Dharma and Sampradaya      
By Swamini Vimalananda

A word may have different meanings in different languages. But the meaning of the word must always be understood in the language in which the sentence is spoken; otherwise a lot of misunderstanding can result. Let us try to understand the words ‘Dharma’ and ‘Sampradaya’ in their true meaning. These are words of the Sanskrit language and so their true meaning too should be understood as meant in that language.

‘Dharyate anena iti dharmah’-That which supports is dharma. That which supports, sustains, nourishes, harmonizes, integrates, and unites the inert and the sentient, the individual and the society, nation and the world is dharma. The very substratum of the entire creation is called dharma. The common factor, the essence of countless imaginable creations is dharma. The other names synonymous in meaning in the Vedas are Brahman, Atman, Paramatman etc. therefore one of the names of Maha Vishnu in the Vishnusahasranama (thousand names of Lord Vishnu) is Dharma. The word Dharma has a wide range of meanings. The above is its primary meaning and hence called Parama (Supreme) Dharma. Let us now delve further into this word.

There are three aspects to life:

1. The experiencer of the world called the Jiva or the individual
2. The experienced world or Jagat.
3. The individual could not have created himself or another individual or the world. Neither did the world create itself or the individual. The finite cannot create the infinite; or the inert the sentient. Hence one has to postulate the creator of the two the Isvara. Jiva-Jagat-Isvara are in essence one. Their essential relation (tattvika sambandha) or substratum or the Truth behind them is called Parama Dharma.

These three, Jiva-Jagat-Isvara, also have a transactional relationship-(vyavaharika sambandha). The Isvara is the creator, the world and the jives are the created. The jiva is the enjoyer, the world the enjoyed. The individual is the part and finite, the Isvara, the whole and the infinite. Knowledge of this transactional relationship is also called Dharma.

The individual performs actions in the world and reaps results thereof. So the Law of Action (Karma Siddhanta) and its discussions is also ‘Dharma’. By actions one gains various fields of experiences, material objects (jobs relations etc.), or other world (heaven, hell etc.) or various other bodies (plant, animal etc.). Hence this knowledge is also called Dharma.

An action is measured not only by the outer performance, but also by the intention behind it. If one serves a rich man with an intention of gaining wealth, it is not called selfless service. These intentions depend on the values of life that we possess. Hence discussion on values is also dharma. The universal values are also called samanya or manava dharma as they are common to humanity under all circumstances, in all places and at all times. It is what makes us humane. They are truth (satya), non-injury (ahimsa), self control (brahmacarya), etc. The application of these may differ according to circumstances but that does not detract their value or change them. For example, when in order to save a man, his cancerous hand may have to be amputated, it does not mean that the doctor has no value for non-injury (ahimsa). For the harmonious life of the individual and society certain laws are made which are given out as do’s and don’ts. The Knowledge of these laws, as the do’s and don’ts is also dharma. It is called Vidhinisedhatmaka dharma. For e.g. prohibition of drugs, drinks etc. Depending on the age, place, position, gender etc. of the person he/she has certain duties to perform. Non-performance of the same would cause harm to him and others. For e.g. the King’s duty is to rule with justice, protect his subjects etc. The students duty is to study, the teacher’s to teach wholeheartedly etc. The knowledge of these duties is also dharma (Visesa dharma).

Furthermore, upon gaining spiritual unfoldment, spiritual practices are prescribed called sadhana or upasana. They are also dharma. For gaining special worldly or divine powers (siddhis) certain actions are indicated. They too are dharma. Rites and rituals too are dharma.

Hence we see the wide range of meaning encompassed by the word Dharma. The scriptures that talk of one or many aspects of dharma are called Dharma Shastras. The Vedas are the oldest dharma shastras and give knowledge of the entire dharma. The smrtis (Manu Smriti, Geeta) Itihasa (Mahabharata, Ramayana) and Puranas (Bhagavat etc.) also talk about the entire dharma.

