Dharma leads to moksha

[1]

Yogi Ashwini [1]

Yog is being one with nature. In this sense, anything that follows the code of nature is in yog. The modern man too would have been in this natural state if it were not for his ignorance that rendered him out-of-sync. Needless to say then, that the need of the hour is to trace this code and to tune oneself to it.
For this purpose, let us observe the things around us, say a tree… Green leaves, branches spreading far and wide, fruits and flowers, a tall thick trunk and roots that run deep into the ground — that’s the picture most of us will paint. Now, if one were to imagine a tree devoid of these attributes, would it still be called a tree? Why doesn’t a tree (not even in our imagination) exist without these attributes? This is because each of these individual traits is indispensable for the tree to perform its dharma. In other words, these characteristics are the very components that come together to form a tree, both literally and figuratively.
A tree withstands the vagaries of nature — the storms, the downpours and the floods — to protect the flora, the fauna and the soil alike. A tree provides for those around it — the animals, the birds and the insects in the form of food and shelter, as a nurturer as well as a healer. A tree purifies the air around it, a tree binds the soil together, a tree participates in causing the rains, a tree decomposes to enrich the earth — a tree befriends the environment. The tree imbibes the character of strength and stability, of tallness and of expanse, of benevolence and of selflessness, and that of not succumbing to adversities. Which is to say that a tree performs its dharma.
What then is dharma? Contrary to the popular notion, dharma is not religion. In fact, religion is a Western concept, its conception being as nascent as a few thousand years or two. Dharma, on the other hand, can be traced to the beginning of Creation; it is, in fact, the lifeline that keeps the creation going. For a lay person, dharma is the code of nature, that which sustains the creation, something which is inherent to every microcosm of the creation and is thus instinctive to human existence; but that whose awareness man is losing in the oblivion of kaliyug.
It is the dharma of every human being to protect those weaker than them — physically, financially, mentally and emotionally. It is the dharma of man to feed all persons, animals and plants in the vicinity — to provide for food, clothing and shelter for the needy, as per his individual capacity. It is the dharma of man to protect, conserve and nurture the environment, to discourage and arrest pollution, and to also foster growth and abundance. It is the dharma of man to develop the strength of character such that he stands up in the face of injustice and resists exploitation of any fellow being, animal or the environment. It is only when man performs his dharma that his existence is justified and he may rightfully be called “human”.
Today, however, while everyone puts considerable time and effort in visiting temples and places of worship, they turn a blind eye to the dog dying on the road, to the trees that have been felled, to the rivers that have been reduced to drains, to the corruption that has impregnated and hollowed human society. Man has polluted his existence with adharma. It is time for resurrection of lost principles and values and it is time for conservation through the practices of yog. Sanatan Kriya accounts for basic purification of a being so that he may progress undeterred on the path of truth and non-violence, non-stealing and non-hoarding, as laid down by the Vedic seers. 
“Shaucha, santosha, swaadhyaya, tapas, ishwar pranidhan niyama’’ is the Vedic answer to developing “human” character. Shaucha refers to observance of intrinsic and extrinsic cleanliness as well as purity of thought. Santosha may be understood as contentment in what one has — this motivates one towards growth, devoid of greed and with consideration for others. Swaadhyaya is synonymous with constant evaluation of the self so that one may correct oneself promptly at the slightest deviation from dharma. Tapas involves heating oneself through selfless labour, service and charity — it is this heat that facilitates the evolution of a being. Ishwar pranidhan, or submission to the Divine Will at all times, while dedicating all that one does to the Supreme Energy, ensures that all of one’s deeds are in line with dharma.
So thorough were the Vedic rishis in their understanding of the being, that gauging the careless nature of man they earmarked the first quarter of human life for the study of dharma. Only when one was still in his dharma, was he allowed to venture into subsequent purusharths of artha and kama. Only that being who is conscious of his dharma can transcend the worldly pleasures and experiences to enter the realm of moksha, or the highest good.

— Yogi Ashwini is an authority on yoga, tantra and the Vedic sciences. He is the guiding light of Dhyan Foundation. He has recently written a book, Sanatan Kriya: 51 Miracles... And a Haunting.
Contact him at dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com [2]