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Dhamma (Pali) or Dharma (Sanskrit) in Buddhism has three meanings: The Universal Law of Nature. – The teachings of the Buddha which apply an understanding of this law to the conduct of human life. A phenomenon and/or its properties. Linguistic variants – In East Asia, the character for Dharma is pronounced fa in Mandarin Chinese, ho in Japanese and beob in Korean. The Tibetan translation of this term is chos (Tibetan; Lhasa dialect IPA). In Uyghur, Mongolian, and some other Central Asian languages, it is nom, which derives from the Ancient Greek word, nómos, meaning “law”. In South and Southeast Asian Theravada areas, Dhamma, romanisation of the Pali word, is used more than Dharma, the romanisation of the Sanskrit word. Dharma within Indian Religions – Religion in India is referred to as Dharma, a word which signifies a particular life-path or lifestyle (see Dharma). Therefore a Jain practises Jain-dharma; a Hindu follows Sanatana-dharma; and a Buddhist practices Buddha-dharma. Each of these formulations signifies that a person is following a particular religious form with its own rules and practises. The word Buddhism was invented by British scholars and Christian missionaries who were trying to make sense of Indian religion during the nineteenth century. Just as Latin and Greek have been the languages of Christian scripture throughout the greater part of Christianity’s history Sanskrit has in the main been the medium of transmission for Buddhist scriptures during its spread to other Asian countries (particularly to the North and North-East of India). Throughout these countries what is today called in the West Buddhism has been referred to for centuries as it is today as Buddha-dharma. Since dharma refers to a particular life-path, Buddha-dharma signifies the path of the Buddha (namely the path of disciplined practise that Gautama Buddha undertook and espoused). Dhamma-vinaya; the Buddha’s Path of Practice – Gautama Buddha referred to the path that he prescribed his students as dhamma-vinaya (dhamma is the Pali variant spelling of Sanskrit dharma) which means this path of discipline (vinaya means discipline). The path of the Buddhas (Gautama Buddha saw himself as one in a long line of Buddhas stretching back into remote antiquity) is a path of self-imposed discipline. This discipline involves celibacy (Brahmacarya), a strict code of ethical behaviour (Sila) and effort in the cultivation of mindfulness and wisdom.

The expression “The Dharma” is often used in the Buddhist Scriptures as a euphemism for the Buddha’s teachings and their scriptural recension (e.g. the Vinaya and Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon), and can more broadly include the later traditions of interpretation and exegesis that the various schools of Buddhism have developed to help explain and expand upon the Buddha’s teachings. In later Mahayana tradition, this was seen as the 84,000 different teachings (the Kangyur/bka.’gyur) that the Buddha gave to various types of people based on their needs. In this sense of being synonymous with the Buddha’s teachings the Dharma constitutes one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism in which practitioners of Buddhism take refuge (what one relies on for his/her lasting happiness). The three jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha (mind’s perfection of enlightenment), the Dharma (teachings and methods), and the Sangha (awakened beings who provide guidance and support). Understanding Nature; dhamma vicaya – The cultivation and attainment of wisdom is part of the goal and practise of Buddhism. In order to attain wisdom one must best costumes for Halloween understand the nature of things (the dharma) and part of the practise of Buddhism is the investigation of Nature – dhamma-vicaya. This means to adopt an objective, scientific approach to understanding the causal relationships between various phenomena. The Buddha himself has been called a great or even a super-scientist because his teachings on the way out of suffering use analyses of the causal relationships between the different factors which constitute mind and body. The crowning achievement of this analysis is the doctrine of dependent origination. The Buddha’s Dharma Body – The qualities of the Dharma (Law, truth) are the same as the qualities of the Buddha and form his “truth body” or “Dhamma Kaya”: In the Samyutta Nikaya, Vakkali Sutta, Buddha said to his disciple Vakkali that, “Yo kho Vakkali dhamma passati so ma passati” – Vakkali, whoever sees the Dhamma, sees me [the Buddha] Another reference from the Agganna Sutta of the Digha Nikaya, says to his disciple Vasettha: “Tathagatassa h’etam Vasettha adivacanam Dhammakayo iti pi …”: – Vasettha! The Word of Dhammakaya is indeed the name of the Tathagata

