From Dharma as an afterthought to Dharma as the center
What is keeping this universe in order? What makes every particle move and expand and perform its duties in harmony with other particles? It’s nothing else but Dharma, says Indu Tai, our mentor. From the microcosm to the macrocosm, it is Dharma that is the foundational law of life, universe and everything. The beauty of Bharatavarsha is that it knew this profound truth and it lived according to the rhythm of Dharma.
The way we are living today – is it according to Dharma? Are we not missing the true rhythm? We’ve accepted chaos and mayhem as the norm and forgotten the Dharmic wisdom of our ancestors. For too long, we’ve allowed Dharmic living to be a thing of the past. But how long can we afford to leave it there? Dharma is the core. It is Dharma that sustains.
What will it mean to live a life that cuts all those distractions, have Dharma and Bharatiya Dhrishti at its center, and reorient us to what truly matters?
At Vidyakshetra, we want to make Dharmic Living a reality again, like the culmination of what we set out to do through the Gurukula.
We have already begun the groundwork for our Vidyagrama, a community envisioned around dharmic values of socio-economic and education (Seed). Vidyagrama will actualize life just as it should be lived – an inter-dependent educational and socio-economic model that takes everyone along in the path of Dharma. We want this to be a community of just about 250 to 300 families, the size of a small village. We believe everyone should know each other by name and for that closeness, this size would be appropriate. There will be no everyday rush, EMI or corporate goals. Everyone will live here for their spiritual growth while engaging in Karma in accordance with their Swadharma.
The community will build their own homes, grow their own food, weave their own clothes, and live sustainably in true oneness with nature. Everyone will practice their own traditions at their homes. Together, they will venerate their ‘Grama Devata’ and celebrate village festivals as a connected community.
Currently, Vidyakshetra is a soft community of parents, teachers and students who have chosen dharmic education. Vidyagrama will take this to a much deeper level and become a living-learning center. We will have centers of excellence in various dharmic life paths – be it pottery or music or sciences or martial arts or Sanskrit. It will become a Vidyapeeth where people from everywhere can come and learn – just like how it used to be in Nalanda and Takshashila.
Why do we need such a ‘grama’? Isn’t spirituality personal? Yes, it is personal. But how many of us can seek the truth while living amid absolute chaos? This chaos is destroying everything between our inner peace and external space. Why do we allow this chaos all this attention when we can make way for Dharma?
Can it be done? Who will come to live such a life? We’ve heard these questions when we started our Gurukul ten years ago too. But people came. People from 11 states of India came. They moved houses to live closer to the Gurukula, changed jobs, cities and even moved back to India from abroad. Why? Because they felt this is how education should be. Vidyagrama is how life should be, and people who believe in that reality will come too.
A 200-year-old oppression derailed us, but we need to remember, this is a civilisation that has endured for over tens and thousands of years. It’s a giant blurred by a temporary fog. It’s just a matter of committed effort and we will see it in all its magnanimity again. Vidyagrama will be a humble offering towards this effort.
Over the next five to ten years, we seek to realise Vidyagrama. You could be a part of it too. If you feel the Vidyagrama vision aligns with your inner calling, write to us. You could make Vidyagrama your home, or you could offer financial support or become a co-creator in the process of building and realising Vidyagrama.
Together, let us give Dharma its rightful place.
‘धारणात् धर्मः‘ Dharanat dharmah
It’s Dharma that leads us to prosperity and happiness.