Every now and then a question arises – and it is this – What is your Dharma? Perhaps I haven’t been able to answer this question satisfactorily to myself and so it crops up every now and then.
What is my Dharma?
Once while playing with my name I discovered that Radhika may be reformed to form the Hindi word Adhikar, which means Hak or Right. What are my rights in this world? What is it my right to do in this world, and if I may dare add, insignificant as I am, do for the world?
Since it is my right to live with degrees of freedom and independence, how should I live my life?
If I have the right to love, then how and whom should I love?
I feel it is my right to live peacefully in the world. How do I live this? By being at peace with myself… Art of Living has provided me various tools for arriving at inner peace – through the doorways of satsang, seva, pranayama, yoga, meditation, Sudarshan Kriya, practical wisdom and through the beautiful darshan of my Guru – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
As an extension of inner peace, I like to see myself being useful to society, a small hand in the vast mechanism of the Universe, participating in a process much larger than my limited identity offers. Knowing that my smallest, most trivial needs are being taken care of by a loving, unseen Hand, I feel waves of gratitude flood me, until they pour down my face as tears. Seva is nothing but an expression of thanksgiving to the Divine. It stems from that space of thankfulness, “O God, you have done so much for me, and you are so quiet in your ways! What can I do for you? Please align me to your work.”
Five years of being at Art of Living, Bangalore has taught me that being useful brings spontaneity, enthusiasm and gratitude in life. Where once upon a time, driven by personal ambitions, my life appeared futile, life through seva has become valuable. Without any personal agendas to be fulfilled life takes on a dramatic leap into a fearless, joyful arena of love. Life is lived as a game and challenges are faced with a smile.
And it is relieving to know that the real player is God. This is His creation, His game. We have nothing really to do. We are Krishna’s cowherds holding up Govardhan with our little sticks, feeling happy to be a part of this beautiful illusion called Life! We may feel happy and proud to play different roles allotted to us, but really we can only witness…watch this sweep of life as it comes and goes.
It is my dharma and adhikar to be happy and live joyfully…and through my happy presence bring joy to others. It’s my dharma to love all beings on this planet and I know I often go out of my way to protect not so popular creatures – snakes and snails and millipedes – from the onslaught of giant feet.
Wow, I just defined the role of my life to myself!
Life is really so simple! Nothing easier than being happy!
Live the Happy Way with the Happiness Program: May 15 – 17 at Art of Living International Center, Bangalore with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
For more details & Online Registration: http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/srisrihappiness
A Sadhak's Diary 