Guest guest Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Dharma Journal Authentic Dharma for Today's World _____________ February 19th, 2007 - Founded in 1998 drmoraleslist/ The Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita [DEATH AND TRANSMIGRATION OF SOUL] Just as a person puts on new garments after discarding the old ones; similarly, the living entity or the individual soul acquires new bodies after casting away the old bodies. (2.22) Weapons do not cut this Spirit, fire does not burn it, water does not make it wet, and the wind does not make it dry. The Spirit cannot be cut, burned, wetted, or dried. It is eternal, all pervading, unchanging, immovable, and primeval. (2.23-24) The Spirit is said to be unexplainable, incomprehensible, and unchanging. Knowing the Spirit as such you should not grieve. (2.25) Even if you think that the physical body takes birth and dies perpetually, even then, O Arjuna, you should not grieve like this. Because death is certain for the one who is born, and birth is certain for the one who dies. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable. (2.26-27) All beings are unmanifest, or invisible to our physical eyes before birth and after death. They manifest between the birth and the death only. What is there to grieve about? (2.28) _______ You Are Not Your Body " The body changes with every moment. We change our minds all the time. Our intellects are constantly fluctuating – sometimes expanding, sometimes contracting. But our true self, the soul, is ever constant. Our true self is never-changing and is immortal. Know that true self within and you will know all. " - Dr. Frank Morales __________ Sama Darshana: The Nature of True Equality in Sanatana Dharma Dr. Frank Morales (Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya) Beginning with the so-called " Enlightenment " era in European history, the ideological doctrine of radical human egalitarianism has become the most sacrosanct dogma in the realms of both politics and culture. The fight for equality has been the foremost social- political concern globally for the past 250 years, inspiring wars, revolutions, Marxist totalitarianism, genocides, and devastating social upheaval. So central has the concept of Radical Egalitarianism been in the modern political landscape that it has often overshadowed every other political, philosophical, and social concern we can think of. Despite three continuous centuries of forcing " Enlightenment " era notions of equality upon humanity, however, the world's problems have only gotten infinitely worse. With more poverty, more corruption, more wars, more unethical behavior, an ever-deeper sense of meaningless in the world's youth, and the increasingly rapid coarsening and degeneration of traditional cultures globally, many intellectuals and spiritually oriented people are today beginning to ask the inevitable question: " Has the dogma of radical egalitarianism actually outlived its usefulness? " The answer to this question, from the perspective of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) is neither a yes nor a no, but rather leads us to the more philosophically sophisticated question of: " What is the nature of the human person? " For only in knowing this can we understand the true nature and meaning of equality. In the following, I will explain the Dharmic view of equality juxtaposed to the materialist- oriented Radical Egalitarianism that the world has fervently pursued for the last several centuries. The metaphysical premises of Radical Egalitarianism are based upon an outlook of empiricist materialism that views the human individual as consisting of nothing more than merely the physical, the body. For the materialist, human beings do not have a soul, or an intrinsic essence, that transcends the material body, which is itself composed of nothing more than the combination of chemicals and material substances formed over myriad millennia via the process of evolution. The human individual, for the Radical Egalitarian, is a soulless and ultimately purposeless machine, an automaton whose only meaning lies in whatever material and economic contributions the individual can make to the greater social whole. Thus, one " living body " is just as good as any other. Such a mechanistic view of the human individual has led not only to the notion of radical equality, but also to the consequent view that all human individuals are ultimately equally worthless. Thus we have seen the birth of the " end justifies the means " form of " ethics " that has arisen amongst the Marxists, and the consequent death and genocide that has resulted from every Communist regime the world has ever known. If all human bodies are of equal worth, then no one individual is of more importance than any other individual. Thus all are equally expendable. A society that sees humans as soulless is a society that sees human beings as being of no more worth than machines. And machines are simply tools to be used for the benefit of the state. For the Radical Egalitarian, the human being is no more than a means to an end, an object for their own use, rather than a subject worthy of all the dignity, appreciation, and respect that a unique human person deserves. The Dharmic view of equality and the human person is considerably more sophisticated, compassionate, and thus ethical, than the materialist egalitarian approach. For the conscious and sincere follower of Sanatana Dharma, the human person consists of infinitely more than the mere bodily surface appearance. The old adage that one cannot judge a book by its cover comes to mind when we examine the wisdom of the Dharmic approach. Rather than simplistically attempting to reduce a human person to being merely the visible material body that one can immediately detect with the senses, Dharma teaches us that the typical human being is actually a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional being, with a material dimension, a causal dimension, and ultimately a spiritual dimension that is not always clearly visible to the untrained eye. The human person consists of a) deha (physical body), b) manas (mind substance, including impressionistic data, memory, etc.), c) buddhi (the rational faculties), d) ahamkara (false, individuating ego), and most importantly e) atman (the true, spiritual self). According to the Dharma world-view, we certainly are beings who possess bodies – no sane person would deny this immediate empirical fact. Indeed, contrary to the unnatural and illogical conclusions that the Radical Egalitarian draws from this simple fact, from a purely physical perspective, there is actually an almost infinitely great degree of diversity and inequality that is clearly empirically seen. Physically speaking, no two people in the world are really the same. Some are tall, others short. One person is strong, another weak. Some need glasses, hearing aids, or other devices to " even out the playing field " (i.e., pretend that we are all physically equal!), other people are free from physical defects altogether. The diversity we find in physical bodies is endless. That is common sense. By extension, when looking at the minds and the intellectual capacities of various individuals, we clearly see that some are more intelligent than others. Some are more naturally artistic and creative, whereas some are more analytical and cerebral. Some people will have mental or emotional challenges, such as psychosis, bipolar disorder, or retardation, others have minds so healthy as to allow them to view reality with tremendous clarity. Egoic desires, preferences and goals, too, are as diverse in content and quantity as are the numerous people we see around us. Some aspire to become great world leaders. Others desire wealth, or fame, or romantic love. Some people, by contrast, seem to have a profound yearning to know God, and serve their fellow beings with humility, simplicity, deep compassion, and quiet determination. We are all different from one another. Thus, we are all in so many ways unequal in our appearance, our abilities, our preferences, and our desires. Rather than attempting to lie to ourselves and artificially fly in the face of clearly discernable empirical facts, Sanatana Dharma encourages all human beings to respect each other, honor our differences, and work together in compassion, dignity and harmony, despite our undeniable recognition of all our many differences. Sanatana Dharma (the Eternal Natural Way), thus gives us the empowerment to live in accordance with the natural order of the universe in a manner that is beneficial to all. For Dharma, the realm of true equality lies not on the physical, mental, intellectual, or egoic planes, but in the realm of spirit. Having God as our sole source, sustainer, and ultimate destiny, we all share in the same parent. From a spiritual perspective, then, in the deepest essence of who we are as pure spiritual beings (atman), we are all equally the children of God. Your true, spiritual self (atman) does not have color, nor dimension, nor race, nor class, nor gender. In spirit, you are neither a capitalist, nor a communist. You are neither Indian, nor Black, nor White nor Latin. Rather, your true self is the eternal, perfect, blissful spiritual center of your everyday existence: Atman. Transcending both the bodily dimensions of life and all limited materiality, your true self finds itself currently situated in your body due only to your own free-will desires, motivations, consciousness, and actions of the past. Karma is the causal antecedent of all the diverse material bodies that we see around us. While our bodies and minds are all radically different, however, the souls of every living being are all equally held in the compassionate glance of God's merciful and loving gaze. To God, we are all equally His children, temporarily separated from Him, but all destined to one day again be in His loving embrace. Equality is an exceedingly important goal toward which we should all aspire. In the political realm, Dharma calls upon each of us to always be compassionate, just, and fair to all we encounter, no matter how different they may seem to us in physical appearance. The only truly pure equality that exists, however, is that equality that exists on the spiritual realm. Thus, in the transcendental eyes of the yogi, or pure sage, all living being are seen with equal vision (sama darshina). This concept of spiritually-inspired equal vision is beautifully explained to us by Lord Sri Krishna in His famous Bhagavad Gita (Song of God). In the 18th verse of chapter 5, Lord Krishna instructs His devotee Arjuna in the following way: Vidya-vinaya-sampanne Brahmane gavi hastini Shuni caiva shvapake cha Panditah sama-darshinah " The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision [sama-darshina] the learned and gentle priest, a cow, an elephant, a dog or an outcaste. " Indeed, because the humble sage views the diverse beings around him, not as mere mechanistic bodies, but as all possessing a pure spirit soul (atman), he does not even see the difference between different species of life, what to speak of different kinds of human beings! To the sage, the soul of the cow, and the dog, and the elephant is just a worthy of dignity, respect, and spiritual equality as is the soul contained in the human being. Sama Darshina, or equal spiritual vision, is the highest form of equality toward which we can all aspire – for it sees the inherent equality that exists in the spiritual essence of all living beings. Seeing all beings as our spiritual brothers and sisters, we will then, by natural extension, offer all people our respect on the political, social, cultural, and economic realms. The truly equal society, then, is the Dharmic society, a society comprised of citizens who aspire toward the finer and nobler spiritual aspirations of life, and who thus view the world from a spiritual perspective. That nation which will most justly serve the interests of its people is the Dharma Nation. Make yourself a truly worthy citizen of God's Dharma Nation by spiritualizing your own vision and viewing your neighbors and fellow living beings as the atmans they truly are. Begin the Dharma Revolution in your own life! ____ Announcements: 1) Dr. Morales on the Radio Dr. Morales has become a very popular regular guest on a Dallas area Hindu radio show. On Thursday, February 15th, Dr. Morales was interviewed again for 50 minutes on the topic " The Current Challenges and Strengths of Hinduism Today " for a Hindu radio program in Dallas, Texas. He'll be interviewed several more times in the coming two weeks for future shows. The radio program is called " Namaste Dallas " and airs live every Saturday 7 am to 9 am (CST) on 104.9 FM Radio Salaam-Namaste. You can listen by tuning to 104.9 FM or on the web at: http://www.radiosalaamnamaste.com/live.html The show has an audience of over 10,000 area Hindus. 