What is the meaning of Dharma?

[joko]

Dear every one,

I have been wondering about: what is actually the meaning of 'Dharma'?
After doing a little search on the Discusiion Form, the question remains.

What is the meaning of 'Dharma'?
And what is 'Adharma'?
How can we differentiate Dharma from Adharma?

Could we discuss about it in the Forum?

With respect,
Joko

[yeniseri]

upright path or way

Dharma has within it the principle of uprightness and morality.
Adharma is its opposite as in not upright, less than upright implying chaos.

"Normal" people should be able to tell the difference!

[Luo Lang]

Well yeniseri,
tell me where is your name coming from?
Your answer to Brother Joko's question is not complete.

[Akemi]

wow, yeniseri. "normal" people? It is that kind of reductionist thinking in philosophical disguise that cuts off any kind of discussion through which we can all benefit from, which is exactly what Joko was trying to inspire.

Dear Joko

Thank you for presenting this, because I am also quite interested in this subject. I don't have much background or training in understanding dharma, except for the little I was exposed to through the teachings of Sai Baba. My instinctual response to 'what is dharma' is limited to physical and mental experience. I was taught that dharma is the manifestation of correct thought, word, and action.

There are words such as 'truth,' and concepts of selflessness and universal compassion floating around in my head and heart. However, I don't quite have it all pieced together yet and will post a bit later. I am also interested in learning more from my seniors and brothers and sisters .

[yeniseri]

i am at fault

To practice dharma, one needs discipline, awareness and kindness.
When this is accomplished, mind become pure, purity is applied to conduct and one is said to be practicing dharma. Application and practice of purity (of mind) applied to conduct is dharma. Talking and debating is not dharma. Dharma is action.


Vanessa,
No one is cutting off discussion on this board, If someone is, can you point to that person? I only point to myself and not to others. If I have broken my vow of pointing to someone in a disparaging manner, please call me on it on principle because I do not do that and have never done that? That is my dharma!

[LeeWeiJoo]

Dear Joko,

Dharma, in the Buddhist tradition, means the teachings of the Buddha, or the universal, transcendental truth. To truly experience Dharma, I believe meditation is necessary.

dharma, with a small "d", is used to refer to a things that make up the phenomenal/material world.

Adharma is simply wickedness, non-righteousness and immorality.

With Shaolin Salute,
Lee Wei Joo

[Akemi]

yeniseri,

You have never pointed fingers at others? If you have indeed achieved that then you must have great Dharma. I'm impressed.

However your words can be (and have been) misconstrued as disparaging, so I would perhaps suggest more careful review of what you have written since quite a few of us apparently 'misread' what you are trying to say.

Dharma is...the universal, transcendental truth.

Ah! That feels better. Thank you for sharing, Lee Wei Joo.

[Andy]

Info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma

[Damian Kissey]

anaQi aQi Qi Aqi

In the context of a Buddhist spiritual cultivator :

Dharma is the Theory( Intellectual knowledge)
Zen is the Practise or theory embodiment
aDharma is ignorance of Theory(karmic roots not ready for theory )
Adharma is beyond Theory , attained Wisdom (Transcendental Knowledge).
Tamo has embodied dharma , hence BodhiDharma .
i am only talking dharma ,in absence of Zen , this will lead to anarchy.


In the context of Shaolin Chi Kungfu :

Good student practice Chi
Ignorant student only talk Chi(aChi)
Deviated student has anarChi
Wise student transcends Chi ( Achi) to Shen ( Zen)


How to differentiate Kung ( genuine)from aKung ( dance)and Akung ( Marvelous)?

Ignorant person does not want to go to school and cannot differentiate at all
Lucky student learn theory from low level teacher to differentiate
Unlucky student learn from evil sifu to disregard differentiation( adharma , amorality).
Luckier student learn theory and practice from high level teacher to differentiate.
Wise students become like their Sifu ( i’m sure Sifu will be happier if you can be better then him )and achieve the Marvelous and they just know the difference.

