Won Buddhism of Manhattan

Translating the term Dharma to the English tongue has been in process for centuries. Dharma has been described as “the evolving spiritual laws called the laws of dharma,” Sri Yukerteswarji. Dharma is also often translated as “duty.” What is our duty to these spiritual laws, learning what the laws are is simply a beginning.

Our duty to our families our societies and to ourselves, this duty permeates all levels of being. Beyond 24-hour meditation, keeping a monthly dharma record is the most efficient way to attune oneself to fulfilling this duty. It helps us to keep track of how we are fulfilling duties within our spiritual existence as well as within day to day reality. If we only average 80 years at a time, the opportunity to develop efficiency is key.

The benefits of keeping a monthly dharma record are endless and extremely personal. It gives a map of broad timelines that show our irregularities and areas of proposed focus. It offers a concise perspective. When we can see our rhythms and patterns implementing change becomes much easier. Some of this begins with basic precepts and principals of spiritually minded beings. I have a few of these in my precept list, however I also keep track of the days that I go to the gym and a note for my diet that day. I can see how my “dor” Doritos notes increase as the “Y” for the gym decrease. These Y’s for the gym consistently decrease with a ---- mark in the spaces for meditation. It’s interesting to see the interconnection within behavior, as for implementing change, guilt is often useful when I look back and see ---- throughout the entire month.

I enjoy connecting these potential behavior patterns with the cycle of the moon and the mood of the day as well. A (anger) may go in the space for “surrounding mood of the day” and over many months a few more A’s may be consistently associated with an Aries symbol of the bull, Mars and war. A large A or M (melancholy) may also coincide with a check mark in the space of a personal “emotionally sticky” situation. However, when I see the A in the “surrounding mood of the day” coinciding with a personal A and a noted pointless ”emotionally situation” following, then I feel like I have no internal will of my own and can rationalize more Doritos with an M.

Aries does have its positive side. Aries is the beginning point of Spring. “At this time, the dharma, the principle of justice, prevails easily in life,” Goswami Kriyananda. The principles of justice to remember are gentleness, compassion, understanding and patience. With a monthly dharma record we can view our Springs over years and the journals barely fill a drawer. Once again, keeping a monthly dharma record is an opportunity to view ones patterns and rhythms in day to day life with great efficiency. When implementing changes we wish to see in our daily life, we can read their effectiveness much easier through the ongoing dharma map. We can grade ourselves and see if we are living our lives with greater justice. The dharma of “sowing the seeds” or check marks in the spaces when we are conscious of choosing to react to the day with gentleness, compassion, understanding and patience is a reminder of awareness.

January, 2007