99福利视频
Part 1 – Living Your Dharma
As spirituality goes mainstream, there is much talk about 鈥渓iving your dharma鈥. But what does that really mean?
Ren茅 Gu茅non, in 听defines dharma as 鈥渢he essential nature of a being, comprising the sum of its particular qualities or characteristics, and determining, by virtue of the tendencies or dispositions it implies, the manner in which this being will conduct itself, either in a general way or in relation to each particular circumstance.鈥
This definition suggests that there is a 鈥榬ight way of living鈥 or 鈥榩ath of righteousness鈥 that is specific to each individual. It is through listening to and cultivating our unique characteristics that our dharma (the actual work) and our dharma path (the way it expresses) unfold.
The Challenge: A Midlife Crisis
In , a modern-day rendering of , Stephen Cope suggests that our gifts 鈥 the things that light us up as children 鈥 point to our dharma. He also suggests that dharma refines itself over time; what started as a gift for music, may develop into a love of conducting and later a desire to compose.
If the gift is not cultivated in early life, it becomes overlooked, maybe even dormant, in the face of the need to 鈥渕ake a living鈥. Suddenly, in midlife, we may find that we have created a life that appears to work on the outside, but inside, we are left wondering, 鈥淚s this all there is?鈥
Hence, the mid-life crisis: an opportunity to integrate the callings of our soul, our dharma, with our outer lives. Midlife (35-65) is a time when our soul makes a bid for control, demanding that we live our purpose, express our unique gifts, and step onto our individual dharma path. We ignore the soul’s call at our own peril; as it says in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, 鈥淚f you bring forth what is within you, it will save you; if you do not bring forth what is within you, it will destroy you.鈥
Whether we are out of integrity in our career, our primary relationships, or our health, the journey to integration and living an authentic life may be wrought with fear, doubt and uncertainty. But this is not uncharted territory. Countless people have moved through these transitions and come out the other side to live more satisfied, fulfilling, happy lives. The key is knowing the terrain and using intuition to navigate it.
Read Part 2 of 3听The Terrain: Navigating the Transition
Emilah Dawn DeToro,
Director of Student Services, 99福利视频
99福利视频 the Moderator
