Dharma and Dharmic Life Defined

Have you given a thought, or at least considered, on how you could live the highest way?

How does it even sound to you? Is one striving for perfection when he strives to live the highest way?

There are a lot of things to consider in a day. In fact, 24 hours, more often than not, is too short especially now that life is starting to bounce from the pandemic. This must mean that one has to be super conscious in each and everything he is to do and is doing. Now, is that even possible to accomplish in the long run?

Vedic teachings say it’s possible to live more than just a conscious lifestyle—each of us can actually have a spiritually conscious life, and this conscious living is dharmic living. Living a dharmic life, therefore, means bearing the intention of living with a higher purpose. All of us have the higher purpose of awakening fully to our soul nature—our true nature and bringing it forth as an offering to the world.

Embracing your higher purpose means expressing your divine potential and living in harmony with the divine will of the universe. Indeed, we acknowledge that there is a divine benevolent power that runs the entirety of this universe, and when we cooperate with it, it supports the fulfillment of our higher purpose.

“You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that God’s creative principle works in you.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

The potential that accompanies our purpose is the ability to express our innate divine qualities such as wisdom, compassion, or creativity. Allow yourself to be guided by your authentic soul nature, and with its wisdom, you can live in a genuinely joyous and peaceful way.

The Vedic Plan for Dharmic Living

There are four life aims in the Vedic plan for a dharmic life. The first and foremost goal is dharma. It is your North Star, your guiding compass to navigate through life. Dharma’s goal is for one to live with a higher purpose. It is often described as “the way of righteousness,” meaning the fundamental order of the universe at both the gross and subtle levels. In addition, dharma is generally looked upon as twofold—our overarching dharma to awaken and fulfill our spiritual purpose (which is common to all), and that which is specifically ours to do or express.

Dharma is followed in order by artha, kama, and moksha. Artha is the soul’s wealth to support one’s higher purpose; hence artha is for the sake of dharma and not for its own sake. Kama means pleasure, and pleasure is an indication of a blissful, fulfilled life. Like artha, kama is designed to support dharma. If there is no sense of enjoyment, then we will most likely give up living with a higher purpose. The fourth aim in the Vedic system is moksha, the liberation of consciousness—the freedom that naturally arises from Self-realization.

Living Life Inside-Out

Dharmic living and dharmic life mean spiritually conscious, purposeful, inspired creative living. Showing God’s creative principle at work in our lives by doing something that nobody else has done is dharmic living. No longer living by the press of circumstances, we live by the soul’s radical inclination to fulfill its potential.

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