Before discussing about Karma and Dharma, let’s talk about the goal of life and how to reach the Goal. Then we will discuss about the relationship between the Goal, Dharma and Karma.

Life , way and the Goal.

Human life is an opportunity to attain the Completeness or Fulfilment within. Completeness is the freedom and is  ultimate goal which is beyond Ego . The completeness is God and God is completeness.
Right or wrong are valid till one reaches the goal. Until one is on the journey to the completeness, there is right path or wrong path. The right path is also called as Dharma and wrong path is called as Adharma.
Once one reaches the goal, right or wrong doesn’t matter as one is not attached to results for fulfilment, one is eternally blissful and peaceful within. The actions done from the Completeness within can’t be wrong to others as well. Moreover those actions become favourable to others as those are free from any malign intention such as fear, greed , anger , lust or jealousy.

Where Ego end, Leela begins…

Action can be right or wrong till it is done with the intention of winning or achieving something. When it is done without any desire to win, it becomes Leela and Leela is beyond wrong or right. Leela is the divine Love from the completeness within. Action of an Enlightened beings is Leela because it is  not done to achieve any Goal as they are performing Action from the Goal itself.

Relationship between Dharma, Karma and the Goal.

Dharma is the way to the ultimate Goal and Karma is the Action taken to achieve the ultimate Goal which is God or Completeness.The Goal attaining which nothing is left to be achieved.

When Karma is not in the direction of Dharma , it will mislead the seeker from the Goal . The Action can either be in the direction of Dharma or Adharma. 

Now  how to know what is Dharma and what is Adharma. Growing by helping others grow spiritually is Dharma.Karma at physical level in the direction of Dharma raises the awareness at spiritual level. Physicality is the medium to spirituality through Dharma. Dharma is the direction and guidelines stated by an enlightened being or awaken God like Buddha, Krishna, Rama, Guru Nanak, Mahavira, OSHO, Ramakrishna, Vivekananda etc. Enlightened beings are GURU who have attained the Completeness or God and know the way to it. 

As Dharma or religions is direction and guidelines of Enlightened being or Awaken God, So it seems there are as many Dharma as there are Enlightened beings but the Dharma is one and only one which is articulated in different ways at different times by enlightened masters who discovered the path to the fulfilment.

Hence Religion or Dharma is the way to the God. Religions or Dharma is dependent on the God (the Absolute) whereas God is independent of any Religion because God is the ultimate Goal and Goal is not dependent on the ways rather ways are dependent on Goal. God is the ultimate Goal where all religions or Dharma meet.
No Dharma or Religion is superior or inferior as they are spearheaded by  enlightened beings and in the core all religions are same.  Dharma is the way to Enlightenment or God or Completeness or Awakening and an enlightened being can show the right way to the Goal simply because they have attained the Goal .
To validate which way is Dharma , just see who has guided the way, if the way is guided by an enlightened being, then it is Dharma or Religion.

Enlightened being or Awaken GOD.

Now how to know who is enlightened being or not. Enlightenment is Awakening, the one who knows that the self is not body, not mind but beyond anything and the cause of Everything. The one who knows changing Jagat or world as the projection of the changeless non-dual Brahma or Pure consciousness. The one  who feels Completeness or fulfilment within, the one who is not dependent on situation or people for one’s Happiness. The one who is free from anger, lust, greed ,jealousy and fear. The one who doesn’t have to achieve anything in the world, the one who is in the world merely to help others achieve the goal or the Completeness or the God.In short the one who is detached from the fruits of Action .

Karma in the direction of Dharma leads to the Goal.

Karma on the way to righteousness or Dharma can only reach to the Goal or the Completeness or Sat chit Ananda or the God. Before doing Action or Karma make sure it is aligned with the Dharma or righteousness. Way is more important than Action. Just like if way is wrong ,all actions go into vain ,in the same way if Action is not along with Dharma , all actions go into Vain. One can only follow Dharma if one has faith or trust on the Enlightened being or awaken GOD who shows the path . That trust or faith is nothing but Bhakti or Devotion. Hence Bhakti is the foundation of right Actions as Actions through devotion to divine is along the Dharma .The essence of all Religions is to grow and help others grow Spiritually and attains the ultimate Goal or GOD or the Completeness which is also the end of all sufferings .Karma in the path of Dharma leads to the GOD or the completeness or sat chit Ananda through Atman Gyan or Self-realisation. Sat chit Ananda is the ultimate goal, the goal of all goals.

Thank you & Best Wishes,

Narendra Kishore Mishra