Qualities of Buddha Dharma

The Teaching of the Buddha also has six supreme qualities: Svakkhato (Sanskrit: Svakhyata “well proclaimed”). Buddhists claim that the Dhamma is not a speculative philosophy, but is the Universal Law found through – enlightenment and is preached precisely. Obviously this could be considered to be false since all religion, and to a certain extent all philosophy, is necessarily – speculative philosophy. But, they say that it is excellent in the beginning (sila – Sanskrit sila – moral principles), excellent in the middle (samadhi – concentration) and excellent in the end (pañña – Sanskrit prajña . . . Wisdom). Sandihiko (Sanskrit: Sadika “able to be examined”). The Dhamma can be tested by practice and therefore he who follows it will see the result by himself through his own experience. Akaliko (Sanskrit: Akalika “timeless, immediate”). The Dhamma 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. Dhamma is not changing with the time and it is not relative to time Ehipassiko (Sanskrit: Ehipasyika “which you can come and see” — from the phrase ehi, pasya “come, see!”). The Dhamma welcomes all beings to put it to the test and come see for themselves. Opanayiko (Sanskrit: Avapraayika “leading one close to”). The Dhamma is capable of being entered upon and therefore it is worthy to be followed as a part of one’s life. In the “Vishuddhimagga” this is also referred to as “Upanayanam.” Paccatta veditabbo viññuhi (Sanskrit: Pratyatma veditavyo vijñai “To be personally known by the wise”). The Dhamma 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 the Dhamma. Each person is therefore fully responsible for himself to put it in the real practice. Here the Buddha is compared to an experienced and skillful doctor, and the Dhamma to proper medicine. However efficient the doctor or wonderful the medicine may be, the patients cannot be cured unless they take the medicine properly. So the practice of the Dhamma is the only way to attain the final deliverance of Nibbana. These teachings ranged from understanding karma (Pali: kamma) (literal meaning ‘action’)) and developing good impressions in one’s mind, to reach full enlightenment by recognizing the nature of mind. Dharmas in Buddhist phenomenology – Other uses include dharma, normally spelled in transliteration with a small “d” (this differentiation is impossible in the South Asian scripts used to write Sanskrit), which refers to a phenomenon or constituent factor of human experience. This was gradually expanded into a classification of constituents of the entire material and mental world. Rejecting the substantial existence of permanent entities which are qualified by possibly changing qualities, Buddhist Abhidharma philosophy, which enumerated seventy-five dharmas, came to propound that these “constituent factors” are the only type of entity that truly exists. This notion is of particular importance for the analysis of human experience: Rather than assuming that mental states inhere in a cognizing subject, or a soul-substance, Buddhist philosophers largely propose that mental states alone exist as “momentary elements of consciousness”, and that a subjective perceiver is assumed. One of the central tenets of Buddhism, is the denial of a separate permanent “I”, and is outlined in the three marks of existence. The three signs: 1. Dukha (Pali: Dukkha) – Suffering, 2. Anitya (Pali: Anicca) – Change/Impermanence, 3. Anatman (Pali: Anatta) – Non-self. At the heart of Buddhism, is the realization of no “self” or “I” (and hence the delusion) as a separate self-existing entity. Later, Buddhist philosophers like Nagarjuna would question whether the dharmas (momentary elements of consciousness) truly have a separate existence of their own. (ie Do they exist apart from anything else?) Rejecting any inherent reality to the dharmas, he asked (rhetorically): sunyeu sarvadharmeu kim ananta kim antavat – kim anantam antavac ca nananta nantavac ca ki – ki tad eva kim anyat ki sasvata kim asasvata – asasvata sasvata ca ki va nobhayam apyata – sarvopalambhopasama prapañcopasama siva – na kvacit kasyacit kascid dharmo buddhena desita – 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. —Mulamadhyamakakarika, nirvaaparika, 25:22-24

Meanings of “Dharma”

