyone should follow for the performance of his or her karmas (i.e. actions), and paramarthi (spiritual or religious) activities according to which one should correctly regulate conduct and behaviour.
2. Karma (action) refers to the activities of the mind and sense organs, be they good or bad, spiritual or worldly.
3. Paramarthi [spiritual] Dharma [duties] and Karma [actions] will now be discussed here.
4. Whoever is a true paramarthi [spiritual devotee] and wishes to work for the attainment of true spirituality should regulate their conduct according to true Dharma and true Karma.
5. True Dharma consists of:
(a) inquiring about the secrets relating to the True Supreme Being who is the Father and Mother of all and about how the Divine Realm may be found,
(b) performing devotion to God, i.e. one should have love for, and faith in, the True Supreme Being Radhasoami Dayal [the Merciful Lord of the Soul],
(c) upon learning the modes of practices from the Sant Sat Guru for attaining His abode and getting His Darshan [vision], a devotee should practice them daily, and
(d) experiencing for himself that as a result thereof, his mind and spirit, after gradually detaching from Pinda Desh [the material region] to some extent, are ascending towards the abode of the Supreme Being Merciful Radhasoami.
6. True Karma consists in those activities which help to facilitate the release of mind and spirit from Pinda [the material realm], and their ascent beyond the regions of Pind and Brahmand [universal mind, kal, illusion] towards the abode of Sants.
7. True Karma consists in:
(a) attending daily the Satsang of the Sant Sat Guru, Sadh Guru or a devoted Abhyasi [meditation practitioner, initiate], reading and reciting the books and discourses of the Sant Sat Guru carefully, attentively and with sincerity,
(b) serving with enthusiasm and love the Sant Sat Guru, Sadh Guru or His devotee with body, mind and wealth to the best of one's ability,
(c) performing Sumiran [remembrance, repetition] of the True Name and the Dhyan [visualization, meditation] of the Form of the True Being in one's heart with love and devotion as taught by the Sant Sat Guru, and
(d) providing, as far as possible and according to one's ability, food, water and clothing, etc... in the name of the True Supreme Being -- in the name of the True Father and Mother, Merciful Radhasoami, as gifts to the poor and the destitute irrespective of their caste, race, creed or any other consideration, such as self advertisement, name or fame. No service should be expected in return for the good done to the poor.
8. A true paramarthi [spiritual devotee] should regulate the conduct of his Karma and Dharma in this manner. He should behave towards others with kindness and sincerity as far as possible and desirable. He should also regulate his conduct in such a manner that he may not, as far as possible, give any trouble or cause injury to any living being by his mind, speech and physical action, for his own selfish ends or for entertainment, but as far as possible should make others happy and cheerful. And if he cannot do so, he should at least give them no trouble.
