The Culture of the Dharma

Culture appears to be a purely outward thing, the various changing codes and customs of different peoples, times and countries. If we look at the different peoples of the world, we see every sort of cultural variation in terms of language, clothes, diet, art, religion and so on. The spiritual path as something timeless and universal should be beyond culture and to begin only when we set cultural prejudices aside.

Yet culture has another meaning. The spiritual life is a form of cultivation. To flower in truth we must cultivate our nature, we must create a field for the soul to grow that pervades our whole life, both individual and collective. Dharma as a way of life is a culture as well. Culture thus ultimately refers to how we live. Our culture is the field that we create by the circumstances and modalities of our lives. Naturally this should have a certain harmony to it, not a rigid order but an organic development like a plant.

Many modern spiritual teachers, particularly coming from India, have tried to purify their teachings of extraneous cultural factors. They have provided teachings and practices that can be applied irrespective of cultural context. This allows people to apply various meditation approaches without having to consider the more transient and outward side of the teachings, like rituals. They can adapt meditation practices without having to change jobs, residence or relationship. They don't have to become Hindus but can adapt its insights in a way that enhances their lives as they are already developing from our own background. Even in India the spiritual teachings have become more distant from their cultural matrix.

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