In short: in Buddhism, dharma (Pāli: dhamma) means the Buddha's teaching, and the truth it points to. It is the second of the Three Jewels. The traditional description: "The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves." (SN 11.3).
Six qualities
"The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves."
SN 11.3
- ✦ Well explained
- ◎ Seen here and now, not only after death
- ⚡ Immediately effective
- 🔍 Come and see: test it yourself (Kālāma Sutta)
- ➜ Leads onward
- ♡ Known personally by the wise
Try it
The Four Noble Truths · What is Buddhism? · 3 minutes of practice
Questions people ask
What does dharma mean in Buddhism?
Dharma (Pāli: dhamma) means the Buddha's teaching and the truth it describes. The Buddha called it 'apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection' (SN 11.3).