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THE CONCEPT OF 'DHARMA' IN JAINISM
Dr. Harendra Prasad Verma, Reader, P. G. Department of Philosophy, Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur (Bihar).
The word "Dharma' has generally been equivocally used in Indian philosophy to mean both morality and religion. But in fact, morality and religion are different, because while morality is concerned with the overt conduct, religion is concerned with the inner self. Religion is the centre, morality is its circumference. The change of centre necessarily leads to the change of circumference, but not conversely; the overt conduct is the shadow of the inner salf. Hence morality is dependent on religion and religion is the pre-condition of morality. morality is a social necessity, whereas religion is the personal pursuit; it is the "flight of the alone to the Alone." Morality is extroversion, religion, is introversion; it is subjective inwardness or "Home-coming' (Pratikramana). Morality consists in remaining within the boundary, whereas religion consists in transcending it. It is going beyond all limitations, pressures and bindingsexternal as well as internal. It is freedom or Moksha. Dharma and 'Moksha' have to be distinguished as pursuarthas (ends of human endeavour). Moksha' is paimary, whereas 'Dharma is secondary, because 'Moksha' is more fundamental than
Dharma'. When the word, "Dharma" is used in the sense of religion, it connotes the gnosis more than conduct. However, religion and morality are also intertwined, because spirituality essentially leads to morality 'seeing is doing'Samyag darshana (Right vision) and Samyag jnana (Right knowledge) are bound to result in Samyag charitra (Right conduct).
Most of the theologians define religion as 'surrender to God (Isvara Pranidhana). For Schleirmacher, religion is "the feeling of absolute dependence" on God. According to Flint, "Religion is man's belief in a being or beings, mightier than himself, though inaccessible to his senses, but not indifferent to his sentiments, and the feeling and action which follow from such a belief". Obviously, these writers equate religon with theism and hold that theism is the model of religion. Flint has gone to the extent of saying, "Anything lower than
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