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. In major sutras (for example, the Mahasatipatthana sutra), the dharma/citta 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). Dharma means the source of things and Truth. 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”. The Buddha would teach the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Marks of Existence, and other guidelines in order to achieve the freedom and liberation from suffering. Hsuan Hua (Traditional Chinese; Hanyu Pinyin: Xuanhuà; literal meaning: “proclaim and transform”; April 16, 1918 – June 7, 1995), also known as An Tzu and Tu Lun, was a Chan (Zen) Buddhist monk and an important figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States in the 20th century. Hsuan Hua founded several institutions in the US. The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA) is a Buddhist organization with chapters in North America and Asia. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah, California is one of the first Chan Buddhist monasteries in America. The Dharma Realm Buddhist University is a Buddhist college, and the Buddhist Text Translation Society works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures from Chinese into English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and many other languages. Early life – Hsuan Hua, a native of Shuangcheng County of Jilin Province, was born Bai Yushu on April 16, 1918. His parents were devout Buddhists. At an early age, Hua became a vegetarian like his mother, and decided to become a Buddhist monk. At the age of 15, he took refuge in the Triple Gem under the Venerable Chang Zhi. That same year he began to attend school and studied texts of various Chinese schools of thought, and the fields of Radley Bags medicine, divination, astrology, and physiology. At 19 years of age, Hua became a monastic, under the Dharma name An Tzu. Bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States – In 1959, Hsuan Hua sought to bring Chinese Buddhism to the west. He instructed his disciples in America to establish a Buddhist association, initially known as The Buddhist Lecture Hall, which was renamed the Sino-American Buddhist Association before taking its present name: the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. Hsuan Hua traveled to Australia in 1961 and taught there for one year, returning to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of American Buddhists, he traveled to the United States, his intent was to “come to America to create Patriarchs, to create Buddhas, to create Bodhisattvas”. San Francisco – Hsuan Hua resided in San Francisco, where he built a lecture hall. Hsuan Hua began to attract young Americans who were interested in meditation. He conducted daily meditation sessions and frequent Sutra lectures. At that time, the Cuban missile crisis occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union, and Hsuan Hua embarked on a fasting period for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace. In 1967, Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the Tianhou Temple. His First American Sangha – In 1968, Hsuan Hua held a Shurangama Study and Practice Summer Session.

Over thirty students from the University of Washington in Seattle came to study the Buddha’s teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans (Bhiku Heng Chyan, Heng Jing, and Heng Shou, and Bhikuis Heng Yin and Heng Ch’ih) requested permission to take full ordination. Hsuan Hua’s Vision of American Buddhism – With the founding of his American Sangha, Hsuan Hua embarked on his personal vision for American Buddhism: Bringing the true and proper teachings of the Buddha to the West and establishing a proper monastic community of the fully ordained Sangha here – Organizing and supporting the translation of the entire Buddhist canon into English and other Western languages – Promoting wholesome education through the establishment of schools and universities – Hosting Ordination Ceremonies – Because of the increasing numbers of people who wished to become monks and nuns under Hsuan Hua’s guidance, in 1972 he decided to hold ordination ceremonies at Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms have been held at the City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people have received full ordination. Over two hundred people from countries all over the world were ordained under him. Theravada and Mahayana traditions – Having traveled to Thailand and Burma in his youth to investigate the Southern Tradition of Buddhism, Hsuan Hua wanted to bridge what he perceived as a rift between the Northern (Mahayana) and Southern (Theravada) traditions. In an address to Ajahn Sumedho and the monastic community at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery on October 6, 1990, Hsuan Hua stated: In Buddhism, we should unite the Southern and Northern traditions. From now on, we won’t refer to Mahayana or Theravada. Mahayana is the “Northern Tradition” and Theravada is the “Southern Tradition.” [...] Both the Southern and the Northern Traditions’ members are disciples of the Buddha, we are the Buddha’s descendants. As such, we should do what Buddhists ought to do. [...] No matter the Southern or the Northern Tradition, both share the common purpose of helping living beings bring forth the Bodhi-mind, to put an end to birth and death, and to leave suffering and attain bliss. On the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Hsuan Hua presented Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda of the Theravada tradition with an honorary Ph.D. He also donated a major piece of the land that would become Abhayagiri, the Theravada Buddhist Monastery in the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah, located in Redwood Valley, California. Hsuan Hua would also invite Bhikkhus from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination.

