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Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way

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Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

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“We live in a world that we know is infinitely complex, overpoweringly beautiful, and often times deeply mysterious. From time immemorial, human beings have peered into the heavens and contemplated the meaning of the world around them, and the meaning of their own lives within this world. When we human beings do begin to contemplate the meaning of our reality, there are really only two mutually exclusive conclusions that we can possible come to. And we must choose between one of these two possible explanations. The first way of viewing reality tries to convince us that the world we see around us is ultimately devoid of any real and lasting meaning. That everything happens in a thoroughly random manner. That the world is an inherently chaotic place, without an ultimate purpose, or any higher principle governing what happens in our cosmos or what happens to us. We are alone. This uninspired response to the mysteries of the world around us is the typical secular materialist response. It is the depressing conclusion that the atheist comes to. This atheistic way of viewing reality is now the dominant worldview, purposefully and systematically foisted upon us for over two centuries by those who control public discourse and culture. The second way in which we can choose to see our world tells us just the very opposite of the above pessimistic and ultimately hopeless scenario. This second way envisions the universe around us as being full of deep meaning and alive with exciting possibility. Our cosmos is understood to be a reality in which, while oftentimes seemingly chaotic or confusing at a cursory glance, is in actuality governed by a higher and benevolent intelligence. It is a reality in which a nuanced order, balance, harmony and purpose lay hidden behind every important occurrence. Ours is a cosmos that is ruled by Natural Law. Though each and every one of these eternal principles of this Natural Law are not necessarily all known to us at all times, they are nonetheless discernible by those among us who are wise, patient and sensitive enough to listen to the quiet whispers of nature and to humbly open ourselves to the many lessons to be learned from Her. When we fully realize the nature and power of this Natural Law, and live according to its wise guidance, then we are living in harmony with the cosmos, and we open ourselves to experiencing the peace, health, joy, sense of oneness with all of creation and with every being in creation, and deep sense of meaning that each of us, in our own way, yearns for. This second response to the mystery of our cosmos represents the optimistic and hopeful world-view of Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Natural Way. The spiritual path of Sanatana Dharma, or “The Eternal Natural Way”, is the most ancient spiritual culture and tradition on the earth. Indeed, it is "sanatana", or eternal. To one degree or another, it forms the archetypal antecedent of every other later religion, denomination, and spiritually-minded culture known to humanity.”

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“Before there were any rigidly organized denominations, sects, faiths, or theocratic dogmas in the contemporary normative sense of these terms, there was the Eternal Natural Way. Previous to the concept of wars waged in the name of a jealous god, or the persecution of people who had a differing religious belief, or religion used by evil men to conquer, divide, and subjugate large portions of the human race, there was the Eternal Natural Way. Sanatana Dharma harkens back to a time in human history when spirituality arose naturally as an organic and vital expression of living beings' innate core essence as eternal consciousness expressing itself in the temporal and material world, when sanity and humility ruled the domain of spiritual expression, and when life was lived joyfully in accordance with transcendent Reality. (p. 17)”

Sanatana DharmaThe Eternal Natural Way
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“The word "Hinduism" is not found anywhere in either Vedic or classical Sanskrit, nor in any of the recognized sacred scriptures (shastra) of this spiritual path. Rather, the proper name of this spiritual tradition, the name that is found throughout the scriptures of the tradition, is Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Natural Way. Additionally, followers of Sanatana Dharma are not properly referred to as “Hindus”, but as “Dharmis”, or followers of Dharma. (p. 18)”

Sanatana DharmaThe Eternal Natural Way
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“Sanatana Dharma is, as its name implies, the “Eternal Natural Way.” Being a transcendent metaphysical principle and set of eternal natural laws, thus necessitating that Sanatana Dharma transcends both time and space, it preexisted the creation of the material cosmos itself, and it will continue to exist even after the universe itself ceases to be. Sanatana Dharma always was. Sanatana Dharma is. Sanatana Dharma always shall be. (p. 19)”

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“On the question of the nature of the Absolute, Sanatana Dharma falls very clearly under the heading of a monotheistic religion. We believe that there is only one supreme being who is the origin and sustainer of all reality, and that the highest goal (artha) in life is to know, to love, to serve, and to come to a eventual state of intimate communion with the Divine Being, God. (p. 25)”

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“There is no place where God is not. Indeed, for Sanatana Dharma, it is the very presence of God itself within the very core of all things that gives all things their very existence ontologically, and their very raison d'être spiritually. God is present within all of the material creation, within all of nature, in the hearts of every living being, and ever-present within our own essential being as the very Soul of our soul, the very foundation of our being, and the sustainer of our existence. Indeed, it is understood that if you were capable of pointing to anything either perceivable or conceivable in which God were not present - you would actually be pointing to nothing at all! This is the reason why the very highest name for God in the tradition of Sanatana Dharma is the Sanskrit term "Sriman Narayana", or "the Auspicious Sustainer of All Beings." (p 28)”

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“Being the Eternal Natural Way, Sanatana Dharma is a world-view that is universal in nature, and that can be followed by all. It is not relegated only to a particular people, nation, ethnicity or geographical region. Dharma is not a race, a parochial cultural expression, a nationality, or a geographically-bound phenomenon. Rather, Dharma is as universally applicable a truth and a systematic methodology as are the knowledge-revealing intellectual realms of mathematics, science, logic, or philosophy. As a result of the universalism of Dharma, this path is open to any sincere seeker on Earth, regardless of the person's national or ethnic heritage. Sanatana Dharma is not a race, a nationality or an ethnicity. Sanatana Dharma is not Indian, Asian or Eastern. Sanatana Dharma is he Eternal Natural Way, and it is the spiritual inheritance of all living being. (p. 28)”

Sanatana DharmaThe Eternal Natural Way
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“Being the Eternal Natural Way, Sanatana Dharma is a world-view that is universal in nature, and that can be followed by all. It is not relegated only to a particular people, nation, ethnicity or geographical region. Dharma is not a race, a parochial cultural expression, a nationality, or a geographically-bound phenomenon. Rather, Dharma is as universally applicable a truth and a systematic methodology as are the knowledge-revealing intellectual realms of mathematics, science, logic, or philosophy. As a result of the universalism of Dharma, this path is open to any sincere seeker on Earth, regardless of the person's national or ethnic heritage. Sanatana Dharma is not a race, a nationality or an ethnicity. Sanatana Dharma is not Indian, Asian or Eastern. Sanatana Dharma is the Eternal Natural Way, and it is the spiritual inheritance of all living being. (p. 28)”

Sanatana DharmaThe Eternal Natural Way
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