— Celebrate Dharma Voyage —

Day 2

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Ben Booth

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Celebrate DV

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BEN BOOTH
What is the name Dharma Voyage all about, and how does it reflect an organization’s philosophy?

Dharma is an old Sanskrit word that, like many words in Sanskrit, defies a simple translation. In its literal or most simple form, Dharma means carrying or holding or grasping. That simple translation lands a little shy of the true depth of meaning of the word though, as in use it has a meaning that is more akin to “carrying the truth” or “holding the essence” or “grasping the meaning of.” As such, it is very much related to insight into our world and our situation within it. Dharma is something that exists, and something to search for. To search for the dharma of something is to look for its fundamental truth and essence.

Voyage is a word we may already have a good grasp of. However, when I think about it, I realize it’s not actually a word we commonly use. I don’t think it’s often that we say “I’m going on a voyage.” We don’t voyage to work. We take a trip to Europe. We go on vacation to a warm, sunny island. We don’t often consider what we do as warranting the term voyage. I think that is because a voyage is grand. A voyage is something special: a voyage is a journey across the sea, to outer space, or otherwise traversing along long periods of time and heroic distances. A voyage is associated with exploration, adventure, and growth.

Given the above, a Dharma Voyage is a grand, ongoing adventure that explores the meaning, essence, and truth behind that which we are looking into.

What I like about the name Dharma Voyage is that it assumes an ongoing adventure. It is a Voyage. A voyage brings us to the unknown. We are explorers. We are brave, as a voyage is grand, and it encompasses our whole life. And I think the most inspiring voyage we can go on is one that brings us to insight and essence, the dharma. When I think about dharma, I think about deep inquiry, as it is deep inquiry that allows us to grasp the essence of something. Dharma is the unifying force in all activities – one can look for the dharma of rowing, tai chi, boatbuilding, art, music, physics, running, poetry, cooking dinner. If dharma is essence, it is not just the techniques taught, the words memorized. It is a personal attainment that is experienced through time and effort. As such, perhaps a Dharma Voyage is the Essential Journey that we can take, inspired by even the simplest action of rowing a boat or moving our bodies through space.