Grammatical Analysis
Dhamma: [m.; nt.] law; nature; truth; doctrine; thing; phenomenon; quality; mental object. From root dhar (to bear, support, hold up). That which upholds or maintains its own intrinsic nature, or that which upholds the practitioner from falling into miserable states.
Orthodox Definition
According to the Mahāvihāra tradition and the commentarial definitions (such as in the Atthasālinī), the term Dhamma is applied in four primary senses:
- Pariyatti (the scriptural text or doctrines of the Buddha).
- Hetu (causal conditions or roots, as in dhammāni hetuprabhavā).
- Guṇa (moral qualities or virtues).
- Nissatta-nijjīva (the ultimate phenomenal realities devoid of a living soul, sentient Being, or ego-entity).
In the context of ultimate reality (paramattha), dhammas are the basic, irreducible constituents of all experiential reality. They are not static substances but transient, conditioned events arising and passing away in accordance with conditions, with the sole exception of Nibbāna, which is the unconditioned (asaṅkhata) dhamma.
Textual References
- Sutta: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11) – The setting in motion of the Wheel of Dhamma.
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Book I) – Categorization of all dhammas into wholesome (kusala), unwholesome (akusala), and indeterminate (abyākata).
- Commentary: Atthasālinī (Pāḷi-glossary on the Dhammasaṅgaṇī).