Performance of one aspect of dharma cannot make us totally dharmic, for example daily visit to a temple is only one aspect of dharma as are values etc. Only a self realized man can be totally dharmic as all his actions spring from the realization of Supreme Dharma, the Paramatman. Supreme Dharma, as already discussed, is the knowledge of the Truth or Substratum of the living beings world and the creator (Jiv-Jagat_Isvara). One may call the truth by any name which indicates its true meaning. The Truth by its very nature is one. It must logically be free from time, space and causation, therefore birthless, deathless and eternal. Hence the Supreme Dharma is called Sanatana eternal. It manifests with creation and gets absorbed at the time of dissolution e.g. the law of gravity manifests with the matter governed by the law and would go into unmanifest condition along with the said matter. Hence Sanatana Dharma is the Dharma of creation and all beings in it.

This may should fanatic but one should try and look on it with an unprejudiced mind. Sanatana Dharma is now called Hindu Dharma. The word ‘hindu’ was given by the Persians to the people who lived on the banks of the river Sindhu.

Now let us understand the word Sampradaya. Sam + pra + daya-Sampradaya. That which is well and clearly given is sampradaya. It means a sect, creed or religion (as the word is commonly understood). A sampradaya must mainly have the following characteristic:

1. It comes into being at a particular period of time due to various reasons.
2. It is inspired or founded by an individual or a set of individuals.
3. It follows certain scriptures inspired by or propounded by the individual.
4. It follows a particular code of conduct. 

A sampradayta deals with one or many aspects of dharma. The one who establishes it may or may not belong to a sampradaya e.g. Jesus was a Jew. A sampradaya is established due to:

1. the need of the time; e.g. Mohammed established Islam to bring a semblance of decency into the warring nomadic tribes.
2. decadence of the moral values in the society; e.g. Christianity emerged when Roman society was steeped in indulgence and pleasures.
3. as a reaction against another sampradaya; e.g. the Protestants were against the traditional Roman Catholic Church.
4. so as to make the knowledge of dharma easily understandable and followable to even the common man; e.g. Swami Sahajananda started the Swaminarayana Sampradaya which is easy to follow.

Now we shall try to think about the two words-Dharma and Sampradaya together. Dharma is one. Sampradayas can be and are many. Dharma is not founded by an individual, it is without a beginning. A sampradaya is founded by an individual. It is born and therefore shall perish. (jaatasya hi dhruvo mrityuh-That which is born shall perish-Geeta). Dharma is eternal-Sanatana. From the above discussions it can be clearly realized that all of us have one common Eternal Dharma. Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Christianity, Swaminarayana, Pushti Marga etc. are all sampradayas. They have one inspirer or founder e.g. Jesus, Mohammed etc. They follow a particular text e.g. the Bible, Koran etc. They follow a particular code of conduct e.g. Sunday Mass, Baptism, etc. Dharma by its very nature is ‘bin sampradayik’ (secular), Dharma however has the capacity to accommodate countless sampradayas. It is the very base of all of them. No sampradaya has the capacity to encompass the entire dharma in all its aspects.

When we call a sampradaya-a dharma, a lot of misunderstandins and conflicts arise. We call Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Swaminarayan, etc. dharma when they are in fact sampradayas. Moreover, when we call dharma as a sampradaya we do great injustice to it. Sampradayas arise from Dharma, exist in it and will get dissolved in it. So to say that the majority in India are Hindus is not strictly right. All humanity shares this Dharma. To club various sampradayas together and call them a majority is also unfair since the various followers maintain their separate identity e.g. staunch Shaivites would not generally like to be identified with Vaishnavites. To give minority status to one sampradaya e.g. Muslims and deny the same to another e.g. Pushti Margis (followers of the sect started by Shri Vallabhacharya) is an injustice to the other. In fact in Bharat (India), Muslims as a sampradaya enjoy an overwhelming majority compared to most other sampradayas except Christianity which is the second largest sampradaya.

