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Aptavani-5
moksha (done without expectation of rewards), or worldly life
(done with expectation of rewards).
Similarly, dharma can make you wander in the worldly
life, and the same dharma can take you to moksha.
Questioner: What is the definition of dharma?
Dadashri: That which makes wander around is shubha
(good) religion and that which takes you to moksha (liberation)
is shuddha dharma (pure religion).
Why did we give the name ‘dharma’? It was because
there was adharma (wrong deeds) that it came to be named
dharma (positive or righteous deeds). So we have dharma-
adharma (both good deeds and bad deeds). What do people
with good moral attributes do? They keep pushing away their
negative thoughts. To push away the negative, to push away
adharma, is called dharma.
Questioner: Does practicing dharma automatically get
rid of adharma?
Dadashri: There are two kinds of dharma (religion).
One is natural (swabhavik dharma); the religion of the Self.
The second is extra (vishesh) religion, the religion of the non-
Self. When one attains the Self; realizes the pure Self
(Shuddhatma), he attains the natural dharma; the religion of the
Self. That is Real religion. In the Real religion nothing needs to
be weeded out, however in the other religion one has to
distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.
What is the worldly (laukik) religion? It is to give charity,
to serve others, oblige others; all that is considered dharma.
You bind merit karma with all that. By insulting people, fighting,
stealing, hurting people, you bind demerit karma. Real dharma
is not to be found where there is (bondage of) merit and demerit
karma. Real dharma is beyond merit or demerit karmas. Merit
and demerit karma is considered heya (that which is worth