Question / प्रश्न 54

What is :

The Essential Nature, Character, Morality and Ethics.

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धर्म, चरित्र, सदाचार और नैतिकता क्या है? 

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Answer / उत्तर :

The "nature" is the word unanimously accepted by all and everyone to denote the Sanskrit word  प्रकृति / Prakriti.

SAmkhya / साङ्ख्यदर्शन also begins with this Reality as the unambiguous basis for elaborating upon its Principle.

This too is a fact acceptable to one and all that this Nature / प्रकृति is ever so undoubtedly the "Observed" , while the "Observer" is "The Timeless and the Underlying  consciousness Principle"

This Underlying Self-evident or the self is the Conscious Reality known to  and available to all and everyone with no exception any.

The Existence of This Bare Reality could never be denied, refuted or falsified by anyone either through logic, example or in experience.

The Knowing and The Existence are therefore two prominent aspects of the one and the same Principle. 

This is verily therefore the "Dharma" no one could who-so-ever be devoid of. 

Therefore Existing, being, becoming and knowing are the essential characteristics of "Dharma"

Therefore what is accepted by all as the "Nature" / "Prakriti"  is identically the same as and with "धर्म" / "Dharma"

This "Nature", Prakriti, प्रकृति or Dharma is thus either the manifest, the "known" or apparently the un-manifest, latent, or the "unknown" Underlying Principle.

Again this is true either at the individual level or as an experience of all and every individual collectively as a whole also.

Therefore the same "Underlying and the  Essential Un-manifest Principle", that is "Dharma" or "Prakriti" is the "observed" and also the observer together and at the same time.

In manifestation, this same "Dharma" assumes and exhibits in the form of  the "behavior" of the individual as a person and also as a collective whole identity of the manifest.

"Behavior" is the totality of interactions between many an individual persons at the collective level. The character of the individual therefore differs from person to person.

At the social level however, in order to live in harmony, everyone has to follow and observe some basic rules.

This defines  सदाचार / "Morality" .

This too therefore changes from one to another society, and in this context, it is called the "social morality" or "mores" / सामाजिक सदाचार .

The next stage is :

नैतिकता / "The Ethics".

What is basic rules that ensure harmony and cohesive social existence.

"Dharma" or the essential nature is the way common to all life-forms, be it any of the plant, animal, insects, birds, fish or the humans, and they spontaneously follow the same without conflict any, but in the case of the humans, the inherent conflict appears as soon as the person has to deal with the other.

One can then either follow the certain rules determined and dictated by the society or can find out in one's own way. One can either seek help from teachers, scriptures or learn in oneself as well.

There is always the risk of getting lost and / or mislead and / or misguided too, in this endeavor of discovering the way.

Ultimately, it is the earnestness, the keen-ness and clarity of the purpose, that really matters.

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