The 8 dharmas of the world refer to blockages, concerns or attachments that obscure our consciousness and the ability to be happy.
In this context, Buddhism and psychology remind us that if we live attached to certain human dimensions such as pride, materialism, desire and greed, we will end up creating an existence full of needs and sufferings.
- Buddhism is often said to be a house full of beautiful treasures.
- Yet we have a distinctly Western vision.
- It is common that on many occasions we do not know how to differentiate or appreciate the beauty of the riches that are valued in this philosophical and spiritual framework.
The principles of Buddhism and the practice of Dharma are not easy to implement, reason is in our minds, in the kind of culture in which we develop and insert ourselves into our daily lives and which somehow ends up shaping us.
“Dharma is the discipline of living the truth, it is not knowing or reading the truth, it is not commenting or discussing the truth, it is not your logic or your reason. Yogi Bhajan-
Thus, many experts in these thought streams recommend only a simple tip, no matter if we know nothing about the chakras, meditation or the supposed vital energy contained in Kundalini Yoga.
These practices that many practice even without knowing their meaning and meaning have no relevance if we do not know first the 8 dharmas of the world.
Because defining, delimiting and working this set of concerns common to the world’s humans is undoubtedly the first step towards our spiritual awakening.
The earth is the threshold of Buddhism, and being able to let go of our obsessive thoughts and social desires to leave behind our eternal fear of loss is fundamental.
We must get rid of this fixation on greed, meaningless attachment, this obsession with material goods that add nothing spiritually to us.
The 8 worldly dharmas speak of several different concepts, but above all of two: detachment and lack of permanence. These ideas are undoubtedly our true Nemesis, that shadow that haunts us and that we can never get rid of.
Indeed, in our mentality and behaviors, we often end up orienting our existence towards certain dimensions, needs, people and materials that we consider essential to feel good.
We live attached to all these dimensions without understanding, without understanding that nothing in this world can be preserved forever, in our day to day we build the certainty, attachments and expectations of what will be, because all this gives us a sense of control.
If there is something we do not like, we want to put it under our control, however, there is nothing as volatile, fluid, impermanent and uncontrollable as life itself.
That’s why every little change destabilizes us. Any variation, lost or un cultivated goal leads to suffering and stress.
For the Dharma, as long as our mind remains contaminated by these worldly principles, we will be trapped. We will never be free or noble. So let’s see exactly what these concepts of Buddhism are all about.
The 8 worldly dharmas are set in 4 pairs of attachment and aversion, so the first refers to something that will be very familiar to each of us, we talk about our need to possess and the fear we have of thinking about distance or damage to what we understand as our own.
A thousand examples can illustrate this concept: our attachment to technology and our dependence on mobile phones, our attachment to certain brands of clothing, shoes, our attachment to the car we buy, etc.
It is clear that many of these things are considered essential to our daily lives; they serve to work better, and even to convey a certain image of ourselves.
However, the problem is to feel a very clear suffering when we do not have access to these objects, when they are lacking we can perceive our absolute dependence on them, it is certainly a dharma of the world that is very relevant and on which it must work.
All of us, in one way or another, must feel valued, we must feel recognized and approved by those around us, we are social beings, and these bonds of security allow us to live life more calmly.
Now the problem, as always, arises when this need becomes the number one priority and something constant, when we cannot live without this external reinforcement, without this approval, without this validation, without it as in our photos, without this recognition by our families, relationships or collaborators.
Another source of suffering is whether or not we can live without these reinforcements or experience blockages and anxiety when someone criticizes or disapproves of us, another pillar of the 8 worldly dharmas that we must identify and change.
What does it mean to be conditioned and obsessed with building a good reputation? It basically means not being free, not being able to act, feel, live and develop according to our wishes.
Anyone who depends on what others think, or what others may conclude about our appearance, actions, or words, is completely opposed to personal growth itself, which is certainly not appropriate.
When do you do what you love with passion, without receiving any reward and losing notion of time?When you do something for the simple reason that you’re happy to do it, and besides, you’re also useful to others. Is this where you are in the Dharma?. -Yogi Bhajan-
It may be that this pair of the 8 dharmas of the world seems a little contradictory, what’s wrong with directing our existence towards the 5 senses?Why not feel an aversion to the unpleasant or uncomfortable?
To understand this problem, we must integrate into Buddhist thought, into a vision in which the ephemeral, the humble, and the righteous feed on behavior, and there is no place for excess.
In this philosophy, is it difficult to adapt high passions, gluttony, desire, necessity?Balance provides the basis of well-being, and it is at this point that we have absolutely no need for anything that consciousness is freed from matter. where wisdom, compassion and true spiritual progress arise.
“Water cannot accumulate on top of a mountain, nor does true merit accumulate on top of pride. “
In conclusion, it is quite possible that these 8 worldly dharmas seem very complicated to outline and transform, this is because in our conception of the world it is very difficult to give up the fantasy of permanence and embrace the idea that we do not have absolute control. . about things that happen.
However, if we can seek the essence of these concepts, let them at least inspire us to shape a more autonomous life, free from selfishness, empty pride, empty needs and thoughts that do not allow us to grow as a person, then we will. be free. .