For various eastern religions and philosophies, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, or Yoga, the concept of dharma is vital. It is an old Sanskrit word that can be translated literally as "life," "what sustains," "what maintains," and "natural law."

Dharma was a term used by the ancient Indians to refer to morality, justice, and obligation. However, according on the esoteric interpretation of each school or current, its spiritual notion can mean a variety of things.

Spiritual sense of the Dharma

In its deepest sense, it represents the individual path to the higher truth . This concept resembles the Chinese, Asian "Tao" on the one hand, and the Greek, occidental "Logos" on the other.

It is a cosmic norm represented by the path of truth and virtue, which involves doing what is right for oneself, for the family, for the caste to which one belongs, or for the Universe.

Dharma is closely related to the Hindu belief in reincarnation and the concept of Karma . Karma is one of the eternal forces responsible for our future existences, since it works as a timeless record of all our physical and mental actions.

Thus, by being attentive to personal Dharma, one contributes to the generation of good karma, avoiding spiritual and mental debts for the next lives.

in Hinduism

In Hinduism, it is the moral and religious law that governs the conduct of every human being .

The deep study of the Dharma is very old and, through the times, it was compiled in extensive religious manuals called Dharma-sutras, which constitute the birth of the first Hindu laws.

The individual Dharma or Sadharana, brings together a compilation of individual behaviors that must be paid attention to, such as:

• be authentic,
• be generous,
• do not be lazy,
• not interfere in other people's affairs,
• among others.

The Svadharma, on the other hand, is a compilation of laws that govern groups such as those that refer to behavior in the family, according to status, caste or society.

in Buddhism

According to Buddhism, the Dharma is the "teaching", "the path" or the universal truth that affects us all and that is present in the teachings of Gautama Buddha.

Dhammapada, one of the canon books of Buddhism containing the direct teachings of the Buddha, refers to the Dharma as the cosmic law underlying all phenomena and aspects of existence, including those that transcend the visible, material world.

in Yoga

In the yoga school, Dharma is the force inherent in all existence , the intimate and sublime essence of everything that exists, the truth that unifies everything, affecting the personal future and all human life.

According to the teachings of yoga, the teacher and his student can spontaneously develop an intimate relationship that can lead, in certain circumstances, to the spontaneous transmission of the Dharma or, in other words, a direct transmission of the understanding of the truth. .