2) New Dharma Store Service: Dharma Central now has a new on-line Dharma store available for all your Yoga and Hindu needs. We have many beautiful Om tee-shirts, Yoga pants and clothing, mugs, bumper stickers and many other great gift items. Please support the work of Dharma Central by purchasing something fun for yourself or a loved one today! To see our many uniquely beautiful products, please visit us at: http://www.cafepress.com/supportstore All purchase donations go directly to supporting the important work of Dharma Central. Thank you! 3) New York Teaching Tour Dr. Morales will be on a massive teaching tour of the New York City area from February 22 - March 5th. Included on the itinerary are a lecture at Columbia University, a satsangh for the ISKCON temple as 26 Second Avenue (the first temple established by Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Krishna Consciousness movement), an appearance on local T.V., as well as 9 - 10 talks at local Hindu temples. For further information on Dr. Morales' itinerary, please contact Ms. Nandarani Sahadeo at: (718) 835-2269. 4) Rapid Growth of the " Dr. Frank Morales List " : The " Dr. Frank Morales List " , which includes Dharma Journal, is now one of the largest groups on Hinduism on all of Groups! We've added 100 new members in just the last four weeks! Of over 4200 different Hindu groups on , Dr. Morales' list is ranked #63 in size. If you know of anyone who would like to join this list, please forward their email addresses to: info. Dr. Morales List: drmoraleslist/ 5) " The Shakti Principle " Website: Dr. Morales' newest book, " The Shakti Principle: Encountering the Feminine Power of God " , is now available on-line. This is a must read for anyone interested in personal spiritual growth, having deeper meaning in their lives, or creating positive social change. Please visit us on the web, and order your copy of this deeply thought-provoking work today! Great as a gift for someone you love! http://www.dharmacentral.com/Store/Shakti_Principle.htm 6) Hinduamerica.com Our good friend, Sri Vrindavan Parker, has started two new informative websites: http://www.hinduamerica.com and http://www.arisearjuna.org/ Vrindavan Parker is an important American Hindu leader and one of the most knowledgeable and active Hindu activists in the nation. Please support his work. ____ Some Feedback: " You are an Awakened Heart! " - Ann Tognetti " Dr. Morales, I read your article " Does Hunduism Teach That all Religions are the Same. " Great article! I really enjoyed reading it and learnt a great deal about myself as a Hindu. Wonderfully lucid. Please keep writing. " - Arjun Rana " Your website is divine, beautiful, informative and Excellent. " - M.P. Bhattathiri (Retired Chief Technical Examiner, Govt. of Kerala) " I have just finished reading your scholarly piece on Radical Universalism. It is absolutely mind-blowing and completely demolishes Radical Universalism without leaving even a trace of it alive. I am amazed at your clarity of writing, the piece also helped me understand the soteriology of Buddhism and Jainism. I appreciate your work and request that you write more similar articles that common Hindus and non-Hindus such as me would be capable of reading and comprehending. " - Sooraj Ratnakumar " I am so grateful, I find you as a true Yogi. I read and have forwarded your articles to the United Hindu Jain Society of Washington DC (I am one of the directors of it) for further dissemination. I recommend your analysis of Sanatana Dharma to be included to the U.S. schools to explain Hinduism. " - Hari Bindal (Director - United Hindu Jain Society of Washington, D.C.) " I found the work of Dr. Frank Morales interesting, admirable and inspiring. It's good to see another person with a European background who has found value and sustenance in the Dharma. " - Stephen Shotton " Dr. Morales, I am astounded at your knowledge and realization of our Dharma. That an American would grasp the Divine teachings as deeply as you have is wondrous. You are truly a Maha Jagad Guru, the Great World Teacher. " - Sri Swami Brahmananda Saraswati " I greatly appreciate your thoughtful articles and writings... Thank you! " - Sriram Iyengar " Thank you for the uplifting information " " I'm learning so much about meditation and Hindu wisdom through this list and Dharma Central. Thank you! " " You're doing great work educating people about the authentic teachings of Sanatana Dharma. Hare Krishna, and thanks! " ______ For further information on the philosophy and path of Dharma, please visit us on the web: http://www.dharmacentral.com drmoraleslist/ http://www.cafepress.com/supportstore http://www.dharmacentral.com/Store/Shakti_Principle.htm Thank you to all our many members and readers for your enthusiastic support and encouragement of Dharma Journal and the teaching efforts of Dr. Frank Morales. We couldn't accomplish anything without your well-wishes. Please feel free to forward this Dharma Journal newsletter to all your friends, family, and discussion lists interested in Sanatana Dharma, meditation, and Yoga spirituality. Subscribe Free to Dharma Journal: The " Dr. Frank Morales List " is the fastest growing Hindu list on today!! If you would like to join the most dynamic and informative Hindu list on the Internet, please visit us at: drmoraleslist/. © 2007, Dharma Journal. Volume 9, issue 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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