Dharma is the eternal constitutional nature of the soul to serve the Supreme Lord in pure consciousness.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, this is transcendental sound vibration. This is transcendental sound vibration, and this will help us to cleanse the dust on the mirror of our mind. On the mind we have accumulated material dust. Just like on the Second Avenue, due to the constant traffic of motorcar, there is always a creation of dusting over everything, similarly, by our manipulation of materialistic activities, there are some material dust which are accumulated on the mind; therefore we are unable to see things in true perspective. So this process, this vibration of transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, will cleanse the dust.
And as soon as the dust is cleared, then, as you can see on the mirror the nice face of yours, similarly we can see our real, I mean to say, constitutional position, "What I am." And as soon as I understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, and my symptom is consciousness," and that consciousness, as it is purified by this process, the whole material miseries will be over. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc Antya 20.12]. [Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.] In Sanskrit language, it is said... Lord Caitanya.
Lord Caitanya's picture you have seen on the showcase. He's dancing, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. This sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa, Hare, Rāma, as soon as the mind is cleared off, then we see our real position, and the immediate result is bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. There is a fire always blazing over this material world.
Everyone is trying to extinguish it. But it is not possible to extinguish this fire of material miseries unless we are situated in our pure consciousness of spiritual life. That is the whole thing. Now, we were discussing last meeting, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7] [Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.] paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām dharma-saṃsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge [Bg 4.8] [In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.] Why the Lord comes as incarnation. This point we have been discussing last meeting, and what is dharma, what is religion.
Perhaps you'll remember that the translation in the English language, dharma, is a description of certain kind of faith. But according to the Vedic literature, dharma is not a kind of faith. Faith can be changed, but dharma cannot be changed. This point we have already explained. Just like the liquidity of water cannot be changed.
If it is changed... Suppose the water becomes solid. Under certain temperature, it becomes ice. But that is not its constitutional position.
It is under certain condition. Similarly, our position is, our religion, or dharma, is, that we are part and parcel of the Supreme, and with that supreme consciousness we have to dovetail our activities with the Supreme. That is our constitutional position. That service attitude, transcendental service attitude, which has to be dovetailed with the supreme consciousness, is being misused by our material contact. The service attitude or the engagement is there.