Ripples : A Reflection On Dattopant Thengadi's Third Way - Part 5

I have been reflecting in my own way on Dattopant Thengadi Ji's Third Way. I present these small "ripples" that it has caused in my mind in a series. I am glad it has found its resonance in many thinking minds alike. I hope the readers have read the earlier article in the series before moving ahead.

 

 

 

The concept of Dharma or Sanatan Dharma is abstract in nature. It needs to be explained with the help of an example. Dattopant referred to the concept of happiness as a 'goal of all life'. Happiness at all the levels that is physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual. Our socio-economic order helps all to attain this goal in life. This order is supposed to give us sufficient space to help one's faculties and potential develop fully. What ought to be the basis or the guiding principle of such order ? Once we become aware, all can strive to help it evolve.

 

 

To ' perceive oneness in the midst of all diversities' is the Sanatan Dharma or the eternal principle which can act as a guiding light. A society is a complex phenomenon. It has various types of small systems or institutions working as a part of this whole. Though they appear to be independent of each other, they exist in the same bigger whole. These small systems are of various shades of colours. They are to an extent autonomous too. But if all are perceived as a whole ,it can be comprehended that it makes a cohesive picture. In a way all the systems are integrated or interdependent and creat a complex socio-economic order to help all to achieve the goal of life. The diversities are real and there is no effort to iron them out to make them appear uniform in any way. But the diversities are not stretched to the extreme. We all need to understand that all the systems are to be complementary to each other. The framework has to make a huge harmonious web. Ultimately we think of the humanity as one family, one complex social phenomenon. Thus all can 'contribute to the collective wisdom of humanity '.

 

If any order culminates into hurting the social good, probably the social order is not advancing in the just direction.