When a country’s law are based on the tenets of Dharma it is called a Dharmik Raj e.g. Rama Rajya. When a country’s laws are based on a sampradaya or favour a sampradaya, then it is called a Sampradayaik Raj e.g. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim State. In a sampradayaik raj, there is either intolerance and injustice shown towards Muslims, or there is a total annihilation of another sampradaya e.g. the Shaivites were either killed or driven out by the Muslims from Kashmir. A sampradayik raj gives no scope for another sampradaya to flourish under it’s wings. On the other hand in a dharmik raj all sampradayas flourish and prosper e.g. Bharat has been the birthplace of so many sampradayas (Jainism, Buddhism etc.). Many have come from outside and flourished (Islam, Parsis, Christianity etc.). Bharat has the maximum number of Muslims in any country.

Only those sampradayas which are anti-dharmic i.e. those which preach anti-social, anti-national views cannot be tolerated in a truly dharmik raj. For example at this time in India, over population is a long problem and Pakistan stands threateningly on its head. Any sampradaya that preaches its followers to produce greater numbers just to gain a majority or favors Pakistan should be called anti-dharmic and all other sampradayas must unite to change such anti-national views.

Should Dharma enter politics? There is a trend amongst the so-called intellectuals that it should not. Dharma is that which integrates an individual, community or nation and provides a basis for harmonious living. Where there is no dharma, adharma (corruption, injustice, crime, etc.) prevails. This is what we see in every field of activity (education, politics etc.) in India and around the world. Yes, sampradayik views should not enter into the politics of dharmik raj; this would pollute the very concept of a dharmik raj eg. In India, people of a particular sampradaya get money from the government to go on pilgrimage and time-off during working hours to conduct prayers, whilst the same is not given to another sampradaya. No Pushti Margi gets money from the government to visit Shrinathji or holiday on ekadashi (a holy day which occurs twice a month). This is pseudo-secularism which amounts to adhrama.

Now let us think on the words ‘Philosophy’ and ‘Religion’ in the context of the word dharma. What is their relationship? Is dharma the same as philosophy or religion? Is philosophy the same as religion? Or do they enjoy a part-whole relationship? Dharma contains both philosophy and religions, and religion and philosophy do not have a part whole relationship.

Philosophy basically contains the knowledge of the essential relation of the living beings, the world and its Creator (Jiva-Jagat_Isvara). It also encompasses the transactional relation, the Law of Karma, Theory of creation and Universal values. In our Hindu culture Philosophy is called ‘darshan’ and philosophic or spiritual texts are called Darshan Shastras.

Religion is the knowledge of the application of values, duties, code of conduct, do’s and don’ts, spiritual practices (sadhanas), rites and rituals etc. these may or should change according to the time, place and circumstances; e.g. the concept of brahma muhurat (auspicious time of arising-4 a.m.) cannot be valid at the North Pole. One cannot afford or help society by having four wives and ten children in a country like Bharat. Each sampradaya too has a philosophy and a religion. Some are predominantly philosophical others predominantly religious. Some others lay equal emphasis on both in their basic teachings. Philosophy provides the vision to view the individual-world-Creator (Jiva-Jagat-Isvara) relationship and religion teaches us the way to live life.

When philosophy alone is given predominance by its proponents, the sampradaya becomes impractical. The followers merely talk big but their behavior leaves much to be desired. If religion alone is given dominance then such a sampradaya produces religious fanatics, narrow minded and blind believers. If however, one lives a religious life with a philosophic view, one can become truly dharmic.

Now we enquire, if dharma includes both philosophy and religion, do we really need a sampradaya? Why create difference to know the one? This has already been touched upon. In the vast scope of dharma, the common man gets confused and is unable to make the right choices for his individual progress nor does he have the vision of his role in the complex world around him. The masses need to be guided with simple, healthy views and rules to help their progress. For instance, since the Hindu was given a choice of going to the temple, Yogasanas (yogic postures), worship (puja), meditation (dhyana), repetition of the Lord’s name (japa), etc. as their daily early morning routine, in sheer indifference or confusion they chose nothing, or sometimes not according to their temperament. They deprived themselves of the great spiritual benefit of these spiritual practice (sadhanas) and in the process almost lost their rich heritage. Hence a sampradaya does guide an individual or society towards progress and unity. But as Swami Vivekananda said, “It is good to be born in a sampradaya but not to die in one.” One must finally uplift oneself towards that Truth beyond sampradaya which is called Supreme (Parama) Dharma.