Re-Learning Your Dharma

You came to Earth for a reason—and it’s something you chose yourself. You don’t remember it, but before incarnating, you carefully chose where you would be born. Every incarnation gives you the chance to become a better person. It is, in part, through suffering that you learn the most important lessons. Are you despairing today over not having better parents or not being born with a silver spoon in your mouth? Remind yourself that you chose this, even if you can’t remember it.

Fulfilling Your Dharma

The concept of dharma originated in India and took on a different meaning when it was adopted by Buddhism. In Buddhism, dharma refers to the teachings of the Buddha and the wisdom that stems from them. Originally, however, dharma referred to the duty each person must fulfill in order to align themselves with the laws of the universe. To simplify, for example, a person born into a family of farmers fulfills their dharma by becoming the best farmer they can be. However, this is in fact a misinterpretation (and a deliberate one) based on texts from Hindu teachings. This misunderstanding is what led to the caste system and its rigid structure.

In reality, fulfilling your dharma means acting in accordance with your inclinations (or gunas), your natural qualities, to become the best version of yourself. For instance, if you’re a perfectionist and enjoy working with your hands, you might consider pursuing a craft or trade that allows you to best express your skills.

Rediscovering Your Dharma

Upon arriving on Earth, you forgot your past existences and immersed yourself in Maya (the illusions). You received the upbringing of your parents, who sometimes have a tendency to deny or neglect your natural talents. To reconnect with your dharma, you will need to search deep within yourself to uncover your true nature.

Trying Multiple Activities

If you hesitate and are unsure where to direct yourself, you’ll need to confront reality and try a variety of activities—be they sports, cultural, or artistic. The more you experiment, the clearer your path will become. Often, you don’t even need to force yourself to try new things because a natural inclination towards certain activities may manifest easily. From a young age, you may have shown a desire to communicate with others, to write stories, to sing, or to help animals. Keep these natural tendencies in mind: they are the directions you should move toward later on.

On the other hand, sometimes finding your path works by elimination: not knowing what you want to do often helps you discover what you should do.

Fulfill Your Dharma

As modern society evolves, we find ourselves increasingly under immense pressure to succeed and carve out our place in the world. In such a demanding environment, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and aimless. Many of us struggle to find our “reason for being”—the purpose that gives our life meaning and direction.

However, by discovering our unique purpose, we begin to identify our strengths and passions, develop a sense of identity, and embark on a journey of personal growth and development. Once we’ve identified and embraced our purpose, we can pursue it with the conviction and diligence necessary to achieve it. This process requires dedication and perseverance. It asks us to consistently evaluate our goals and adapt our methods if they don’t yield the results we hope for.

It’s also important to not overlook our environment, including the family and social contexts we were born into. Even if these may seem chaotic at times, valuable lessons can often be drawn from the challenges we face within them.

Thus, it’s crucial to take a step back, reflect on what we believe to be our ultimate purpose in life, give ourselves fully to it, and embrace the lessons from our familial and social environments. By doing so, we will be on the right path to becoming better people—with a better understanding of ourselves, why we are here, and our place in the world.