AskDefine | Define dharma

Dictionary Definition

Dharma n : basic principles of the cosmos; also: an ancient sage in Hindu mythology worshipped as a god by some lower castes;

User Contributed Dictionary






  1. (Hinduism and Buddhism) the principle that orders the universe; one's conduct in conformity with such a principle
  2. (Hinduism) one's obligation in respect to one's position in society
  3. the teachings of the Buddha; one's path to enlightenment

See also

Extensive Definition

The antonym of dharma is adharma meaning unnatural or immoral.



In Hinduism


" Verily, that which is Dharma is truth.
Verily, both these things are the same."
(Brh. Upanishad, 1.4.14) (2)

Dharma as a "Purushartha"


The deity named Dharma

In the Epic Mahabharata,he is incarnate as Vidura. Also, Dharma is invoked by Kunti and she begets her eldest son Yudhisthira from him. As such Yudhisthira is known as Dharmaputra. There is also an assimilation of God Dharma and Yama, the God of the Dead in the Mahabharata.

In technical literature

In technical literature, e.g., in Sanskrit grammar, dharma also means "property" and dharmin means "property-bearer".In a Sanskrit sentence like , "sound is impermanent", "sound" is the bearer of the property "impermanence". Likewise, in the sentence , "here, there is a pot", "here" is the bearer of the property "pot-existence" - this just goes to show that the categories property and property-bearer are closer to those of a logical predicate and its subject-term, and not to a grammatical predicate and subject.

In Buddhism

For many Buddhists, the Dharma most often means the body of teachings expounded by the Buddha. The word is also used in Buddhist phenomenology as a term roughly equivalent to phenomenon, a basic unit of existence and/or experience.
In East Asia, the translation for Dharma is , pronounced fǎ in Mandarin, beop in Korean, hō in Japanese, and pháp in Vietnamese. However, the term Dharma can also be transliterated from its original form as well.

Buddha's teachings

For practicing Buddhists, references to "dharma" or dhamma in the singular, particularly as "the" Dharma, is generally means the teachings of the Buddha, commonly known throughout the east as Buddha-Dharma.
The status of the Dharma is regarded variably by different Buddhist traditions. Some regard it as an ultimate truth that lies beyond worldly things, somewhat like the Christian logos. Others, who regard the Buddha as simply an enlightened human being, see the Dharma as the essence of the 84,000 different teachings that the Buddha gave to various types of people based on their propensity and capacity.
"Dharma" usually refers not only to the sayings of the Buddha but also to the later traditions of interpretation and addition that the various schools of Buddhism have developed to help explain and expand upon the Buddha's teachings. For others still, they see the dharma as referring to the "origin".

Qualities of Buddha Dharma

The Teaching of the Buddha also has six supreme qualities:
  1. (Svakkhato) The Dharma is not a speculative philosophy, but is the Universal Law found through enlightenment and is preached precisely. Therefore it is Excellent in the beginning (Sīla — Moral principles), Excellent in the middle (Samadhi — Concentration) and Excellent in the end (Pańña — Wisdom),
  2. (Samditthiko) The Dharma can be tested by practice and therefore he who follows it will see the result by himself through his own experience.
  3. (Akāliko) The Dharma is able to bestow timeless and immediate results here and now, for which there is no need to wait until the future or next existence.
  4. (Ehipassiko) The Dharma welcomes all beings to put it to the test and come and see for themselves.
  5. (Opāneyiko) The Dharma is capable of being entered upon and therefore it is worthy to be followed as a part of one's life.
  6. (Paccattam veditabbo viññūnhi) The Dharma can be perfectly realized only by the noble disciples (Ariyas) who have matured and enlightened enough in supreme wisdom.
Knowing these attributes, Buddhists believe that they will attain the greatest peace and happiness through the practice of their Dharma. Each person is therefore fully responsible for himself to put it in the real practice.

Dharmas in Buddhist phenomenology

  1. Dukkha - Suffering (Pali: Dukkha),
  2. Anitya - Change/Impermanence (Pali: Anicca),
  3. Anatman - No-I (Pali: Annatta).
At the heart of Buddhism, is the denial of an "I" (and hence the delusion) as a separate self-existing entity.
When all dharmas are empty, what is endless? What has an end? What is endless and with an end? What is not endless and not with an end? What is it? What is other? What is permanent? What is impermanent? What is impermanent and permanent? What is neither?
Auspicious is the pacification of phenomenal metastasis, the pacification of all apprehending; There is no dharma whatsoever taught by the Buddha to whomever, whenever, wherever. --Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, , 25:22-24

Dharma as righteousness

According to S. N. Goenka, teacher of Vipassana Meditation, the original meaning of dhamma is "dhareti ti dhamma", or "that which is contained". Dharma in the Buddhist scriptures has a variety of meanings, including "phenomenon" and "nature" or "characteristic". Dharma also means 'mental contents' and is paired with citta, which means heart/mind. The pairing is paralleled with the pairing of kaya (body) and vedana (feelings or sensations, that which arise within the body but experienced through the mind), in major sutras such as the Mahasatipatthana sutra. Dharma is also used to refer to the teachings of the Buddha, not in the context of the words of one man, even an enlightened man, but as a reflection of natural law which was re-discovered by this man and shared with the world. A person who lives their life with an understanding of this natural law, is a "dhammic" person, which is often translated as "righteous".

