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Understanding Sanatana
Dharma: The Philosophical Roots of Yoga
By Dr. Frank
Morales, Ph.D.
(Sri Dharma
Pravartaka Acharya)
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"Yoga" is a term that the
vast majority of us are familiar with. What most people are
not quite as familiar with, however, are the rich and profound
spiritual dimensions of the Yoga tradition. Yoga is
infinitely more that just a series of calming and effective
physical exercises. Rather, it is an ancient and rich spiritual tradition,
philosophy and lifestyle designed to help human beings realize the
highest degree of excellence in all they do, and ultimately to
know themselves and God.
Sanatana Dharma is another,
lesser known, name for
the path of Yoga Spirituality. In fact, it can be truthfully
said that the practical techniques of Yoga are nothing less than
the philosophy of Sanatana Dharma in
practice. Sanatana Dharma is the world's most
ancient culture and the spiritual path of almost one billion of the earth's
inhabitants. Followers of Sanatana Dharma are known as Dharmis.
Though the majority of followers have historically been Indian
(South Asian), today Sanatana Dharma has adherents from almost every nationality, race
and ethnic group in the world, including an ever-increasing number of
Americans. There are approximately 3 million followers in America, of
which roughly half are from India and half (1.5 million) are non-Indian
Americans (Hispanics, Caucasians, African-Americans, etc.).
Statistics
aside, Sanatana Dharma represents much more than just a religion
in the normative sense of the term; rather,
it provides its followers with an entire way of life and with a coherent
and rational view of reality.
Sanatana Dharma is by its very essence a term that is devoid of
sectarian leanings, denominational prejudices, or ideological divisions. This is evident by
the meaning of the very term itself. The two words, "Sanatana Dharma", come from
the ancient Sanskrit language. "Sanatana" is a Sanskrit word
that denotes "that which does not cease to be", "that which is
eternal". The word "Dharma", on the other
hand, is a term that is only properly
rendered into the English language with a bit of difficulty.
This is the case because the word "Dharma" is
describing, not an object, but rather a profound philosophical concept. Its approximate
meaning is "Natural Law," or those principles of reality which are
inherent in the very nature and design of the universe. Thus the
term "Sanatana Dharma" can be roughly translated to mean "Eternal
Natural Law." Dharma - Natural Law - is universal. Dharma is
eternal. Dharma is nothing less than God's laws as they are
manifest in the natural world around us.
Sanatana Dharma is referring to those natural principles and ways of being that
are
in concert with the Absolute. Being a direct reflection of
God's will in this world, such principles are therefore axiomatic, or
unalterable, laws of the cosmos. The term Sanatana Dharma is not referring to something
that is open to alteration, speculation or human
manipulation. Neither is Sanatana Dharma referring merely to
some denominational faith or sectarian belief system. The principles of Dharma are transcendent and
eternal laws, and thus applicable to all people for all time.
To give an example of the eternal and natural origin
of Dharma, we can compare it to many of the principles of
science. The laws of gravity, mathematics or logic,
for example are not open to
sectarian debate or relative opinion. They transcend
sectarian belief, and are true regardless of our belief or
disbelief in them. Gravity, for example, is an inherent law of
nature regardless of whether one believes in the law of gravity or
not. It's not that gravity works for Roman Catholics, but it
won't work from Scottish Presbyterians! Rather, anyone
who walks off a roof will end up with the same effect: falling to
the ground below. Similarly the subtle, metaphysical laws of God
known as Dharma transcend all partisan concerns and sectarian
affiliation.
Referring to this eternal concept
of Dharma by the term "Tradition", the great Italian
philosopher Julius Evola explains Dharma's universality and
eternal nature in this way:
"Tradition, in its essence, is something simultaneously
meta-historical and dynamic: it is an
overall
ordering force, in the service of principles that have the chrism
of a superior legitimacy
(we may even
call them 'principles from above'). This force acts through
the generations, in
continuity of
spirit and inspiration, through institutions, laws, and social
orders that may even
display a remarkable variety and diversity." (Julius Evola, Men
Among the Ruins, pg.115)
Whether known by the terms
Dharma, Tradition, Natural Law, or any other term, the essential
nature of Dharma is eternal, universal and axiomatic.
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Teachings of Sanatana Dharma
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 Followers of
Dharma Spirituality (Dharmis) believe in one, all-pervasive
and all-loving Supreme Being. Though worshiped in
different ways, and by different names, in a variety of ways, there is
ultimately only one God. God is not Hindu, Christian,
Jewish, or Muslim. Rather, God is the ultimate inspiration of all
sects and religions. God is both transcendent and immanent in
all things. God is omnipresent in a things. There is
nowhere where God is not present. God is further away than
the furthest star, and closer to you than your own soul. God has unlimited
divine names and attributes, all of which share fully in God's
transcendent nature.
Every living being is a spiritual being in our deepest-most
essence. Our true nature is one of pure spirit. Not all beings,
however, may
be aware of this fact at present. Our reason for being in
existence is to spiritually evolve toward the eventual goal of
re-union with God. Dharma teaches
that God's desire is that all living beings will ultimately
attain liberation, or moksha.
Personal spiritual development occurs through the closely related processes
of karma and reincarnation. The individual soul undergoes the cycle
of repeated birth and death - this is known as the wheel of samsara.
During each earthly manifestation, an individual's karma (literally
'work' or 'actions') determines her future psycho-physical state. Every
ethically good act performed by someone results, sooner or later, in
happiness and spiritual development; whereas ethically evil actions end only
in loss and sorrow. Thus, the principle of karma is an idea that
celebrates freedom, since at every moment, we are all free to
create our future states of existence through our present
actions and states
of consciousness. This philosophical world-view encourages
Dharmis to
live happily, morally, consciously and humbly, following the path of
Eternal Natural Law.
