Can anyone please explain what is Dhamma in few paragraphs if possible?
A similar question was asked by Rahula in Samyukta Nikaya but what I have is English translation of the conversation which leaves me with doubts. Also I want to establish meaning of Dhamma before asking few more questions based on it.
The term dhamma has multiple meanings in Buddhism. Dhamma is defined in the accesstoinsight.org glossary page as:
dhamma [Skt. dharma]:(1) Event; a phenomenon in and of itself; (2) mental quality; (3) doctrine, teaching; (4) nibbāna. Also, principles of behavior that human beings ought to follow so as to fit in with the right natural order of things; qualities of mind they should develop so as to realize the inherent quality of the mind in and of itself. By extension, "Dhamma" (usu. capitalized) is used also to denote any doctrine that teaches such things. Thus the Dhamma of the Buddha denotes both his teachings and the direct experience of nibbāna, the quality at which those teachings are aimed.
If you want to know more about Dhamma, the doctrine and teachings of the Buddha, see this page.
If you want to know more about dhamma (mental quality or mental object), the fourth foundation of mindfulness, see this page, this page and the Satipatthana Sutta.
In the Rahula Samyutta, the word 'Dhamma' refers the teachings of 'ultimate or higher truth' (lokuttara dhamma), which lead to developing the Noble Eightfold Path & enlightenment. As stated:
Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent and resolute.
In response, the Buddha teaches Rahula about impermanence, unsatisfactoriness & not-self, which is a teaching leading to Nibbana (rather than mere mundane teachings about kamma & 'rebirth', which are not 'Dhamma' with a capital 'D').
The Pali is: "bhagavā saṃkhittena dhammaṃ desetu"; if searched at: https://suttacentral.net/, will probably find wherever this phrase is used, the outcome of the suttas found (see link) is Nibbana or enlightenment. This shows the word 'Dhamma' in the contexts means 'higher truth' rather than 'phenomena' or 'mind object'.
This is the right or proper way to study Buddhism, namely, examining how a word is used in the context of the various suttas.
Using dictionaries & ordinary scholar explanations is the wrong way to study Buddhism, causing lifelong confusion. Dictionaries & commentators is 2,400 years of the blind leading the blind.
Dhamma is truth. Dhamma is wisdom. Dhamma is the path to liberation of suffering. Dhamma is the teaching about truth to attain wisdom.
The saṃyuttanikāya cakkhusutta that was quoted by the topic owner, already answered by buddha.
Rāhula asked for an object (dhamma) for contemplating (insight meditation), so buddha answered 6 āyatana (dhamma) that have 3 characterizes (dhamma's property) for contemplating, to him.
- 1.
(1) Cakkhu - The Eye
I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta's grove in Sāvatthi.
Then venerable Rāhula approached the Blessed One worshipped and sat on a side.
Sitting on a side venerable Rāhula said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, Blessed One, may I be taught (dhamma) so that I would withdraw and seclude and abide diligent and zealous to dispel.”
“Rāhula, is the eye (dhamma) permanent or impermanent?”
“It's impermanent, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent is it unpleasant or pleasant?”
“It's unpleasant, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent, unpleasant, a changing thing is it suitable to be considered `that is mine, I am that, it's my self?'”
“That is not so, venerable sir.”
“Rāhula, is the ear ... re ...
... re ... nose ... re ...
... re ... tongue ... re ...
... re ... the body ... re ...
... re ... the mind permanent or impermanent?”
“It's impermanent, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent is it unpleasant or pleasant?”
“It's unpleasant, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent, unpleasant, a changing thing is it suitable to be considered `that is mine, I am that, it's my self?'”
“That is not so, venerable sir.”
“Rāhula, the noble disciple seeing it thus turns away from the eye, turns away from the ear, turns away from the nose, turns away from the tongue, turns away from the body and turns away from the mind.
“Turning away detaches himself, is dispassionate and is released. Released, knowledge arises, `Birth is destroyed, the holy life is lived, duties are done, there is nothing more to wish'.”
You want to know what Dhamma is in briefly, well Dhamma is everything that prince siddhartha understood by himself when he became the lord buddha. Dhamma is everything lord buddha taught to his followers. in very briefly Dhamma is what we learning and following today as Buddhists.
As if you want to know same as Buddha explained to Rahula it is, nothing is eternal. Everything has to cease and that he trying to get from Rahula if he understand suffering at all. And what we desire with sensation of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind that we have to overcome sensuality with these sixth strings of sensuality and further things he explained are Form, Consciousness, Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, Craving, Elements, and Aggregates. Buddha explaining Rahula that all Forms, Consciousness, Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, Craving, Elements we get sense with sixth strings of sensuality and those aren't permanent. He explained with Element that after we die body and soul merge in the earth Elements and that elements also aren't eternal. And eventually aggregates that everything Form, Consciousness, Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, Craving, Elements (That we could get sense with sixth strings of sensuality are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) are Impermanent.
Forms : sounds, odors, tastes, tactile objects, mental phenomena forms we get through sixth sense.
Consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness , tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness and mind-consciousness.
Contact: eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact and
mind-contact.Feeling: feeling born of eye-contact, feeling born of ear-contact, feeling born of nose-contact, feeling born of tongue-contact, feeling born of body-contact and feeling born of mind-contact.
Perception: perception of sound, perception of odors, perception of tastes, perception of tactile objects, perception of mental phenomena.
Volition: volition regarding form, volition regarding sound, volition regarding odors, volition regarding tastes, volition regarding tactile objects, volition regarding mental phenomena.
Craving: craving for form, craving for sound, craving for odors, craving for tastes, craving for tactile objects, craving for mental phenomena.
Elements: The water element, The heat element, The air element, The space element, The conscious element
Aggregates: form, feeling, perception, volitional formation, consciousness
So see the beginning and the end. I'd say telescopic like if we have to sensuality with sixth strings of sensation we experience(impermanent) everything as Buddha explained so Rahula experiences revulsion towards forms,
revulsion towards consciousness.
Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. He understands.
So we have to free from this all and have to achieve peace and Nirvana.
This is Dhamma
The Dhamma is a way of training that prompts intelligence and freedom from torment. One's comprehension of Dhamma turns out to be ever more profound and significant as one advances along the way, old exercises uncovering new certainties as one creates further knowledge and comprehension of Dhamma; "Similarly as the sea has a slow retire, a continuous slant, a steady tendency, with a sudden drop-off simply after an extended length, similarly this Doctrine and Discipline (Dhamma-Vinaya) has a slow preparing, a continuous execution, a slow movement, with an entrance to gnosis simply after an extended length". The fundamental significance of rehearsing Dhamma is to Mindfully hone contemplation, learn and show Dhamma as one has comprehended it, and consolidate it with the ethical standards of Sila , and to utilize these devices to live as indicated by the standards of the Noble Eightfold Path.
