Did You Know... About Dharma And The Summer Of Love?
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, and we thought it would be appropriate to celebrate that milestone on this year's Dharma catalog cover. The Summer of Love sparked its share of controversy, but at its core it was about love. And regardless of our differences, it seems fair to say love is at the heart of us all.
1967 was a time when there was intense conflict in the world. But it was also a time when across the country, young people were coming around to the ideas of community, kindness and compassion; peace was more popular than war and many of the youth in America decided to put a face to those sentiments. Called "hippies," they gathered together in droves in the Bay Area in 1967.
The Vietnam war was in full swing and a growing movement against it, and the establishment blamed for getting us into the war in the first place, culminated in a January "Human Be-in" in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Estimates of up to 30,000 young people gathered together in solidarity of shared values and a hope for a kinder, more compassionate and peaceful world. As singer and songwriter Richie Havens expressed it: "It was not about sex, drugs and rock and roll. It was about spirituality, about love, about sharing, about helping each other, living in peace and harmony."
Regardless of political differences, in 2017 it would seem the idea of coming together as community, in kindness and compassion, is still an important sentiment.
In 1969, our founder Isaac started and named the company Dharma Trading Co. in the spirit of community, shared ethical values, honesty, truth, and fairness. To him, the word Dharma means "acting in accordance with the will of God; or just acting correctly." In the spirit of the Summer of Love, he wanted to conduct his business without sacrificing his ethical values, and felt using the name would serve as a constant reminder; a very "60's" sentiment indeed, but one that at its heart also seems timeless.
Love and creativity are intertwined; artists love what they do, and their art reflects that love no matter what form the expression might take. Tie-dye as an American art form started to take tenuous hold with the Summer of Love movement, with folks like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, then really took off in 1969 at Woodstock. This early Tie-dye became a symbol of antiestablishmentarianism, as no one else could have the same shirt as you even if they used the same colors. It was psychedelic. It turned old used clothing into beautiful clothing that made people happy (and still does!). Tie-dye colors come together in patterns to create beauty and individuality, just as people of different races, religions, backgrounds come together to create beautiful and meaningful communities, and a more beautiful world.
As time passes, the spirit of the Summer of Love carries on. From the universal and eternal sentiments of compassion and community, to the music that emerged from the era, to the passion, colors and joy of art and creation represented by tie-dye, the values of the Summer of Love have been going strong for 50 years, and will continue long into the future.
Back then, the music, the art, all swirled and danced together to represent the "times that were a changing." The times are still changing of course, and will continue to do so, hopefully with the result of us all becoming better human beings and making the world a better place.
Here at Dharma, we celebrate the Summer of Love with gratitude that our company can continue to help people manifest their creative vision, as well as with an ongoing commitment to believing that love, truth, equality and beauty can indeed make the entire world a better place for all of us.