Dharma in Ch'an

Dharma is employed in Ch'an in a specific context in relation to transmission of authentic doctrine, understanding and bodhi; recognized in Dharma transmission.

In Sikhism



Congregational worship includes the following:
  1. Paath - Reading of the Holy scriptures
  2. Kirtan - Singing of Shabads (hymns).
  4. Community Centre - Today, in most countries, a Gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship, also serves as a centre to promote Sikh culture and such other needs of the community.

Scriptures and Dharma

  1. Sikh is bound by Dharma: The followers of this faith are bound by Dharma as advocated in their holy scriptures. The committed Sikh is encouraged to follow this path at all times. The first recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib called the Japji Sahib says the following: ''"The path of the faithful shall never be blocked. The faithful shall depart with honor and fame. The faithful do not follow empty religious rituals. The faithful are firmly bound to the Dharma. Such is the Name of the Immaculate Lord. Only one who has faith comes to know such a state of mind."'' (14) (Guru Granth Sahib Japji page 3.)
  3. Dharma administered by God: The scriptures further outline how the "Judge of Dharma" administers justice depending on the way that one has conducted life on Earth. The soul is either "cleared" or "subject to God's command" depending on the review of the person history. The holy text says: "The Righteous Judge of Dharma, by the Hukam of God's Command, sits and administers True Justice". (Guru Granth Sahib page 38) (4) and those followers who "chant the name of the Lord" are cleared as outlined thus: "Her account is cleared by the Righteous Judge of Dharma, when she chants the Name of the Lord, Har, Har." (Guru Granth Sahib page 78) 5

In Jainism

Dharma is natural. Jain Acharya Samantabhadra writes: "Vatthu sahavo dhammo" the dharma is the nature of an object. It is the nature of the soul to be free, thus for the soul, the dharma ia paralaukika, beyond worldly. However the nature of the body is to seek self-preservation and be engaged in pleasures.
Thus there are two dharmas.

The two Dharmas

Acharya Haribhadra (approx. 6-7th cent.) discusses dharma in Dharma-Bindu. he writes (Translation by Y. Malaiya):
Because of the difference in practice, dharma is of two kinds, for the householders and for the monks.
Of the householder's dharma, there are two kinds,"ordinary" and "special"
The ordinary dharma of the householder should be carried out according to tradition, such that it is not objectionable, according to ones abilities such as wealth, in accordance with nyaya (everyone treated fairly and according to laws).
Somadeva suri (10th c.) terms the "ordinary" and "special" dharmas laukika ("worldly") and pralaukika ("extra-worldly") respectively:
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A householder follows both laukika and the paralaukika dharmas at the same time.

References in pop culture


  • The Dharma Initiative is a fictional research project featured in the American television series Lost shown on ABC. It was introduced in the second season episode "Orientation". During the Lost Experience it was revealed that "DHARMA" is an acronym for Department of Heuristics And Research on Material Applications. The Dharma Initiative brought together "scientists and free thinkers" from around the globe at a "large-scale communal research compound" to conduct research in various disciplines, including meteorology, psychology, parapsychology, zoology, electromagnetism, and a sixth discipline that the orientation film begins to identify as "utopian social-" before being cut off.


  • Donald Roeser, guitarist for Blue Öyster Cult listed his name on albums as "Buck Dharma."
  • Up Dharma Down, a Filipino band, whose curious name is from the idea that everything in existence is connected no matter how diverse they are.
  • FM (Canadian band), wrote a song called Dialing For Dharma, which can be found on the album Black Noise.
  • The song Darkside of Aquarius by Iron Maiden (band) frontman Bruce Dickinson is about the heralds of Apocalypse, and about the wheel of dharma, which will not stop unless "From the starlit sky on the silver sea a lonely silver surfer comes to push the wheel for me". In the lyrics this wheel is also called the "wheel of torment".



Further reading

  1. Murthy, K. Krishna. "Dharma - Its Etymology." The Tibet Journal, Vol. XXI, No. 1, Spring 1966, pp. 84-87.
  2. Radhakrishnan, S. (1923): "Indian Philosophy Vol.1" (2nd Edition). New Delhi: Oxford India Paperbacks (Oxford University Press).
  3. Hume, R.E.: (1921): "The Thirteen Principal Upanishads" (2nd Edition, Revised). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  4. Easwaran, E. (1987): "The Upanishads" (Seventh Printing). Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press.
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