Religion, Faith and Trust.

A Dharma,

Many Religions,

And a Faith.

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It's right time to ask a question about what is the relation between the Dharma, Religion and Faith.

Could the three point out the same thing? 

Are the 3 different from one-another?

Or, similar in a few aspects but yet different in some other aspects?

So long as we don't distinguish, compare and  contrast between the many aspects of each of them, we could never resolve the differences and the clashes consequent to them. 

It really needs a great urge, earnestness, insight and a serious resolve to find out and realize how the three are intricately related, intertwined and have become such a complicated issue that is turning the whole humanity crazy at so many levels.

'Dharma' the word, couldn't be satisfactorily and justifiably translated into English in such a word that may reflect the whole and core spirit of the Sanskrit word, 'Dharma'. 

'Dharma' is not a concept only, but is a principle. It has a deep, meaning and significance when it is applied to, with reference to  the behaviour.

Therefore this 'Dharma' could be classified again into 3 kinds of the existence, namely :

The Matter / Material,

The Mind / Mental, and 

The Spirit / Spiritual. 

'Religion', in comparison, is about the behaviour, the ritual, the custom, the tradition, the culture of a social group, -a cult of people. 

Of 'people', - we again find many meanings :

This may denote the 'color', the 'caste', the 'race', or even the 'blood'. Presently, we have another way of looking at it in terms of 'D. N. A.'

'Faith', very different from:

The 'Dharma', and

The 'Religion',

is essentially a concept fortified by tradition or custom, and is forced upon the people.

Then this is called belief.

Expressed in a language, it comprises of words only, and has no substance any. 

Neither in the objective sense nor in the subjective sense. 

In contrast, there is a word 'Conviction', that is kind of inviolable inborn assertion and never an assumption such as a concept or a faith.

The word 'Faith' however could be traced from the similar word 'fidelity' which implies kind of natural commitment. This could again be seen in the word 'fide' / 'vide'. Going a bit further, we could arrive at the Sanskrit word-root 'विद्' / vid, which is a very strong verb-root in Sanskrit, and a slight of grammar gives various meanings to it. This verb-root could mean :

To gain (from Sanskrit 'ग्रहण'),

To know (see, vision, witness),

To find (विन्दति, विन्दते) and, 

To have (Sanskrit : ह अव)

A very similar connotation is the Sanskrit word :

'विश्वास',

Which is a compound word, made of :

The verb-roots 'विश्' (to enter) and 'वस्' (to dwell into). Implying what is there that has entered into, and is residing in the heart, or our the very being itself.

Finally,  the Sanskrit root-verb :

'तुष्' gives us the words 

स-तुष-प्रायः, स-तुष, संतोष, संतुष्टि, 

Which may have the English cognates such as :

'satisfy', 'trust', and 'truth'

Respectively.

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