3.1.1 Buddhism: The Concept of Dhamma (Dharma)

What does dharma mean?

• The term dhamma (Pali) or dharma (Sanskrit) has many meanings
• It is used to refer to the 'truth about all things', as understood by the Buddha or someone who has become enlightened
• The term is often used to describe the teachings of the Buddha after he had become enlightened, particularly his teachings about the three marks of existence and the Four Noble Truths
• The word is also used to refer to the Buddhist scriptures and Buddhist teachings in general

In his book 'Old Path, White Clouds', the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh recounts stories of the Buddha's life

In one of them, the Buddha explains his teachings like this:

"My teaching is not a philosophy, it is the result of direct experience. My teaching is a means of practice, not something to hold onto or worship My teaching is like a raft used to cross the river. Only a fool would carry the raft around after he had already reached the other shore of liberation" — Thich Nhat Hanh

The Dhamma is also one of the three refuges (sometimes known as the 3 treasures or the 3 jewels) of Buddhism – the other two are the Buddha himself and the Sangha (Buddhist community) When people become Buddhists, they recite the three refuges at a special ceremony – and then recite them frequently throughout the rest of their lives:

"To the Buddha for refuge I go, To the dhamma for refuge I go, To the Sangha for refuge I go"

The three refuges of Buddhism

Learning check:

1. Identify the three refuges of Buddhism by writing down the chant that Buddhists frequently make
2. When Buddhists recite this chant, what are they committing themselves to?
3. Explain how the medical analogy helps us understand the importance of the three refuges in Buddhism The concept of dependent arising

Key terms:

• Dependent arising: the idea that all things arise in dependence on conditions
• The Tibetan Wheel of Life: an image that symbolises samsara, often found in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples
• Nidanas: 12 factors that illustrate the process of birth, death and re-birth Samsara: the repeating cycle of life, birth, death and re-birth
• Kamma (Karma): a person's actions; the idea that skilful action results in happiness and unskilful action in unhappiness
• Nirvana: a state of complete enlightenment, happiness and peace
  • This basically expresses the view that life is an interdependent web of existence

• Nothing is independent of supporting conditions, which means nothing lasts forever, including human beings
• Everything is a constant process of change The Dalai Lama – the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism – explained dependent arising like this:

"All events and incidents in life are so intimately linked with the fate of others that a single person on his or her own cannot even begin to act. Many ordinary human activities, both positive and negative, cannot even be conceived of apart from the existence of other people" The 14th Dalai Lama

The Tibetan Wheel of life as an example of dependent arising

• The Tibetan Wheel of Life illustrates the process of dependent arising in relation to human life, death and re- birth.
• The outer circle of the wheel is made up of 12 links or stages (nidanas) – the 12th link (old age and death) leads directly to the 1st link (ignorance).
• This represents the Buddhist belief in rebirth: Buddhist believe that when we die, our karmic energy transfers to a new body

Karma as an example of dependent arising:

• The type of world a Buddhist is re-born into – for example: human, animal or a heavenly being – is said to depend upon the quality of their actions (karma) in their current life
• The principle of kamma says that intentions lead to actions which in turn lead to consequences
• In the cycle of life, good intentions lead to good actions – good actions can lead to a more favourable rebirth

The Samsara circle of birth, death and re-birth