Dharma
Human Nature
The difference between a healthy lifestyle and an imposed one, and how it relates to the thirst for Infinity.
Contents
A Healthy Lifestyle
For plants and animals to thrive, they need nourishment that is appropriate for their nature. It's the same with human beings.
Food, however, is only one part of the picture. A being also thrives because of its environment, lifestyle, and other aspects of the conditions in which it lives, whether it is a plant, an animal, or a human being. Animals in zoos do not thrive. Neither do human beings when they live in ways that are contrary to their true nature.
defines as the true nature or essential characteristic of something. The of fire is to burn. You can change the color of fire, but you cannot change its principle of burning. In this sense, is our true and unchangeable nature as human beings.
Hunger arises when we need to eat. We are naturally wired to know when to eat. If we eat healthy food when we are hungry, our bodies respond positively. This indiciates that living in accordance with our true nature means leading a healthy lifestyle.
Just as we feel hunger, human beings have a natural longing for happiness. We are wired to long for it. Just as hunger tells us that we need food, the longing for happiness is an inner indication that we are searching for something essential to our nature.
« Everyone desires happiness: that is the innate characteristic of all living beings. Such a quality should always be cultivated carefully by each and every living entity. »
, 1979
An Imposed Lifestyle
Some people say that the nature of human beings is greed and destruction. But is that really your nature?
During the 1900s, scientists discovered that adding more salt and sugar to foods than what a healthy diet requires makes people consume more. This contributed to the rise of a billion-dollar industry imposing these foods on society through pervasive advertising. Lifestyle-related diseases are now among the leading causes of death worldwide.
This does not mean that overconsumption of sugar and salt, or the lifestyle-related diseases that result from it, is natural to human beings. Instead, it shows that vested interests and economic systems can cause great harm.
The fact that a behavior is widespread does not mean it represents true human nature. It may simply be the result of the environment people are placed in.
It is rare for children in society to be taught to take responsibility for their peers, other beings, and the environment. So perhaps it is not surprising that destructive behavior is so common?
The Thirst for Infinity
When it comes to greed, on the other hand, it is not human nature itself, but a misdirection of it.
If you met a genie who granted you three wishes, what would you wish for? Money? Power? Love? Most of us would probably wish for more wishes. Because it is our nature to long for Infinity.
However, no amount of money or power can ever be infinite. Even love, when directed toward specific persons or objects, remains limited and conditional. Those things can simply not satisfy us.
The , however, is Love that is not limited by conditions. It is itself. The only way to attain Infinity is through .
Therefore, spirituality is an essential aspect of human nature. This means taking care of not only the body and mind, but also the soul. Just as we can have a healthy body and mind, it is also healthy to embrace spirituality.
is not only a spiritual path, but also a complete lifestyle system which includes collective life forming a healthy society. Rooted in throughout its philosophy, it provides a profound and precise framework for discovering and aligning with our true nature.
Dharma in Yoga & Tantra
The word has been understood and used in many different contexts throughout history. In , , Vedanta, Samkhya, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and other Indian philosophical and spiritual paths, it often refers to the principles, practices, and way of life that align an individual with a deeper truth or order of existence.
Further Reading
The book Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy by has a more in-depth explanation of dharma.