"The Mission": When the Past Speaks to Me
Svadharma, Paradharma, and the rediscovery of meaning
A few hours ago, while still digging through my hard drive as I told you in my previous musical post (for those who missed it, I was talking about rediscovered old recordings), I stumbled upon one of them again: "The Mission". Listening to it again, years later, was like diving into the past, but what struck me most is that the themes I address in that song – now they almost seem like a premonition – immediately made me think of "The Substance", a film I watched just yesterday that shook me quite deeply. This coincidence, this strange short circuit between past and present, triggered a reflection on Svadharma and Paradharma, in Vedanta philosophy.
"The Substance" hits hard: it's a fierce critique of our image-obsessed society, where only appearances matter and the obsessive pursuit of external perfection leads to dehumanization. The protagonists, dependent on this "substance" that promises eternal youth, are the perfect example of ego fragility and its hunger for validation. And this is where Paradharma comes into play.
Paradharma and Svadharma
Paradharma is the tendency to imitate others, conform to external models, and seek one's identity outside oneself. The women in "The Substance" fall right into this trap, chasing a fake beauty ideal that distances them from their true nature, their Svadharma. Thinking back to "The Mission,” written quite a few years ago, I realized I had touched on these themes in my way.
Svadharma, on the other hand, is your dharma, your duty, your unique path. It's the realization of yourself, in harmony with your essence. Finding "The Mission" again was like finding a piece of myself, a fragment of my Svadharma that had been preserved. Even though I wrote it quite a few years ago, its themes now have a different, deeper meaning in light of "The Substance" and this reflection.
Hearing verses like "People don't respect each other, someone kills for money his brother" (the English isn't perfect, but that's the gist) hits even harder today. It almost seems like a commentary on this society where Paradharma dominates: competition, greed, and lack of respect stem from this constant search for approval, from an identity built on appearances. Perhaps, with "The Mission", I was trying to say exactly this, even though I didn't know it yet.
And…so?
All of this—finding the song again and watching "The Substance"—reminded me of something fundamental: the real challenge is finding and nurturing your own Svadharma, listening to your inner voice, and resisting the temptation to seek happiness in others' approval. Staying true to yourself, that's the real mission.
Take a listen to "The Mission". I hope you will like it.
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