Page 36 - All India Magazine Aug-2025

to the communal self, though by no means bound altogether to ef-
face himself in it as the extremists of the communal idea imagine.
He must live according to the law of his nature harmonised with
the law of his social type and class, for the nation and in a higher
reach of his being — this was greatly stressed by the Buddhists —
for humanity. Thus living and acting he could learn to transcend
the social scale of the Dharma, practise without injuring the basis
of life the ideal scale and finally grow into the liberty of the spirit,
when rule and duty were not binding because he would then move
and act in a highest free and immortal dharma of the divine nature.
All these aspects of the Dharma were closely linked up together in
a progressive unity. Thus, for an example, each of the four orders
had its own social function and ethics, but also an ideal rule for the
growth of the pure ethical being, and every man by observing his
dharma and turning his action Godwards could grow out of it into
the spiritual freedom. But behind all dharma and ethics was put, not
only as a safeguard but as a light, a religious sanction, a reminder
of the continuity of life and of man's long pilgrimage through many
births, a reminder of the Gods and planes beyond and of the Divine,
and above it all the vision of a last stage of perfect comprehension
and unity and of divine transcendence.
CWSA 20: 225-27

Higher the position, greater the call of dharma
The great rule of the culture was that the higher a man's posi-
tion and power, the larger the scope of his function and influence
of his acts and example, the greater should be the call on him of the
Dharma. The whole law and custom of society was placed under the
sanction of the Rishis and the gods, protected from the violence of
the great and powerful, given a socio-religious character and the
king himself charged to live and rule as the guardian and servant
of the Dharma with only an executive power over the community
which was valid so long as he observed with fidelity the Law. And

36 All India Magazine, August 2025