Dharma

21st March 2025

Thank you for your support for our work this week. Although this is a shorter term, as a number of you have said recently, we do end up shoe-horning seven or eight weeks work into five! Thank you for your efforts and good humour.

And good humour might be something that I touch on here this week. But before I do that, I want to recommend a podcast. Whilst out running and in training for this week’s Sheffield Half Marathon …

…  good luck to all of those who are running

… back to the podcast. I thoroughly recommend Political Thinking with Nick Robinson. As Nick would say ‘a conversation with, rather than an interrogation of’. Over two hours, Nick recently interviewed our previous prime, The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak. And whatever one’s politics it seems to me that he came across as a thoroughly decent person who entered politics for absolutely the right reasons and with the right intentions. Despite the challenges he faced as a politician, especially as Chancellor of the Exchequer and as Prime Minister, he did have some fundamental beliefs and an approach which reminded me of why public service is so important, for our communities, for our towns and cities, for our country and beyond.

Mr. Sunak talked about his faith (as a Hindu) and especially Dharma. In one sense Dharma can be defined as charity, but it is more likely to be interpreted as a right way of living and path of righteousness. It says something about order, custom, virtue, religious and moral duty. It is important within Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

As we work through the month of Ramadan and Lent we are reminded that others, be that Muslims, Christians and Jews have a sense of giving and charity at the heart of their faith; be that Zakat, Alms or Tzedakah.

Interestingly, Mr. Sunak talked about Dharma being more than just giving something. He discussed it being a way of life and how we are all bound by the importance of doing or giving without necessarily needing to receive something back in return. I know the word ‘transactional’ is being used a lot at the moment and I’m not going to take some time to go down that route or discuss US presidents, however the idea that we can give or provide a service without necessarily wanting something in return, is increasingly potent and important.

And that nicely brings us onto Comic Relief or Red Nose Day. Incredibly, Comic Relief is 40 years old this year. I can honestly – and I know you’ll find that hard to believe – remember when it began; led by Lenny Henry, Richard Curtis and Griff Rhys Jones. It’s evolved so much over the years and has supported so many charities at home and abroad. At the heart of Comic Relief (and the likes of Children in Need) is the belief that we should give and what we will get in return is nothing more complicated than a smile or some good humour.

It seems to me that’s just so wonderful, life affirming and warming of the ‘cockles’. To be able to freely give without the desire to receive or with the intent that one would want something in return is not just so important for oneself, but it underpins the structures of our communities and our country. That so many of you can freely give yourself, your services, your time or your money is comforting.  And that act of giving is done without there being a necessary return. We give for the sake of giving, we share for the sake of sharing and our communities, our country and possibly the world is just a little better place as a consequence.

Some top British gagsters…

 ‘You know you’re working class when your TV is bigger than your book case.’ Rob Beckett

‘Most of my life is spent avoiding conflict. I hardly ever visit Syria.’ Alex Horne

‘A spa hotel? It’s like a normal hotel, only in reception there’s a picture of a pebble.’ Rhod Gilbert

‘Life is like a box of chocolates. It doesn’t last long if you’re fat.’ Joe Lycett

‘My Dad said, always leave them wanting more. Ironically, that’s how he lost his job in disaster relief.’ Mark Watson

‘How many philosophers does it take to change a lightbulb?…. none. They’re not really into that sort of thing. If it’s that dark, light a candle.’  Phil Cornwell

‘The first time I met my wife, I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing massive gloves.’ Alun Cochrane

‘As a kid I was made to walk the plank. We couldn’t afford a dog.’ Gary Delaney

‘Two fish in a tank. One says: ‘How do you drive this thing?’ Peter Kay