ZeroOneInfinite Ox-Oxherder-Void Jing Chi Shen Form Energy Mind KungFu ChiKung Zen Dharmateachings Sangha Buddha MoralethicsMonkhoodPrince Siddharta Theory Practise Zen.

aDharma Dharma Adharma


just an intellectual opinion .Best regards to all.

[Damian Kissey]

aimlessness aiming Aimless

awefullyamfull am&me&i Amless.

[yeniseri]

asi es e asi sera!

Vanessa,

Thank you but nothing for me to be impressed about!
I strive daily like others.
Your misreading has nothing to do with me but I have always clarified (i thought i did). Reminds me of the three defects of the vessel (again nothing to do with you or Wahnam) so please do not be sensitive.
1. Not understanding the words
2. Not understanding the meaning
3. Understanding neither

I will always clarify what you imagine you misread. Just calling it like it is.
Thanks for pointing the way!

[mark v]

Dharma is also the art of letting go...

[joko]

Live in harmony irrespective of race, culture, and religion

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you all for your posts.

Thanks to yeniseri for providing me link to 'dharma' in your pm.
Recently I realized another meaning of 'from formless to form to formless', inspired by the wonderful posts by Dr. Damian Kissey, Vanessa, Lee Wei Joo, reminded by mark v about the art of letting go; that everything is related, again confirming the teaching of Sifu: In the Universe, everything is the same.

Void or silence is the one; no more words are necessary.

But to realize (or understand) that, we have first to learn. As an example: to understand formless, we must first learn the form. Hence we learn the forms as best as we can when practicing the Shaolin Arts. After experiencing the skill to perform the forms, then we begin to understand formless, and to see why Sifu said that form is the least important aspect of the art.

Now, back to 'dharma' and 'adharma'.
Please consider Buddha's teaching: Avoid evil, do good, and purify the mind. There are three actions; but after a while I understand that in reality they are one and the same practice. Perform any one of the three actions, then you are doing the other two actions automatically. It can be represented by another expression: 'wu wei' or the art of letting go. Can be represented yet by another expression as well: practicing the 'dharma'.

I would like to share one of my findings about dharma; I came across the saying of Bhisma Devabrata to Yudhistira in the epic Mahabharata:

"Adharma is everything that creates disharmony, disunity, and conflict.
Disharmony, disunity, and conflict; that is adharma.
Everything that can terminate them; that is dharma."
(Terminate what? Terminate disharmony, disunity, and conflict)

And how to differentiate between dharma and adharma?
It is based on our own consciousness or awareness. That is why we have to cultivate our mind.

Dharma strengthens, develops unity and harmony.

Unity, not uniformity.

We live in the same world and we have differences in race, culture, and religions. Despite our differences, we can be in unity and live in harmony. Unity as what? As human beings, we are aware and be in harmony in sharing the same planet. (Or as a nation, if we talk about a nation or a country).

But we cannot be uniformed. That is for certain. What is uniformity? An example would be to have the same religion for everyone, or have the same interpretation of anything; that is impossible. Why? Because it is against nature. Unity in harmony can be developed at will, uniformity has to be forced.To force everyone to be uniform will certainly create conflict. History teaches us well. Those who wanted to make uniformity, all failed eventually.

Remember: everything that creates disharmony, disunity, and conflict; that is adharma.
Everything that terminates disharmony and conflict; that is dharma.

To be able to accept, recognize, and appreciate differences among us and live in harmony; that is dharma.

And is this not spirituality?: To be aware that it is His will when we were created in diversity. Differences in race, in culture, in religions, etc. We are able to accept the diversity as the will of God. Yet, despite those differences, we can live in harmony.

Thanks to the art of Shaolin WahNam; the art has helped me bring to this awaraness:
-Ability to see 'the One' behind those diversity, and
-Ability to accept the diversity as the undisputed will of 'the One'.

Now, we come again to Sifu's teaching: In the Universe, everything is the same.

With gratitude,
Joko

[Akemi]

Thank you, Joko, for that wonderful post.

[JimiB]

Dear Joko,

I hope you enjoy this article. It's regarding the most important aspect of dhamma(dharma in Pali the language of the Buddha) which is it must be practiced http://www.vri.dhamma.org/newsletters/nl9906.html

with metta,
Jimmy