The Dharma (or the Dhamma)

"Buddhism" is basically a Western term. The West loves its "isms" and "ologies", dissecting and dividing. As a poet once said, "we murder to dissect" ànd "nothing was ever known for truth by consecutive reasoning".

It is the Buddhadharma, the way of the Buddha. More [i]ways"[/i] than "way" though. It is not just one monolithic teaching that has remained unchanged for 2500 years.

Thec"Dharma" has two main meanings.

The first – Dharma as truth or law or principle or reality – refers to the objective content of the Buddha’s experience of Enlightenment. And the second – Dharma as doctrine or teaching – refers to the Buddha’s expression of his experience for the benefit of others.

In the well known text, the Dhammapada, it says, ‘Not by hatred is hatred ever pacified here in the world. It is pacified by love. This is the eternal law.’ The word for ‘law’ here is Dharma. It’s in the very nature of things that hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love. This is the principle, this is the law, this is the truth.

As the character of the Buddha's teaching, dharma (Dharma = Sanskrit, Dhamma = Pali) the Dharma is:-

[i]svakkhato[/i]. This literally means ‘well-taught’, or ‘well-communicated’ suggesting it is appropriate for human beings.

[i]sanditthiko[/i], which can be translated as ‘immediately apparent’. In other words, you will see the results of your practice of the Dharma yourself, in this lifetime.

[i]ehipassiko[/i]. "Ehi" means ‘come’ and "passiko" derives from a word meaning ‘see’, so ehipassiko means ‘come and see’ (for oneself) The implication is that we need not take on the Dharma in blind faith, or believe it because somebody tells us to believe it, or because it is written in some holy book.

[i]paccatam veditabbo vinnuhi [/i]– a phrase which can be translated ‘to be understood individually'. This means that the Buddha’s teaching is to be experienced by each person for himself or herself.

Thank you.