Buddhism
What is the Dharma (Dhamma): The Buddha Teaching
· 7 min read
A guide to the Buddhist Dharma: the second jewel, the 3 meanings, the 3 levels, and how to live the Dharma.
Definition
Dharma (Dhamma) is the second of the Three Jewels. The word has multiple meanings.
The Three Meanings
According to tradition, dhamma has three levels of meaning.
The Dharma as Teaching
The Dharma as teaching includes the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Sutras and Commentaries.
The Dharma as Reality
The Dharma as reality is the law of karma, the Three Marks, causal conditioning.
The Three Levels of Study
According to tradition, there are three levels.
How to Live the Dharma
The Dharma is lived through practice of the precepts, meditation, study of the sutras.
The Dharma in Different Traditions
- Theravada: the Pali Canon
- Mahayana: the sutras and the doctrine of emptiness
- Vajrayana: the tantras and deity practice
Sources
- The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism
- Walpola Rahula: What the Buddha Taught
- Red Pine: The Heart Sutra
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