Dharmasmriti Upasthana

Dharmasmriti Upasthana is a compound Sanskrit term. Dharma refers to cosmic law, duty, or phenomena, while smriti signifies memory or recollection. Upasthana denotes presence or mindfulness. Together, they point to a mindful remembrance of the conditioned nature of reality.

A very long compound word containing a very mystical wai-ning. "Remember, the constituents (of human nature) originate accordiiKj to the Nidanas, aiul an not originally the Self", which means — that, which the Esoteric Schools teach, and not the ecclesiastical interpretation.

Blavatsky's definition, with its emphasis on the non-originality of the "constituents of human nature" according to the Nidanas, points to a profound understanding of causality that underpins many Eastern contemplative traditions. Dharmasmriti Upasthana, as a practice, invites a rigorous self-inquiry, a mindful turning inward not to find a static core, but to observe the very mechanisms by which a sense of self is constructed and maintained. It is a practice of remembering, not a forgotten truth, but the ever-present, ever-changing nature of our own being.

This is not about rejecting the self, as some might misinterpret, but about understanding its impermanent, interdependent arising. Mircea Eliade, in his explorations of archaic techniques of ecstasy, noted how many traditions involve a "demythologization" of the self, a stripping away of assumed eternities. Similarly, Carl Jung's concept of individuation, while focused on integrating the conscious and unconscious, also implicitly acknowledges the fluid and evolving nature of the psyche. The Nidanas, the chain of dependent origination in Buddhist thought, provide a detailed map of these causal links, and Dharmasmriti Upasthana can be seen as a meditative engagement with this map, recognizing the "constituents" as impermanent formations.

The practice encourages a shift in perspective, moving from identification with the phenomenal self to an awareness of the underlying process. It is akin to watching a film, where one can become engrossed in the characters and plot, or step back to appreciate the interplay of light, shadow, and movement that constitutes the cinematic experience. The Esoteric Schools, as Blavatsky suggests, teach this not as a dogma, but as a lived realization, a direct apprehension of the conditioned nature of existence, fostering a profound liberation from the anxieties of permanence and a deeper connection to the flow of life. It is a wisdom that, once glimpsed, irrevocably alters one's perception of reality.

RELATED_TERMS: Anatta, Anicca, Dependent Origination, Mindfulness, Samsara, Ahamkara, Atman, Dependent Arising