Dharma in daily life

How do we apply the Dharma concept in daily life? Using the Dharma concept in our daily life means living ethically, with mindfulness, and in harmony with your true purpose (svadharma). It involves cultivating kindness, compassion, and non-violence in all actions, reducing ego-centric behavior, and performing duties without attachment to outcomes, treating every moment as an opportunity to grow in a long term in a sustainable way, and for spiritual growth as a full complete daily lifestyle and practice rather than just formal meditation.

Here is how to create a Dharma based lifestyle based on the teachings:

• Set Daily Intentions: Before bedtime plan ahead your sleep and program your throughs to connect to a higher vibration. Upon waking, journal your dreams, set a positive  intention to focus, to be present, to act with kindness, avoid harming others, and be of service to the world.

• Practice Ethical Conduct (Non-Violence/Ahimsa): Act with integrity, honesty, and respect. Treat others the same way you want to be treated. Avoid exploiting and abusing others, and live a conscious lifestyle in a way that minimizes harm to the environment and other beings.

• Mindfulness in Daily Tasks: Don't limit practice to meditation. Take that meditation energy with you wherever you go. Apply stop and think before doing – presence, awe and awareness to routine tasks like washing dishes, walking, or working, which helps integrate the mind, body and soul in the present moment.

• Cultivate Emotional Balance: Avoid distractions, and practice feeling your heart, which will help you develop compassion, patience, and equanimity, especially when dealing with difficult people or challenging situations. Practice presence, attention, looking in the eye, forgiving, and accept what you cannot control.

• Act without Attachment (Karma Yoga): Perform your daily responsibilities (work, family care) to the best of your ability without being obsessed with the results, praise, or rewards. Karma Yoga is  the "yoga of action" or "selfless service" one of the main paths to spiritual liberation in Hinduism, emphasizing performing one's duty with 100% effort while remaining detached from the results or rewards. It involves offering actions as a spiritual service, aimed at purifying the heart, reducing ego, and serving humanity.

• Study, Journal and Reflection: Read spiritual texts like the Bhagavad Gita or Dhammapada. Embrace books that offer companionship and guidance like Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, or the Journey Home by Radhanath Swami,  or listen to teachings to keep your purpose in mind. Reflect on your daily actions, intentions, and results.

• Service to Others (Seva): Actively look for ways to help others in your own home, and community, which reduces self-centeredness and fosters a sense of unity. Participating in helping others—through volunteering or acts of kindness—significantly improves mental and physical health by reducing stress, boosting mood, and lowering risks of depression. 

🌿 Join us on transformative journeys that weave mindfulness, sustainability, and the timeless wisdom of nature, curated by Suddha Prem for those seeking deeper connections with themselves and the world around them.

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Dharma in daily life is part of Suddha Prem Magazine — Issue #6

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