Rajeev Verma
“Worship has no real connection with dharma. Dharma is connected with becoming calm, becoming silent, becoming empty.”
This statement challenges conventional religious beliefs, yet reveals a profound inner truth. Most people reduce dharma to temples, mosques, churches, idols, chants, and rituals. But the true nature of dharma is far deeper, subtler, and inward. Dharma is not a ritual; it is a state of consciousness.
Worship is an action; dharma is a state of being. An action happens in time, a state exists beyond time. You perform worship, and it ends. But when silence settles within, it stays with you in every moment. That is why many enlightened beings lived deeply religious lives without relying on rituals. The Buddha said, “Be a light unto yourself.” His dharma did not live in temples, but in silent awareness.
Dharma has nothing to do with external display; it is rooted in inner awakening. When the mind becomes calm, inner disturbances—greed, anger, fear, jealousy—begin to dissolve. If worship does not bring calmness, it becomes nothing more than a habit. True dharma is that which quiets the mind, softens the heart, and expands awareness.
Silence is the deepest gateway to dharma. Silence does not merely mean stopping speech; it means freedom from the constant noise of thoughts. We speak little, but we think endlessly—and this continuous mental chatter is the source of suffering. When thoughts subside, silence appears. In that silence, there is no need to search for God or cling to doctrines—there is only being.
Emptiness is the highest state of dharma. Emptiness does not mean nothingness; it means completeness. When ego, identity, expectations, and fear fall away, what remains is emptiness—and that emptiness is compassion, love, and truth. Worship often strengthens the ego: “I am religious,” “I worship.” Emptiness dissolves the ego entirely.
Today, dharma has been turned into a tool of commerce, politics, and fear. People worship out of greed for heaven or fear of hell. This is not dharma; it is psychological bargaining. True dharma arises from understanding, not fear. When you see life deeply, compassion flows naturally—not because scriptures command it, but because awareness gives birth to it.
If worship alone created dharma, then worshippers would never be cruel. Yet history shows that the greatest violence has been committed in the name of religion. This happened because worship changed identities, not minds. The mind remained the same—greedy, aggressive, divisive. Dharma means transformation of consciousness, not expansion of labels.
Dharma is awareness in everyday life. When you walk, eat, and speak with awareness, that is dharma. When you look at another and see yourself, that is dharma. When you listen without judgment and accept without conditions, that is dharma. No temple is required for this.
Truth descends only into a silent mind. A restless mind distorts truth. That is why meditation, silence, and awareness hold a central place in all spiritual traditions. Meditation is not worship; meditation is awakening. In meditation, you ask for nothing and try to become nothing—you simply witness what is.
Dharma is not a list of rules; it is the fragrance of life. A flower does not worship, yet its fragrance spreads everywhere. A river does not follow scriptures, yet it quenches thirst. The sun does not chant mantras, yet it gives light. This is dharma—natural, effortless, and silent.
When the mind becomes silent, morality is born naturally. No command is needed to speak truth—truth flows on its own. No lesson in nonviolence is required—violence becomes impossible. Dharma is not discipline imposed from outside; it is spontaneity arising from within.
So the question is not whether you worship or not. The real question is: Are you calm? Are you inwardly silent? Do you have the courage to become empty? If yes, then you are living in dharma—regardless of your name, form, or tradition.
Ultimately, dharma is not a destination but a state of being—a state of wakefulness, peace, and compassion. When worship falls away and silence descends, dharma is born. And that dharma has the power to transform the world—without noise, without propaganda, through the depth of silence alone.
RAJEEV VERMA 