Chinese and American Buddhism

From July 18 to the 24th of 1987, Hsuan Hua hosted the Water, Land, and Air Repentance Dharma Assembly, a centuries old ritual often seen as the “king of dharma services” in Chinese Buddhism, at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and invited over seventy Buddhists from mainland China to attend. This was the first time the service was known to have been held in North America. On November 6, 1990, Hsuan Hua sent his disciples to Beijing to bring the Dragon Treasury edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon back to CTTB, furthering his goal of bringing Chinese Buddhism to the US. Death – On June 7, 1995, Hsuan Hua died in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. His sudden passing came as a shock to most of his disciples. Funeral – Hsuan Hua’s funeral lasted from June 8 to July 29. On June 17, Hsuan Hua’s body was taken from Southern to Northern California, returning to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. All major services during the funeral were presided over by Venerable Ming Yang, abbot of Longhua Temple in Shanghai and a longtime friend of Hsuan Hua’s. On July 28, monks from both Theravada and Mahayana traditions hosted a memorial ceremony and cremation. The two thousand and some followers from the United States, Canada, and various Asian and European countries, including many of Hsuan Hua’s American disciples, came to CTTB to take part in the funeral service. Letters of condolences from Buddhist monks and dignitaries, including from President Bush, were read during the memorial service. A day after the cremation, June 29, Hsuan Hua’s remains were scattered in the air above the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas by two disciples, Reverends Heng Sure and Heng Chau, one of Master Hua’s first disciples, in a hot air balloon. After the funeral, memorial services commemorating Hsuan Hua’s life were held in various parts of the world, such as Taiwan, China, and Canada. His sarira (bone fragments) were distributed to many of his temples, disciples and followers. Master Hua’s legacy – Many of his students remember Hsuan Hua as an eminent monk, a leader in sutra translation, and as an educator. The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (shortened to DRBA, Chinese, PY: Fajie Fuojiao Zonghui, formerly known as the Sino-American Buddhist Association) is an international, non-profit Buddhist organization founded by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua in 1959 to bring the orthodox teachings of the Buddha to the entire world. DRBA has branch monasteries in many countries and cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vancouver, as well as in Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia. History – The Sino-American Buddhist Association was founded in San Francisco, California in 1959. A small temple, the Buddhist Lecture Hall was started. The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua came over from Hong Kong in 1962 by plane, stopping over at Japan and Hawaii before arriving at San Francisco.

From 1962 to 1968 the Venerable Master lectured on the Lotus Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Amitabha Sutra among many other Buddhist sutras and texts. In June 1968 he began a 96-day intensive Study and Practice Summer Session for students and faculty from the University of Washington in Seattle. After the session had concluded, many of the participants remained in San Francisco to continue their studies with the Venerable Master. In that year five Americans (three Bhikshus, two Bhikshunis) were ordained, marking the beginning of the Sangha in the United States. In 1970 Gold Mountain Monastery, one of the first Chinese Buddhist temples in the United States was founded in San Francisco, and a Hundred Day Chan Session was begun. Vajra Bodhi Sea, a monthly journal of DRBA about Buddhist topics and teachings, was also founded in 1970. In 1972 the first Threefold Ordination Ceremony for the transmission of the complete precepts was held at Gold Mountain Monastery. In 1973 the Institute for the Translation of Buddhist Texts and Instilling Goodness Elementary School were founded in San Francisco. In the same year, Bhikshus Heng Ju and Heng Yo began a Three Steps One Bow pilgrimage from San Francisco to Seattle to pray for world peace – a hard journey over 1,000 miles. This was the first such pilgrimage in the history of American Buddhism. The site of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas was purchased in 1974, and in November of that year the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua led a delegation to propagate the Dharma in Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan and other places. The delegation lasted for three months, ending on January 12, 1975. Gold Wheel Monastery was founded in Los Angeles in 1975. In 1976 the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas completed the second Threefold Ordination Ceremony. Developing Virtue Secondary Schools and Dharma Realm Buddhist University were also founded. The next year Dharma Masters Heng Sure and Heng Chau began a second Three Steps, One Bow pilgrimage from Gold Wheel Monastery to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.