Dharmic Dilemmas
The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 18.46) beautifully summarises the entire Vedanta teaching in 1 line: "By following Dharma, you will gain Moksha (eternal happiness)". If that is the entire teaching, then why bother learning anything else? Because we naturally need to understand 2 very big questions from this: What is Dharma? What is Moksha? For now, let’s understand 'Moksha' as the lasting peace/joy/happiness we ultimately all seek in life.
Then what is 'Dharma'? Shastra divides Dharma into 2 types: (1) Universal Dharma (Samanya Dharma); (2) Specific Dharma (Visesa Dharma). Universal Dharma, as the name suggests, consists of values which apply universally, to all people regardless of – religion, gender, race, age, country, status, wealth etc. For example? Universal Values such as…Non-Violence (ahimsa), Compassion (daya), Truth (satyam), humility (amanitvam), patience (ksanti), etc (Gita 13.7+). These values always apply in all situations, places, cultures. We should always strive towards non-violence and love in any situation.
However, if that is true, then is it ever justified to kill or hurt others? Is it ever justified to lie? Surely this would violate the above universal values? If only life were so black and white! Unfortunately for us, as we know from experience, life is all shades of grey. Each individual situation is unique depending on the place/time/wider context – so what the 'right' (Dharmic) thing to do in that particular scenario is not so clear cut. All universal values must be intelligently interpreted in the context of each individual situation. The Shastra brilliantly illustrates such moral/dharmic dilemmas in epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. They are full of very complex moral scenarios which are never clear cut. So the purpose of such epics is to teach us how to apply those 'universal values' into specific situations, depending on the place/time/person/context (desa-kala). For example the duties of a mother, are different from the duties of a father. The duties of a doctor are different from the duties of an accountant. If an accountant starts doing open heart surgery, and the doctor starts managing people’s off-shore panama accounts, we have a serious problem. This is not Dharma. Each person has a specific dharma (visesa dharma) to be fulfilled, to enable the society to function in harmony. This is Dharma.
Imagine a surgeon having to amputate a limb. Is it not harmful to cut someone's leg off? Is it not a violation of ahimsa? Well if you look at the situation in isolation, without the considering the wider context, yes! But if he didn't cut his leg off, the fellow would die because his leg is poisoned. So in fact, considering the specific situation and wider context, it is an act of compassion/non-violence, NOT an act of violence, to cut his leg off! To put it another way – by not 'harming' his leg, you are 'harming' him even more! Hence, a small harm is required to save a bigger harm. Each situation is different. Dharma can be complex, but it is always that which is motivated by selflessness, not selfishness. Think big. If in doubt, consult someone you consider wise in such things (Taittriya Upanishad advises). Learn about Dharma from a teacher of Vedanta, this will help. Remember, what Gita 18.46 says: by following Dharma – you will reach Moksha.
