So we've been talking
about our duties in class. Our dharma. Long ago, our dharmas were already
decided for us based on your position on the caste system. Theoretically, the
caste system still exists but you may rise and fall as you please. Now you may
be asking 'where is she going with this?' or something along those lines. Well
before I answer that question, let me ask you some of my own. What is your
dharma? Will you rise above or fall under the position you’re in now? Is your
dharma basically to succeed in life? Or is there more to it? I say this because
after the writing prompt we had in class on Thursday, I realized I did not know
what my dharma is. I thought it was to basically succeed in life and prove
those who doubted me wrong. But really, is that all there is to a dharma? Honestly,
I think we'll never know what our duty in life is. You might think you do but
realize that later on, near the end of life, your purpose was far different
than what you thought it would be. Food for your thought.
Those are great questions Jade. It took me a while to think of answers to the questions and I think that a person never truly knows there Dharma because it is not a decision we make for ourselves. I feel that a higher power (God) chooses our dharma for us and we dont really know it for a long time. I believe that there are two types of people , ultimately creating two dharmas. The first is , the dharma that allows people to succeed in life, and the dharma that allows people to fall behind. Those whose dharma is to succeed are the leaders of the world and are on top of the caste system. Those who are meant to fall behind are the followers and are at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteIn today's society I do not believe in the caste system. In our world today there is a more lenient caste system that allows upward mobility. In our society I believe that one's dharma is to have goals and ultimately reach them. Whether or not my dharma is to succeed or fall behind I don't know but, all i can do for now is continue to do my best at succeeding.
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I agree. In class I had a hard time figuring out what my Dharma was as well. A peer said, it would be going to school and getting an education, I replied to her saying I thought about writing that and then realized, in that case, everyone in the classroom will have the same dharma. Because I feel like I will be looked down upon if I do not have an education (the untouchables), so I force myself to go to school and fulfill my dharma, I guess. But is it really my dharma, if it expected for everyone to get an education. This dharma does not speak to me specifically.
DeleteI also thought longer (wasting half the class thinking), and realized in our society; an education is the only key to moving up in this so called "caste system". (So I'm obviously going to go to school, even if it kills me.) Anyway I am technically not fulfilling my dharma if my mindset is really just trying to move up in the "caste system", which the hindus were forbidden from doing. At the end of the day I wrote down that getting an education was my dharma because there was like five minutes left of class. But the writing prompt really had me thinking, and I guess i have to finish school to find out my dharma. (too much thinking)
One thing that I noticed is that if we do consider that we do have a dharma as teenagers (young ladies) it will change constantly as we ourselves change and evolve throughout life.
DeleteI think about the people that go through their lives, in jobs they hate, dying feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied because they never realized what their purpose in life is. But then again, could that be THEIR dharma? Do we need those people in our society to allow the people around them to fulfill their dharma? Is their purpose to give other people purpose? I don't think that we will ever fully understand the concept of dharma; we will just end up thinking in circles (as I just did.)
ReplyDeleteI honestly can not tell you what my dharma is because at this point everything i do is aimed to achieve something better than what I have now. I have to go to school in order to get the job I want in order to make a living. We have the make it in America mentality. You can move up in class here while back then you were in a set class. I think it is to succeed in life but with more to it. It's unknown to me now but maybe I will figure it out later before I pass on.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the questions you asked and I agree because like you some people may never truly know their dharma. As well as the possibility of never really knowing for most of us it can be constantly changing, day by day, minute by minute. I think the best possible thing to do is just enjoy your life and try to do the best you can in all aspects of it. Good job Jadeley
ReplyDeleteYou're so right Jadeley!!! I have no idea what my dharma is and to be honest although I wrote that my dharma was to go to school and get an education on that writing prompt, I think it's because I was just in a rush to finish. I really don't think that my dharma is to go to school everyday and be forced to have an education, WOMP! People need to realize there is more to life than just school seriously! However, I hope to one day find my dharma and if I can't I hope to one day find something I'm passionate about in life, discover what my purpose is in life and be content with it..
ReplyDelete