To Be The Self Is The Religion Of The Self

Questioner: What is religion (dharma)? That is what I want to understand.
Dadashri: That which holds you up and never lets you fall is religion. At the moment, you are not even aware that you are falling. All people of this Kaliyug (the current era of the time cycle characterised by lack of unity in mind, speech and body) are slipping; they are gradually heading towards a lower life form.

Dharma (religion) does not just have one meaning. How many kinds of religion are there? There are all kinds of religion, ranging from a single degree all the way up to 360 degrees. For each and every person’s viewpoint, there is a religion, which is why there is matbhed (difference of opinion). What is the religion (dharma) that is going on in our country? It is one that stops one from doing bad deeds and encourages good deeds.

Questioner: So, is that called religion (dharma)?
Dadashri: No. It cannot be called real religion. What is the dharma of this gold? Does it ever rust? So, it means that dharma is when one maintains one’s swabhav (inherent properties). Therefore, you are the Atma (Self), and when you remain as the Atma, only then it is called dharma. This is just dehadhyas (‘I am the body’): Stopping wrong deeds and making one do good deeds. All of it is illusion (bhranti). Good deeds are illusion (bhranti), and bad deeds are also illusion (bhranti). However, I am not asking you to stop your good deeds. They can be turned from bad to the good. It is all well and good, but still, the illusion does not go away. Only after the illusion goes away, does the real religion begin!

Dharma is that which brings you into your own nature (the nature of the Self). Therefore, you are the Atma (the Self). What is your nature (swabhav)? It is parmanand (eternal bliss). If you remain within this state of infinite bliss, nothing from the outside can affect you. That is called dharma; it will help you reach moksha and give you liberation.

Dharma In One’s Conduct

Questioner: I cannot put religion into practice (aacharan), Dada.
Dadashri: God does not place value on conduct; he values intent (hetu; goal). That which manifests as conduct, the Lord has called it nokarma (neutral karma). These are very mild karmas. A conduct coupled with intent is a completely different thing altogether! If you only give a penny, but you give it with a true heart, then it would be called dharma (religion). Anything that instills stillness is dharma. The Gnani Purush has stillness. So, whoever comes to him and ties his ‘boat’ to the Gnani will also become still.

For more information on Dadashri’s spiritual science, visit dadabhagwan.org