{"id":485,"date":"2014-08-20T09:48:16","date_gmt":"2014-08-20T09:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/healingandtransformation\/?p=485"},"modified":"2014-08-20T09:48:16","modified_gmt":"2014-08-20T09:48:16","slug":"4-questions-to-finding-your-dharma-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/healingandtransformation\/2014\/08\/4-questions-to-finding-your-dharma-purpose.html","title":{"rendered":"4 Questions to Finding Your Dharma (Purpose)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/370\/2014\/08\/Dov-Vargas-and-Sri-Dhama-Mittra-at-Wanderlust-Festival-via-Flickr.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-490\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/370\/2014\/08\/Dov-Vargas-and-Sri-Dhama-Mittra-at-Wanderlust-Festival-via-Flickr.jpg\" alt=\"Dov Vargas and Sri Dhama Mittra at Wanderlust Festival via Flickr\" width=\"601\" height=\"399\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Most of the daily challenges we experience as human beings originate from a lack of understanding.<\/p>\n<p>The way to cultivate refinement of the mind and uplift the human experience from ignorance and suffering, is to practise dharma.<\/p>\n<p>The Buddhist concept of dharma has a central philosophy that all is whole and complete as it is. <strong>There is no accident in the entire universe.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What is this cryptic notion of dharma and is there a way to decode it for modern consumption?<\/p>\n<p>Dharma is a broad concept with many understandings and definitions, very much like the word \u201ctao.\u201d Like tao, dharma supports the natural order of the universe and those who are in harmony with it. Dharma could also be described as the nature of \u201cwhat is\u201d and in Buddhism, refers to the practice of following the Buddha\u2019s teachings. The diligent observance and practice of these teachings, is the way to enlightenment.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThere is no term in Buddhist terminology wider than dharma. It includes not only the conditioned things and states, but also the non-conditioned, the Absolute Nirvana. There is nothing in the universe or outside, good or bad, conditioned or non-conditioned, relative or absolute, which is not included in this term.\u201d ~ Walpola Rahula<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>One could argue that dharma is a truth, a teaching, a practice and enlightenment itself.<br \/>\nEverything is expressing itself fully according to its nature, and thusly there are no duplicates and no failure. All that is created is unique. As individuals in this perfect whole, we are all ingredients that perfectly express themselves \u2013 every nuance and character contributes to the overall manifestation.\u00a0As James Hillman said (in The Soul\u2019s Code), \u201cYou are born with a character, it is given, a gift as the old stories say, from the guardians upon your birth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Living in dharma means living ones\u2019 purpose, bringing forth one\u2019s personality and expressing it in the world. By living on the quiet, in fear, limitation, or otherwise, we are denying the world our one-of-a-kind gifts. So, too, living from the ego denies the full expression of our talents for the benefit of others. The purpose of dharma is to allow the world to evolve to its full potential.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe know we are in dharma when we cannot think of anything else we would rather be doing with our life.\u201d ~ David Simon<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>How does one relate to the seemingly mystical and intangible elements to finding one\u2019s dharma?<\/p>\n<p>Since there are no spare parts to the universe, then each individual part is needed by the whole, it is necessary, it is wanted. For the whole symphony to vibrate at its most\u00a0refined and poetic, it requires all instruments to play their part. Thus, one thing is essential for the greater good \u2013 each person must follow the authentic path that is most wholly-speaking \u201ctheirs\u201d and only theirs.<\/p>\n<p>It reminds me that I am nothing, I am everything, I am here for a purpose for all, I am not here by mistake. And neither are you. On this point, the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson are worthy of contemplation ~<br \/>\n\u201cStanding on the bare ground\u2026a mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The whole universe supports me when I act according to my nature, my calling, my purpose, my reason for being.<\/p>\n<p>Living a meaningful life requires that I live in dharma to the whole of creation. Dharma is an opening, a mission, a doorway, a purpose, a destiny, an active element and a passive process of surrender. Could anything be more important?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>To find your dharma, here are 4 Questions to Meditate on:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Do you know what your dharma is? Have you found it yet? Where have\u00a0you looked?<\/li>\n<li>How would you live differently if you knew your days were numbered?<\/li>\n<li>Which people do you admire most and why?<\/li>\n<li>When did you have the most fun? What memories come to mind \u2013 what were you doing at the time?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Photo:\u00a0Flickr<\/p>\n<p>___________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #610b4b\">What do you think? Feel free to comment down below!<br style=\"color: #610b4b\" \/><em>You are awesome as you are, and I love you!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #610b4b\">And if you love me back, please click \u2018share\u2019 up at the top!<br \/>\n<br style=\"color: #610b4b\" \/><strong>David G. Arenson ND<\/strong>, Australia&#8217;s Leading\u00a0Soul-Coach &#8211; Spiritual Teacher and Energy Healer<br \/>\nFind out more about me:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.findshambhala.com\">http:\/\/www.findshambhala.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #610b4b\">Inquire about arranging a retreat:\u00a0<span class=\"Apple-style-span\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mretreat.com\">http:\/\/www.mretreat.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #610b4b\">To\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:david@mretreat.com\">send a question<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0<strong>Q&amp;A with David<\/strong>, please\u00a0<em>email<\/em>\u00a0David &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:david@mretreat.com\">david@mretreat.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of the daily challenges we experience as human beings originate from a lack of understanding. The way to cultivate refinement of the mind and uplift the human experience from ignorance and suffering, is to practise dharma. The Buddhist concept of dharma has a central philosophy that all is whole and complete as it is.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":570,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[220,51,253,172,12],"tags":[379,380,378,381,175,382,383,384,343],"class_list":["post-485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-growth","category-self-development","category-soul-coaching","category-success","category-transformation","tag-absolute-nirvana","tag-authentic","tag-buddhism","tag-buddhist","tag-destiny","tag-dharma","tag-enlightenment","tag-purpose","tag-surrender"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>4 Questions to Finding Your Dharma (Purpose) - Healing and Transformation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/healingandtransformation\/2014\/08\/4-questions-to-finding-your-dharma-purpose.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"4 Questions to Finding Your Dharma (Purpose) - Healing and Transformation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Most of the daily challenges we experience as human beings originate from a lack of understanding. The way to cultivate refinement of the mind and uplift the human experience from ignorance and suffering, is to practise dharma. The Buddhist concept of dharma has a central philosophy that all is whole and complete as it is.&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/healingandtransformation\/2014\/08\/4-questions-to-finding-your-dharma-purpose.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Healing and Transformation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/starmentalhealth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-08-20T09:48:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/healingandtransformation\/files\/2014\/08\/Dov-Vargas-and-Sri-Dhama-Mittra-at-Wanderlust-Festival-via-Flickr.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David Starlyte\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@davidstarlyte\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"4 Questions to Finding Your Dharma (Purpose) - Healing and Transformation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/healingandtransformation\/2014\/08\/4-questions-to-finding-your-dharma-purpose.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"4 Questions to Finding Your Dharma (Purpose) - Healing and Transformation","og_description":"Most of the daily challenges we experience as human beings originate from a lack of understanding. 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