Being True To Your Essential Nature

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

"Being True To Your Essential Nature"

by William and Debra Miller

(Indiatimes - Spirituality. Section The Basics, Wednesday, February 2,

2005)

In a previous article, we talked about four goals of life that, if pursued

properly, could bring us harmony and success in our lives and work:

 

Dharma: Living in consonance with creation and society Artha: Generating

wealth for oneself and others Kama: Satisfying basic desires Moksha:

Attaining spiritual fulfilment

 

As we began to delve into each one more deeply, we decided to focus first on

one that provides an important foundation for all the others: dharma. The

concept of dharma is very dear to our hearts; that's why we chose to name our

organisation the Global Dharma Center.

 

Before we founded this organisation, we sought to more thoroughly understand

what dharma meant. Here's some of what we discovered, as we now share on our

website:

 

Dharma is a Sanskrit word that has many varied meanings, depending on the

context in which it is used. For us, at its most expanded meaning, dharma is

being true to one's essential Divine nature, while acting in the spirit of

harmony and unity, knowing that all things and events are part of an

indivisible whole. Individually, everything has its own expression of its

Divine origin and nature, and has its own purpose, its own role to play, and

its own responsibility in harmony with all.

 

Sathya Sai Baba, a universal spiritual teacher, defines dharma in these ways:

 

... the unchanging genuine nature of every entity - its essential

characteristic ... the inner voice of God in the individual and community

... the harmony of thought, word and deed, which results in the purification

of our minds and hearts ... principles and guidelines that are laid down in

the sacred scriptures ... an action which is a translation of a pure idea

emanating from the heart

 

What does dharma mean in our everyday work? As we've grown in our own

spiritual view of life, we've come to see that each person has a unique purpose

and role to play in the grand scheme of creation. And we each have special

talents and abilities that assist us in fulfilling that purpose and role.

Dharma also includes carrying out our job responsibilities while we serve

others and care for the environment.

 

To help ourselves stay in touch with dharma in our own work – whether we are

writing, researching, or providing our services – we've developed some “dharmic

guidelines”:

 

For us, dharma is a light, fun, and simple life in harmony with all

beings... living from the full awareness that:

 

Divinity is inherent in all of creation Divine Love is the essential

nature – the universal dharma – of all creation Each person, family,

organisation, and society has its own unique purpose and role in a Divine Plan

The dharma of all work organisations is to operate from a spiritual basis,

naturally resulting in success that serves the highest good of all Life

works best when we see, love and serve the Divine in everyone, and treat them

as we would best treat ourselves The evidence of living by one's dharma is

a purity and unity of thought, word, and deed

 

If an issue or important question comes up for us personally at work, it

helps immensely for us to come back to these guidelines as they always help us

to know the highest integrity choices and decisions to make.

 

Whether you work by yourself, with a small group, or in a large

organisation, you too can seek to consciously be true to your essential nature

– your dharma – in your work. Here are some self-inquiry questions to assist

you:

 

• How would I describe my essential Divine nature? • What is my unique

purpose and role in creation, in harmony with my essential nature? • What

skills and talents do I naturally possess? • What roles and

responsibilities do I have when I am working from my dharma? • Am I acting

ethically and with integrity, in alignment with my spiritual aspirations? •

Am I respecting the resources where I work and using them for the good of

others? • Am I supporting the success and harmony of those around me in

helping them to identify and fulfil their essential Divine nature?

 

Source: http://spirituality.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1008831.cms