Dharmartha Marga

Path of Modern Gurus

Authors

  • John Peter Vallabadoss St. Joseph’s Philosophical College

Keywords:

Artha, Dharma, Material Wealth, New Age Gurus, Self-Emancipation, Service, Spirituality

Abstract

The rise of modern gurus taking inspiration from ancient wisdom is a unique phenomenon in contemporary world. In the Vedic tradition of India, both dharma and artha are two of the supreme goals of human life. Dharmātha Mārga is the path conceived and paved by modern gurus catering to the aspirations of human beings for material growth without compromising spiritual values. Reading the signs of the time, the modern gurus have been successfully addressing the needs of their contemporaries striking a balance between pursuit of material wealth (artha) and of spirituality (dharma). The paper intends to highlight and critically appraise the dialectics at play in their discourse, the interplay of the spiritual and the material. We intend to throw light on the integrated path (dharmārtha mārga) paved by modern gurus successfully bringing together the material prosperity and spirituality. Their path emphasizes that anything spiritual need not be devoid of materiality. In and through the physical, the spirituality emerges.

Author Biography

John Peter Vallabadoss, St. Joseph’s Philosophical College

Dr John Peter Vallabadoss, a Capuchin priest, holds a doctorate in Indian Philosophy from Madras University and has served as Lecturer in Philosophy and Dean of Studies at St. Joseph’s Philosophical College, Kotagiri and consultant in philosophy at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. Presently, he is the Registrar and Professor at Department of Philosophy, Vijnananilayam Degree College, Eluru, and Treasurer of the Association of Christian Philosophers of India (ACPI).

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Published

2015-09-30

How to Cite

Vallabadoss, . J. P. (2015). Dharmartha Marga: Path of Modern Gurus . Journal of Dharma, 40(3), 387–409. Retrieved from https://dvkjournals.in/index.php/jd/article/view/196