Universal
Dharma and Religion
Religions contain beliefs and dogmas that are not universally
true and some that are not Dharmic at all. Otherwise separative
religious identities and the whole history of religious conflict,
holy wars, and the effort to convert others to a particular belief
could never have occurred. There are adharmic principles in all
religions and in some religions, at least at some times, adharmic
principles predominate.
The question must therefore arise:
Are the beliefs of all religions Dharmas or universal truths?
Clearly not. Many of these are simply dogmas, things that are
supposed to be true but are merely the opinion of certain people.
The Christian belief that Jesus Christ is the only son of God is not
a Dharmic principle, an eternal or universal truth, but a belief or
imagination of certain people over a limited period of time.
It is an idea conditioned by time,
place and person that cannot be acceptable to everyone. The Islamic
belief that Mohammed is the last prophet is also not a Dharma, but
an identification of truth with a particular person and a specific
historical revelation. Nor is the belief that an historical
revelation like the Bible or the Koran is the Word of
God a Dharma or universal law but only the opinion of a particular
community. An eternal heaven and hell are also not Dharmic
principles. This idea possesses an eternal reward or punishment for
transient deeds, which violates the law of karma. |