Can there be dharma without scriptures?

[zenzero]

Friends,

CAN THERE BE 'DHARMA' WITHOUT SCRIPTURES?

Everyone is free to respond the way they perceive.

Love & rgds

 

[LuisDantas]

Of course. Scriptures are not even particularly central to Dharma.

They are instead something of a two-edged sword for the purpose of helping in spreading the Dharma. However, they also spread misconceptions of it.

Ultimately, only deep, honest reflection and good mentoring are truly useful in attaining Dharma.

 

[Madhuri]

This remind me of the question, can there be morality without religion? Yes, of course it is possible. Of course there are people who are wiser and naturally inclined to 'good' or 'right' actions.

I think that scripture is a very important guru. Just as most of us require peers to teach us to better ourselves and to teach us 'right' from 'wrong' as we grow up, scripture is among the teachers who show us how to be Dharmic.

I wouldn't say that scripture is vital. But I would say that it is incredibly helpful. I would learn to play an instrument much faster, for example, with an instruction book rather than without one.

 

[Ravi500]

It is the one who have climbed a particularly steep mountain, who can provide an accurate picture of the route to others to successfuly climb the mountain themselves without fear of death or injury or failure.


Scriptures are similarly created by enlightened masters as a roadmap to help others reach the goal of wise living and enlightenment.

 

[LuisDantas]

It is the one who have climbed a particularly steep mountain, who can provide an accurate picture of the route to others to successfuly climb the mountain themselves without fear of death or injury or failure.


Scriptures are similarly created by enlightened masters as a roadmap to help others reach the goal of wise living and enlightenment.

That is certainly true, and a good thing for sure.

Alas, it is just as true that scriptures also do a lot of harm when they are misrepresented, misunderstood, or simply used unwisely or irresponsibly.

And there is also the matter of deciding whether a text that is considered a scripture holds enough wisdom to truly be so. It stands to reason that even enough of a cultural distance from its source might be enough to make it not so.

The bottom line IMO is that while scripture is a very useful tool, it can't be the end-all and ultimate justification for faith and practice.

 

[Ravi500]

Alas, it is just as true that scriptures also do a lot of harm when they are misrepresented, misunderstood, or simply used unwisely or irresponsibly.

True indeed. :yes:

I believe the same can be said of science as well.


As Wernher von Braun, the famous scientist/engineer stated, " Science does not have a moral dimension. It is like a knife. If you give it to a surgeon or a murderer, each will use it differently. "


Proper use of science, and proper interpretation of the scriptures depends on the mindset and character of the one who does so , imho.

 

[atanu]

Friends,

CAN THERE BE 'DHARMA' WITHOUT SCRIPTURES?

Everyone is free to respond the way they perceive.

Love & rgds

It may be both very easy and very difficult to answer this. Again I will ask what dharma we are talking about? Possibly, in Abrahamic understanding they do not have a word like dharma.

 

[crossfire]

Dharma was around before scripture, therefore there can be dharma without scripture. What's so difficult about that?

 

[atanu]

Dharma was around before scripture, therefore there can be dharma without scripture. What's so difficult about that?

Dharma and the Word are not different. So it depends on what is understood by dharma and what is understood by scripture.

 

[crossfire]

Dharma and the Word are not different. So it depends on what is understood by dharma and what is understood by scripture.

Indeed, one can read the scriptures and completely miss the dharma conveyed therein.

 

[ametist]

I would say no.
Because there is a story and there is an author. The author always eventually looks at the whole scene and says "This has been perfect".
Thanks for saying everyone is free to answer as they perceive.

 

[atanu]

Indeed, one can read the scriptures and completely miss the dharma conveyed therein.

Indeed. And what is a residence without an address? The raft can be discarded by one who has crossed over (and certainly not by an anatta).

A minimum SraddhA in the scripture of the particular school that one follows is desirable, IMO.

 

[Desert Snake]

I would say no.
Because there is a story and there is an author. The author always eventually looks at the whole scene and says "This has been perfect".
Thanks for saying everyone is free to answer as they perceive.

I tend to agree...without evidence otherwise we are at that point, hence conclusion.

 

[atanu]

I would say no.
Because there is a story and there is an author. The author always eventually looks at the whole scene and says "This has been perfect".
Thanks for saying everyone is free to answer as they perceive.

Yes. From the perspective of, say Sikh Dharma tradition, what is Sikh Dharma without Guru Granth Sahib?

 

[zenzero]

Friend atanu,

It may be both very easy and very difficult to answer this. Again I will ask what dharma we are talking about? Possibly, in Abrahamic understanding they do not have a word like dharma.

Dictionary meaning of 'dharma'

dharma ˈdɑːmə,ˈdəːmə/Submit noun
1.(in Indian religion) the eternal law of the cosmos, inherent in the very nature of things.

Dharma simply means 'law' and naturally man being part of nature so 'dharma' is about the laws of nature.
Humans having evolved is also due to the laws of nature and so agree with friend crossfire that

Dharma was around before scripture, therefore there can be dharma without scripture.

Meaning only after humans evolved and realised that they too are part of existence and have the potential to get out of this evolutionary process for good and these humans found that it can be done in many ways and these ways got written down according to each individual's experience and those documents are 'scriptures'.
Guess for this reason friend crossfire remarks

What's so difficult about that?

Love & rgds

 

[chinu]

As far as i know,
Rather than making dharma, scriptures acknowledge dharma. And this makes clear that dharma was present even before scriptures.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Oh, yes. Homo habilis invented 'dharma'.
Edited: or was it Ramapithecus - first direct ancestor of modern humans, that is what Encyclopedia Britannia says.

 

[Desert Snake]

As far as i know,
Rather than making dharma, scriptures acknowledge dharma. And this makes clear that dharma was present even before scriptures.

Like..rocks I suppose...rocks were around before being acknowledged in books.

 

[chinu]

Oh, yes. Homo habilis invented 'dharma'.

It was invented by God itself.
Or in other words Dharma is the by product of creation.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

We all agree that 'dharma' is eternal it was there even before the vedic period so in effect the eternal laws [dharma] of existence has nothing to do with any particular period or religion; meaning 'sanatana dharma' is a common term for that eternal law and cannot be claimed to be associated with the one who coined the word, like the word 'GOD' that it is for only Christians and not others.

Friends your comments/perception/views??

Love & rgds