Dharma is an important concept found in many spiritual philosophies from the Indian subcontinent, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. In Hinduism, Dharma is simultaneously the eternal order that rules the universe and the duty or law that governs one's life. Fulfilling one's Dharma is more than simply one's purpose in life. It is considered the very means by which one transcends suffering and the cycle of birth and death or what is called samsara. A person has social, political and familial dharma's but most important is one's spiritual Dharma. In the Bhagavad Gita, one of India's most sacred texts, the popular deity Krishna teaches that it is our highest Dharma to achieve spiritual understanding, which means to realize our true self as the Atman, the supreme consciousness, and to cultivate a relationship with the divine. Dharma is considered one of the three jewels of Buddhism, along with the Sangha or community of practitioners and the Buddha or the enlightened state. Dharma most frequently refers to the Buddha's teachings on liberation. One such teaching is called the four Noble Truths. It states one that there is suffering and dissatisfaction in the world, two that there is a cause or a reason why we suffer namely ignorance. Three that suffering can end for it is only temporary and four that there is a path to end suffering, one that includes living ethically, practicing meditation and cultivating wisdom in one's life. As contemplative practitioners, Dharma from the Buddhist perspective reminds us to honor, study and preserve those sacred spiritual teachings that help to inspire deep insight. From the Hindu perspective, Dharma reminds us that there is a natural order to the cosmos, what in the Vedas is called rta, and is responsible for the proper functioning of the cycles and movements of life. When we study sacred texts and meditate or engage in contemplative practices, we are stepping into and aligning with that eternal order and inviting its wisdom to illuminate our lives.