A Study of Dharma

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A Study of Dharma

Course Code: REL/PHIL 3305

Credits: 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 SCH)

Delivery Mode: Fully Online or Hybrid (6 Live Sessions + 9 Asynchronous Modules)

Level: Advanced Undergraduate / Entry Graduate

Prerequisites: None

Instructor: Kyara van Ellinkhuizen

Office Hours: By appointment (online)

Course Description

Dharma is one of the most profound and expansive ideas in world philosophy—encompassing the law of the universe, the rhythm of nature, the principles of justice, and the moral order that sustains human life. This course introduces Dharma as a way of understanding reality and right action—tracing its development from the Vedic conception of cosmic order to its reinterpretation in contemporary ethical and ecological discourse.

Students explore Dharma as:

Cosmic law (ṛta): the order sustaining the universe
Human responsibility: duty, virtue, and social balance
Spiritual discipline: the path to liberation (mokṣa)

Through comparative readings, critical essays, and reflective practice, the course examines how the idea of Dharma can inform modern questions of justice, sustainability, and self-understanding.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Explain the historical evolution of Dharma in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions.
Distinguish between personal, social, and cosmic dimensions of Dharma.
Interpret primary texts and analyze their philosophical and ethical implications.
Assess the tension between individual freedom and social duty in Dharmic thought.
Apply Dharmic principles to contemporary ethical, environmental, and intercultural issues.

Course Format

Duration: 15 Weeks

6 Live Seminars (Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12)
Instructor-led discussions and textual workshops.
9 Asynchronous Modules (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8–9, 11, 13–15)
Readings, video lectures, and reflection assignments.

Estimated total workload: 105–110 hours (meets U.S. DOE standard for 3 SCH)

Course Outline

Week	Mode	Theme	Focus & Activities
1	Live	Foundations: The Idea of Dharma	Introduction to ṛta and karma; Dharma as order, balance, and responsibility; discussion: “What does a universe governed by Dharma look like?”
2	Async	Dharma as Natural and Moral Law	Readings from Ṛg Veda and Upaniṣads; short reflection on the relationship between nature and morality.
3	Live	Ritual and Responsibility	The fire sacrifice (agnihotra) and symbolic action; varṇa and āśrama as social frameworks; the challenge of interpreting sacred duty in modern contexts.
4	Async	Text and Tradition	Study of Manusmṛti and Dharma-śāstra; critical debates on authority, context, and reform.
5	Live	Virtue and Universality	Sanātana-dharma as ethics for all beings; virtues of ahiṁsā, truthfulness, generosity; the paradox of pure virtue in a complex world.
6	Async	Ethical Tensions	Case studies from Mahābhārata; duty versus compassion; reflection: “When is right action unclear?”
7	Live	The Four Goals of Human Life	Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa—harmonizing material and spiritual aims; discussion on balance and excess.
8–9	Async	Worldly Dharma	Readings from Viṣṇu Purāṇa and Kāma Sūtra; essay: “Can pleasure and prosperity be Dharmic?”
10	Live	The Dharma of Action: The Bhagavad Gītā	Arjuna’s dilemma and Kṛṣṇa’s teaching; svadharma (personal duty) and non-attachment (niṣkāma karma).
11	Async	Modern Dharma	Gandhi’s ethics of ahimsa and satyagraha; Ambedkar’s critique of caste; Dharma in global citizenship.
12	Live	Dharma and Liberation	Mokṣa-dharma: knowledge (jñāna), devotion (bhakti), and the transcendence of duty; discussion: “Is liberation beyond good and evil?”
13–15	Async	Applied Dharma Project	Independent research or creative application of Dharma to a modern issue—ecology, leadership, social justice, or mindfulness.

Required Readings

Primary Texts

(Excerpts provided via course reader)

Ṛg Veda (selected hymns on ṛta and cosmic order)
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (on truth and the Self)
Manusmṛti (Book I & VI)
Mahābhārata (Shānti Parva selections)
Bhagavad Gītā (Chapters 2–3, 18)
Dhammapada (selected verses)

Secondary Readings

Radhakrishnan, S. The Hindu View of Life
Flood, G. An Introduction to Hinduism
Olivelle, P. The Dharma in Ancient India
Chapple, C. (ed.). Hinduism and Ecology
Coward, H. Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities
Sharma, A. Classical Hindu Thought: An Introduction
Selected academic essays and video lectures (provided digitally)

Assignments and Evaluation

Assessment	Description	Weight
Participation	Engagement in live sessions and online discussions	15%
Reading Reflections (x5)	500-word reflections connecting classical teachings with modern issues	20%
Midterm Essay	1500-word essay comparing two interpretations of Dharma (e.g., ritual vs. ethical)	20%
Applied Dharma Project	2000-word paper or creative project applying Dharma to a modern issue (ecological ethics, social justice, mindfulness, etc.)	30%
Portfolio Presentation	Short recorded or written presentation summarizing key insights	10%
Quizzes	Module-based comprehension checks	5%

Grading Scale

A = 90–100 B = 80–89 C = 70–79 D = 60–69 F = below 60

Pedagogical Philosophy

This course treats Dharma as both a subject of scholarship and a lens for life.

Students engage classical texts, modern critiques, and personal reflection to develop an integrated view of ethics, ecology, and consciousness. Learning is dialogical and reflective—combining rigorous textual study with self-inquiry and cross-cultural awareness.

Every session begins with a brief meditative reflection or ethical question—linking ancient wisdom to contemporary experience.

Final Deliverable: The Dharma Portfolio

Students compile:

Five reflections on weekly themes
Midterm comparative essay
Applied Dharma Project
Personal Statement — “My Evolving Understanding of Dharma”

This portfolio demonstrates both academic mastery and personal insight, embodying the holistic learning spirit of Dharma itself.

Estimated Workload Summary (3 SCH Justification)

Category	Hours
Live sessions (6 × 2 hrs)	12
Asynchronous modules & readings	35
Written assignments & portfolio	38
Independent study & review	20
Total Estimated	≈105 hrs

Capstone Question

How might the principle of Dharma—understood as the balance of cosmic, ethical, and spiritual order—help us live more responsibly in the modern world?

Students will return to this question throughout the course, using it as the anchor for their final reflections.