Does God speak to us? How we answer this question depends totally on what we want the answer to be. If we are open to transcendental wisdom and want to be guided by the highest truth, we will give an open ear to the Rishis of India, to the Jewish prophets, to the Bhagavad Gita, to the Christian Gospels, and so forth. But if we want to be our own authorities, we will tend to view these traditional voices as artifacts from prescientific cultures that have little or nothing to say to the modern world—especially if they do not align with our preferences. Our thoughts and beliefs are the schematic handles with which we order our lives, but it is our will that drives what we see, think, and believe. We see what we are looking for and miss what we don’t want to see.
When we fail to acknowledge a transcendental authority, God, a void is necessarily created, and out of this void emerges a two-headed monster: power and the worship of reason. Dharma tames the darker aspects of human nature. In the absence of dharma, the arbitrary dictates of those in positions of power rule the day; slavery is a perfect example of this phenomenon. In and of itself, reason is a very good tool in the hands of a pure heart and a humble mind. But far too often reason is possessed by ideology, various temptations, and weaknesses. Still worse, reason tends to fall in love with itself and its own productions. For example, when apartheid ruled the day in South Africa, those in positions of power actually “reasoned” that it was their divine right to rule over people of color. In our day, we find it reasonable to treat political opponents, immigrants, and the unborn without the dignity that all human beings deserve.
By now, I hope you realize that dharma, the path of Eternal Righteousness, is a liberating force. Dharma is the organizing activity of God’s love within creation. Dharma is the law of love, pure and simple. In this spirit, Valentin Tomberg tells us, “God’s love embraces all his creatures who, without it, would cease to exist at all. This love does not cease with their coming into being, but accompanies them throughout the path of life and death. This care for the welfare of all creatures is the divine law. We obey this law because we have the most perfect inner certainty that it realizes, protects, and calls for the welfare of all humanity. It is this law we orient our selves to in all questions concerning human or humanitarian welfare.”
Dharma is
The organizing activity of God’s love
Within creation:
The law of love
That orders and protects
All of creation.