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The Path
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The Dharma way of life has many important facets. Sanatana Dharma is a
way of life that is deeply rooted in a sense of ethical concern.
Among the many other virtues that Sanatana Dharma seeks to
instill in its followers is the principle of non-violence
(ahimsa) towards all beings, and compassion for all life.
This sense of love and compassion is directed toward animals and
the Earth, as well as all of our fellow humans beings. As a
result of these highly ethical standards, Dharmis are vegetarians and strongly pro-environment. The personal
goal of every follower of Dharma Spirituality is to live life in such
a way that she harms none and benefits all whom she encounters.
In addition, it is taught by Sanatana Dharma that the spirit of
service and selfless work for others (known in Sanskrit as the principle of
seva) bring one's consciousness closer to that of God.
Consequently, it is quite common to witness followers of Dharma
Spirituality engaging in a
myriad of charitable and philanthropic activities. For Sanatana Dharma, practical importance is also placed on studying
the ancient Vedic scriptures (such as the famous Bhagavad
Gita,
Yoga Sutras and Narada Bhakti Sutras),
temple worship (puja), sacred ritual and personal acts of
meaningful spiritual purification.
Yoga practice and meditation are also essential aspects of Sanatana Dharma.
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The Art of Reason
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 Perhaps one of the most beautiful aspects of this ancient spiritual
path is its tolerance of other people's cultures, religions and views.
Dharmis believe that "God is one;
though sages call Him by many different names" (Rig Veda). Within the nurturing
framework of this path is a tremendous spiritual freedom that
encourages and provokes followers of Dharma to think, learn,
explore and look inside themselves for the meaning of Sanatana
Dharma and of life itself. Dharma encourages us to use both our
heads and our hearts in how we make decisions and how we approach
God. We must use both our God-given ability to discern Truth
from untruth, in addition to using compassion and love in all
important decisions. Yoga is a path of reason coupled with
compassion. There is no room for fanaticism, fundamentalism
or closed-mindedness anywhere in Sanatana Dharma.
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How Can I Become a Follower of Dharma Spirituality?
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Glad you asked! You may actually be one already...and just don't know
it.
There are approximately two-million followers of Sanatana Dharma currently residing in the United States. About half of those (1.5 million)
are of South Asian (Indian) ethnic heritage. The other 1.5 million are
non-Indian Americans who accept and practice the teachings of Sanatana Dharma.
While most of these 1.5 million non-Indian Americans follow the
practices of Sanatana Dharma, believe in many of the most important
teachings of Sanatana Dharma, even have gurus (spiritual teachers)
and Sanskrit names, despite all these facts, many do not necessarily
consciously identify themselves with Sanatana Dharma.
It is our hope that Dharma Central will prove to be a helpful
resource for many of these "HIDDEN HINDUS" to better understand,
appreciate and consciously practice the wonderful spiritual tradition
that they are following. Here is a test to know if you are already a
follower of Sanatana Dharma, and are possibly just not consciously aware
of it:
- Do you practice any form of Yoga?
- Are you a vegetarian?
- Do you read the Bhagavad Gita, or other Vedic literature often?
- Do you practice meditation?
- Do you believe in the process of karma and reincarnation?
If your answers to at least four of the above is Yes!, then
congratulations!; you are already following Sanatana Dharma. You
are a Dharmi! If you would
like to know more about how you can practice this path more thoroughly and
meaningfully, there are a several routes you can take to increase
your knowledge of this ancient tradition:
- Feel free to e-mail Dharma
Central for help in following the path of Sanatana Dharma. Our
staff of volunteers is here to help you.
- Dharma Central is one of the most massive
information centers available on the Internet containing a wide
variety of resources and information about Dharma
Spirituality. Please
take advantage of what we have to offer. Please visit often
and feel free to
explore!
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Have Dr. Frank Morales Speak to Your Organization
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Dr.
Morales is currently recognized as one of the nation's leading
authorities on Hindu philosophy and religion, as well as South
Asian studies. In addition to directing his own institute,
Dr. Morales works in conjunction with several educational
institutes and think tanks globally. Dr. Morales maintains
a very demanding schedule consisting of lecturing, consulting
and writing. Dr. Morales has been a guest lecturer at over
two dozen major universities throughout the USA, including
Cornell, Northwestern, Illinois Institute of Technology, and
University of Virginia. In addition, Dr. Morales has
served as a South Asian affairs consultant for such corporations
as Ford Motor Company, Lucent Technologies, Goodwin Procter Law
Firm, and the Global Health Corporation.
Topics that Dr. Morales has spoken on include:
Meditation
Philosophy Religion
Hindu
Studies South Asian
Affairs Ethics
Asian Culture Contemporary South Asian
Politics History of
Religion Foreign
Affairs Comparative Theology
Principles of Effective
Leadership Yoga
as well as many other subjects. He has spoken throughout North America
before diverse audiences ranging from
50 to 5000 people. If you would like to arrange for Dr.
Morales to give a presentation to your university, company, conference or organization, please
contact us to schedule
an event.
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Help Support Sanatana Dharma
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Dr. Morales has established many
different projects designed to restore authentic Sanatana Dharma
for the spiritual benefit of all. Such projects include:
Dharma Central, Dharma Journal, the Center for the Study of
Religion and Civilization, the
International Sanatana Dharma Society, the Hindu Leadership
Initiative, "The Hindu Perspective" T.V. series, among
many others. These projects are only successful due to the
voluntary support of persons like you.
If you would like to help Dr. Frank Morales with his mission of educating the world about the profound teachings of the Vedic world-view,
please contact us
today. Your help and involvement are
crucially needed.
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