View source for Dharma is generally translated by the English word "religion." But religion is misunderstood. It is taken as a faith. Faith I may believe, faith, or may not believe. But actually, dharma does not mean. Dharma means occupation, which you cannot change

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[[Category:Dharma]]
[[Category:Generally]]
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[[Category:Religious Faith]]
[[Category:Misunderstanding]]
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[[Category:Dharma]]
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[[Category:Occupation]]
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[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1971]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Srimad-Bhagavatam]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in Europe, England - London]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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Here the translation, dharma, I have purposefully given, "occupation." Actually dharma is generally translated by the English word "religion." But religion is misunderstood. It is taken as a faith. Faith I may believe, faith, or may not believe. But actually, dharma does not mean. Dharma means occupation, which you cannot change.
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[[Vanisource:710827 - Lecture SB 01.02.06 - London|710827 - Lecture SB 01.02.06 - London]]:
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Pradyumna: Translation: "The supreme occupation, or ''dharma'', for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupāda: So here the translation, ''dharma'', I have purposefully given, "occupation." Actually ''dharma'' is generally translated by the English word "religion." But religion is misunderstood. It is taken as a faith. Faith I may believe, faith, or may not believe. But actually, ''dharma'' does not mean. That means occupation, which you cannot change.

Just like a carpenter: he earns his livelihood by his occupation as a carpenter. A lawyer, he lives by his occupation, profession, as lawyer. So, so many things. Occupation you cannot give up. You have learned engineering, you cannot give up engineering. That is your livelihood. You cannot say: "No. Today I am engineer. Tomorrow I shall be sweeper."

Of course, in the material world sometimes it is done so, but spiritual meaning means that the living entity has got a permanent occupation. The other occupational duties, they are temporary, bodily, in relation to body. When we feel "I am this body," then I manufacture some occupation according to the circumstances. But spiritual occupation, that is eternal.

''Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ''. ''Para'' means transcendental. We have got some duties—just like we go to evacuate, to pass urine or to take food, take bath. These are the occupations of the body. Similarly, there are occupations of the mind, intelligence. But there is occupation of the soul also. That we do not know.

So the question was that, "After departure of Kṛṣṇa from this planet to His abode," ''dharmaḥ kaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ'', "under whom the real occupational duty was entrusted?" Kṛṣṇa also came to give us the real occupational duty—not of the body or the mind. Bodily occupational duty changes, because as soon as the body is changed . . .

I am now human being, and next time, if I become some animal, so my occupational duty changes. Or if I become demigod, my occupational duty changes. The body is born in India, so one is feeling that, "It is my duty to serve my country." Similarly, an Englishman is thinking to serve his country.

But these occupational duties are not ''para''. ''Para'' means transcendental, supreme. This is temporary. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ''sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja'' ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]): "This is your real occupation. You have got some bodily occupation, some mental occupation, some intellectual occupation, but you have to give up all these things. Simply surrender unto Me. This is your real occupation." Kṛṣṇa says. And Kṛṣṇa descends to teach us this ''dharma'', or occupational duty.

He has explained ''karma-yoga'', ''jñāna-yoga'', ''dhyāna-yoga''. These are all occupational duties of the body, of the mind, of intelligence. But real occupation . . . because soul is eternal. The body is not eternal. Mind also changes according to body, or according to mind the body becomes . . .

So we are contaminating so many qualities of nature, and we are making our concoction, manufacturing our duty. A drunkard, because he has mixed with the quality of drunkards, he thinks, "Drinking is my duty." When you mix with the hippies, then you become like the hippies, "Oh, it is my duty," unless you cannot stay in the society of the hippies.

So these occupational duties, this is faith. He thinks that, "This is my duty." "Oh, as Hindu, I have to do it," "As Christian, I must believe it," "As Muslim, I must do it." But here it is stated, ''sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje'' ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]). ''Bhakti''.

This is real ''dharma''. Except ''bhakti'', they are all pseudo. Therefore in the beginning of the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' it is said, ''dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ''. All so-called cheating, pseudo-religious system is rejected. ''Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ. Kaitava'' means cheating.

Cheating . . . just like Śrīdhara Svāmī says, ''dharma artha kāma mokṣa'' ([[Vanisource:SB 4.8.41|SB 4.8.41]], [[Vanisource:CC Adi 1.90|CC Adi 1.90]]), these are gradually progressive life. First of all, ''dharma''. Unless one takes to some religious principle, he's not a human being. ''Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ'' (''Hitopadeśa'').

He's not a human, he's animal. Some sort of religious system the human being must follow. Therefore civilized man, either he's born in Western or Eastern country, he has got some religion. It may be Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion, Buddha religion. Any civilized man has some religion. That's a fact.

(aside) Don't sit like that.