Dharma is a phenomena, in that it has many meanings. Everything
is equal because everything is dharma. Dharma is righteousness, duty, morality,
and culture. All of this together is the definition of dharma.
Dharma can be broken down into four distinct divisions, which are all required
for a Buddhist to reach the ultimate goal of realization, also known as
the enlightenment. First, dharma is nature. It is everything,
mankind and man-made. There is nothing that is supernatural because
everything is dharma, which inquires that everything is equal. “Dharma
is the state of mental and material existence” (Bahm 134). It is
beyond change. “There can be no individuality in the true perception
of dharma since dharma transcends all individuality” (Yun 1). This
means that through enlightenment, one can truly see dharma for what it
is, not how it should be. Master Lee defines dharma nature as having
seven forms: “the harmonious integration of all forms, the land of perpetual
peace and glory, the profound and miraculous nature of the spiritual body,
the great path to liberation, the dharma succession of the patriarch, the
mental seal of a bodhisattva, and the eight stages of mental cultivation.”
Once these seven forms are understood, then it is clear that one fully
comprehends the meaning of dharma nature.
 The second division
of dharma is the law of nature. No one really knows when or how that
law came to be, but it has been said that one day it just came into existence
(Wongsawang). The law of nature tells people certain facts of life
like why someone is born a girl or a boy. The law of nature also
includes the cosmic law. It is the right for a person do something
or anything. “The actual functioning of things among themselves depends
on the proper coexistence or harmony of the parts [all parts of everything]
(Saunders 15). Under the law of nature, there are six directions
in which a person must look and treat with respect. The first direction
is front, and this would include one’s parents and all of one’s ancestors.
The second direction is behind, and this would be one’s spouse and his
or her children. The next is right; this would be one’s teacher,
anyone who has helped along the way with his or her education. Then,
there is left, and this includes one’s siblings as well as friends and
acquaintances. The fifth direction is zenith, which is above, and
this contains one’s spiritual teacher. The last position is below;
this embodies anyone in society that is lower that the individual standing
in the middle of all of these directions (Wongsawang). Following
these directions with the proper respect enables one to follow the law
of nature, and in following the law, this helps Buddhists to reach the
state of nirvana.
The third part of dharma is duty. There are two distinct groups
of dharma duty. The first consists of four kinds. The number
one duty here is to one’s environment. The importance with this duty
is based on the first division of dharma. Everything is equal because
everything is dharma. A human being is of no more importance than
a tree or bush or even a flower because nothing is superior. The
second kind of duty is to one’s body. The body must be in the best
health possible with proper resting, eating, hydration, and of course breathing.
Dharma cannot be fully understood if one does not have the appropriate
respect required for one’s own body. The third duty is mentality.
A person must be of right mind for the complete understanding of dharma
because anything that inhibits thought prevents one from knowing dharma.
If one’s mind is not in the correct state, then one must try to solve their
problems by seeing a psychiatrist. There are also people suffering
from cognitive disorders that still try to achieve the understanding of
dharma. “But with determination and hard work, even the retarded
could make rapid achievements” (Welch 86). No one was discouraged
for trying to reach enlightenment because there was, and still is, spiritual
guidance. The last duty is spirituality. This is where a person
needs to be true to themselves. They must have no envious feelings
for his or her neighbors because then they are cheating themselves.
The second division of dharma duty is slightly different from the first.
Here, there are five duties, and the first is called Kula Dharma, which
is one’s duty to his or her occupational group. The second is Desa
Dharma, which refers to a person’s duty to his or her nation. Then
there is Matha Dharma, and that is the duty to one’s religion. Next
there is Gana Dharma; that is in reference to one’s society. The
last duty is known as Aapad Dharma, which is his or her duty in the face
of danger (Hamilton-Parker 1). These duties of dharma are on a broader
level when compared to the ones above. “All these duties have penalties
for their violation. Without these penalties organized life is impossible”
(Hamilton-Parker 1).
The last division of dharma is the result. The result is the ultimate
goal of Buddhism, which is the realization or the enlightenment.
All aspects of dharma need to understood and respected in order for a person
to reach this stage. Buddhists believe that things are reincarnated
as many times as it takes for one to experience the enlightenment.
Enlightenment is defined as the “ultimate promise of personal, spiritual
liberation that transcends the material, psychological, and social confines
of this world” (Queen 9). Nirvana is the state in which a person
can forgo enlightenment. Nirvana is “a state of peace, devoid of
passions and attachments; the condition of wisdom and compassion that is
‘gone far beyond’ mundane conditioning and comprehension; the sublime happiness
that results from advanced ritual practice”(Queen 9). Enlightenment
is the ultimate understanding of dharma, which is the ultimate understanding
of existence. A Bodhisattva, the name a person receives once he or
she has become enlightened, wants peace for him or herself and harmony
for society. A Bodhisattva can then offer spiritual guidance to those
who are seeking the enlightenment.
Buddhism dharma can easily be paralleled to the Western version of Christianity.
Mr. Wongsawang explains that all religions are really only one religion
with the commonality of three aspects: belief, wisdom, and effort.
Belief is the sincerity and sacrifice in which a person makes. Wisdom
is the understanding, and effort is the actions taken towards the right
direction. Buddhism focuses on the three virtues in the order of wisdom,
effort and then belief. This can easily be understood because they
have to have the knowledge to make the right actions, and they must have
encountered the realization in order to have an experience to believe in.
Christians follow the three virtues as the most important being belief,
wisdom, and action. Christianity is based on the belief in the Bible.
One must believe that those events took place in order to understand the
religion.
The four divisions of Buddhism dharma can be related to Christianity.
The number one aspect of dharma is nature, and that can be compared to
Christianity as the body of God. The law of nature can be compared
to the spirit or the word of God. The third part of dharma is duty,
and that can be compared to Christianity’s duty to the Son of God.
The final part of dharma is the result. The result can be compared
to the Christians’ reward of God: the heaven afterlife (Wongsawang).
These comparative aspects of Buddhism and Christianity can better help
one to better understand dharma.
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