Page 9 - The New Age Chronicles Newspaper No 1 Vol 1

Cleansing and Dharma 9

Cleansing and Dharma: than anyone else can. through this fire, like trials of adversity, we
Dharma ultimately relates to our emerge brighter, clearer, and closer to attaining
The Foundation of True spiritual nature, or jaiva dharma, “the eternal our purpose. Imbalanced discipline, ignoring

function of the soul.” the other legs of dharma: truth, purity, and
Fulfillment
Dharma has four principal dimensions. compassion, is not dharma. Dharmic discipline
They are: means to act in alignment with these other
• Satya: truth principles. It takes discipline to eat well, work
• Saucha: purity hard, and become successful. It also takes
• Ahimsa: nonviolence (compassion) discipline to take time for fun, personal growth,
• Tapas: discipline supporting loved ones and choosing
The four dimensions are like four legs of compassion over selfishness.
a table. When all four legs are strong, the table Discovering our dharma is an ongoing,
will be stable, fulfilling its “dharmic function” lifelong process – it deepens and continues to
as a table. If a leg is weak or missing, the table reveal itself. Passion is an indication of our
will wobble or collapse. For dharma to dharma.
Jonathan Glass, M.Ac manifest, all four legs must be present. To manifest our dharma, all four legs of
dharma must be present. That takes time. Life
Cleansing has been at the core of Ayurvedic Satya: Truth has many teachers, whether they come as
medicine for thousands of years. Perhaps, now spiritual mentors, cleansing, or as life
more than ever, due to high stress levels and an The Sanskrit word for truth is satya, which experiences. All are intended to gradually help
overabundance of environmental toxins, we means both “truth” and “ever-present us fulfill our dharma.
would benefit from doing a cleanse twice each existence.” Truth is self-sustaining, existing on Cultivating all four legs in all we do
year. its own, without effort. It is being our authentic liberates an internal source of energy and
When people think of cleansing, they selves – sincerity at its best. It takes effort to power, one beyond ordinary human functioning.
often have images of fasting, colonics, manipulate an image of ourselves, but it is When we fulfill the other four goals of life in
gallbladder flushes and juicing. While these can effortless to simply be ourselves. Truth, in all the context of dharma, our life becomes
all be components of effective cleansing, they forms, has a health-sustaining influence. peaceful, vibrant, successful, and happy.
are only aspects of Ayurvedic cleansing. Creative self-expression is based on accepting Regular cleansing always helps us to clarify our
According to Ayurveda, cleansing our true nature, with its gifts and limitations – purpose in life, thus fulfilling our dharma!
includes not only the body, but the mind and the challenge and gift of existing authentically.
soul as well. Its goal is improved physical Both personal growth and spiritual growth are About The Author:
wellbeing, along with a clearer mind and a fully dependent on this first leg of dharma. Jonathan Glass, M.Ac, is the author of
renewed spirit! the Total Life Cleanse and the co-creator of the
Ayurveda teaches that human beings Saucha: Purity Total Life Cleanse program. He is a Master
have five primary goals in life. Cleansing is Acupuncturist, Ayurvedic Practitioner, herbalist
meant to clarify and purify these goals within The Sanskrit word for purity – internal and and Natural Health Educator. Jonathan served
each of us so that we can live our lives at our external cleanliness – is saucha. Purity is the on the faculty of the New England School of
greatest potential. power in us to discriminate between what is Acupuncture and The Dharma Institute of Yoga
They are: helpful for fulfilling our dharma and what is and Ayurveda. He has facilitated thousands of
• Dharma: fulfilling our essential life not. The process of digestion is a good example. individuals through his group-supported,
purpose When we eat, the small intestine extracts the transformational cleanse programs, for over
• Artha: fulfilling our basic needs for nutrients and passes on the rest to be eliminated. twenty years. Jonathan has been in private
survival Similarly, purity empowers us to accept those practice since 1987 when he co-founded the
• Kama: fulfilling our need for pleasure things that are truly beneficial and reject those Healing Essence Center with his wife,
• Moksha: fulfilling our desire for that are not. Purity protects the heart (physical Katherine, in Concord, Massachusetts.
freedom and spiritual liberation and spiritual) by letting go of that which is toxic His Website: www. totallifecleanse.com
• Prema: fulfilling our desire for pure, to the body, mind, and soul and accepting that []
unconditional love (the love of God) which serves our highest wellbeing.
All of us have these same fundamental Recipe for Love
goals. While all the goals are important, dharma Ahimsa: Nonviolence/Compassion
is the root of them all – and fulfilling our
dharma is actually an essential goal of Ingredients
The Sanskrit word for nonviolence is ahimsa. It
cleansing. The following material looks at the
is the power of wise compassion and is the
components of dharma and how we can fulfill it - 2 Hearts Full of Love
foundation of dharma. Nonviolence means
in our lives.
restraining from taking action that causes - 2 Heaping Cups of Kindness
emotional harm in any way, to humans, other - 2 Armfuls of Gentleness
Dharma living beings, the environment, or our self. - 2 Cups of Friendship
Sometimes we forget that focusing on the faults
We all desire to awaken to our full potential. To in others is also harmful to ourselves, as we - 2 Cups of Joy
do so, we must live and act with integrity and ingest the very same negative qualities that we - 2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness
according to our true nature. This is called perceive. - 1 Lifetime of Togetherness
dharma. We all have a dharma, or purpose, that Real nonviolence leads to love and - 2 Minds Full of Tenderness
perfectly suits us. Dharma sustains us and is the compassion—the higher purpose of
foundation for fulfilling all five goals of life. nonviolence. Thus, authentic yoga traditions Method
Dharma is the predominant quality generally recommend a vegetarian diet--an
inherent in an object or person. For example, the important part of ahimsa. Stir daily with Happiness, Humor and
dharma of fire is heat and light. Acting and
working according to our dharma is essential for Tapas: Discipline Patience.
satisfaction.
Personal and spiritual growth begins The Sanskrit word for discipline is tapas. It Serve with Warmth and Compassion,
with being your authentic self. Paraphrasing a means heat or friction. Tapas indicates the fire- Respect and Loyalty.
verse from the Bhagavad Gita, “It is better to be like, focused intensity that burns through any
yourself, imperfectly, than to try to be someone Author: Unknown
obstacle to fulfilling our goals. Once we pass
else, perfectly.” We shine our own light better