The Dharma: the Buddha's teaching

Dharma is a Sanskrit word (dhamma in Pali) with several meanings. In Buddhism it most often means the teaching of the Buddha, and the truth about life that the teaching describes. It is the second of the Three Jewels, alongside the Buddha and the Sangha.

The teaching and the truth

The Buddha did not claim to have invented the Dharma. He described himself as someone who had found an ancient path, overgrown and forgotten, and shown it to others. In this sense the Dharma is the way things are: that experience is impermanent, that craving leads to suffering, and that suffering can end. The teachings are the words that point to this.

The core of the Dharma is set out in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The traditional symbol for it is a wheel with eight spokes, the dharma wheel. The Buddha’s first teaching is known as “setting the wheel of Dharma in motion”.

Come and see

A traditional verse describes the Dharma as well taught, visible here and now, timeless, inviting one to “come and see”, leading onwards, and to be understood by the wise for themselves. The phrase “come and see” captures an important attitude. The Buddha encouraged people to test the teachings in their own lives rather than accept them on authority alone. In a well-known talk to the Kālāma people, he advised them to adopt practices once they knew for themselves that these led to welfare and happiness.

Other meanings of the word

In Buddhist texts, the same word can also mean a phenomenon or element of experience. When Buddhist philosophy speaks of “all dharmas”, it means all things, all mental and physical events. Context usually makes the meaning clear. In Hinduism the word has further meanings, such as duty and cosmic order, which are related but different.

Taking refuge in the Dharma

Buddhists of every tradition take refuge in the Dharma, meaning they rely on the teaching as a guide. In practice, this means studying the texts, reflecting on them and putting them into action through ethics and meditation. The scriptures of the different traditions vary, from the Pali Canon to the Mahayana sutras, but all regard the Dharma as the path to the end of suffering.