Dharma and Parts: Finding Purpose Without Polarization (Gita)
- Nov 20, 2025
- 3 min read
Introduction
When purpose feels tangled or overwhelming, it is often because different parts of you are holding different truths.
The Bhagavad Gita describes dharma as the steady pull toward right action, while IFS offers a way to hear every voice within you without collapse or confusion. Together, they create a path where clarity grows from curiosity, not pressure.
This blog explores how to work with competing callings, polarized parts, and the tension between duty and fear in a way that honors your whole system.
Understanding Polarization Around Purpose
When you face a big decision, it’s common for protectors to split into opposing roles.
One might push you toward duty or responsibility, while another pulls back in fear or self-protection.
In IFS this is a manager–firefighter polarization, and in the Gita this mirrors the inner conflict Arjuna faces on the battlefield.
Common expressions of this dynamic include:
Part of you wanting purpose, another fearing failure
Feeling both pulled toward something and resistant to it
A sense of being torn between action and avoidance
Doubt, overthinking, or urgency that blocks clarity
You are not doing anything wrong if this shows up. Polarization is simply a sign that important parts need attention, not correction.
Using IFS to Untangle Competing Callings
A gentle way to begin is to identify and acknowledge each part’s perspective.
Questions you can ask:
Which part feels called toward this direction?
What does it hope will happen?
Which part feels hesitant or afraid?
What is it trying to protect?
Are there other parts holding different longings or priorities?
Avoid rushing to choose a “right” part. Each one has wisdom and carries a slice of the truth.
As you notice these voices, you may find that multiple callings coexist.
IFS helps you hold them with compassion, and the Gita reminds you that purpose is a path you walk with steadiness, not a test you must get right.
Duty vs Fear: Mapping the Inner Battlefield
Sometimes the tension around dharma mirrors the Gita’s central struggle.
You might notice:
A duty-oriented part wanting to show up, grow, or contribute
A fear-oriented part worried about consequences, exposure, or loss
A conflict-avoiding part wanting to delay, numb, or stay safe
A high-standard part pushing for certainty or perfection
When mapped visually, these parts often sit in clear opposition. Seeing the layout helps soften internal pressure and makes space for self-leadership.
Dharma Discernment Questions
Purpose is rarely revealed through force or certainty. It tends to emerge when parts feel respected and unburdened enough to step aside.
You can explore:
Which actions feel aligned when fear softens just a little?
Which direction feels steady rather than urgent?
What intentions feel clean, even if outcomes are uncertain?
What would you choose if pressure dropped by five percent?
What would bring you closer to integrity, not just success?
These questions ease you into clarity instead of demanding it.
Outcome Focus vs Action Focus
The Gita teaches that you have a right to action, not to the fruits of that action.
IFS complements this by showing how parts often attach to outcomes to feel safe or in control.
Instead of forcing yourself to “detach,” you can explore:
Which part wants a specific outcome, and why?
What is it afraid will happen if results don’t come?
How much space can you offer that part right now?
What small step feels doable from Self rather than urgency?
Purpose becomes less about achieving and more about acting from alignment.
Deliverables for Readers
Parts Interview Worksheet for Vocation
A simple structure to explore the voices influencing your sense of calling:
Step 1: Identify the parts involved
Name the part pushing toward action.
Name the part pulling away.
Identify any additional voices offering commentary.
Step 2: Ask each part three questions
What are you afraid will happen?
What do you hope will happen?
What role have you been playing for me?
Step 3: Notice themes
Values
Needs
Fears
Longings
Patterns of pressure or avoidance
Step 4: Ask your Self
What feels most steady?
What step feels doable today?
Micro-Practice for Big Decisions
A five-minute check-in before making choices:
Pause Place a hand on the body and take one slow breath.
Name the parts present For example: a worried part, a hopeful part, a tired part.
Offer each part two sentences I see you. I’m here with you.
Ask one thing "What step feels aligned enough for now?"
Act from that place Not from pressure, but from clarity softened by compassion.
Closing
Dharma isn’t discovered by forcing purpose into a narrow path. It unfolds when you let each part speak, soften, and settle enough for Self to guide.
When the Gita’s wisdom meets IFS curiosity, purpose becomes something you grow into, one steady action at a time.
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