AN 7.83, the only definition of 'Dhamma' that really matters, and examples of why 'dhamma' can't be "mental quality" in many places like 'right effort'

Re: Definition/meaning of Dhamma

Post by frank k » Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:12 am

Assaji wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:47 am...
You have to take in account the context. For example, "kusalā dhammā" is rather "skillful modes of conduct", as in the Apaṇṇaka Sutta (MN 60; M I 402,17):
...

'dhamma' needs to remain untranslated.
I dive into the reasons why here:
https://lucid24.org/tped/d/dhamma/index.html#dhamma

I can cite many examples where "kusalā dhammā" as "skillful modes of conduct"
would not work.

The primary meaning of Dhamma, is the teachings of the Buddha that lead directly to nirvana. So it's not just skillful qualities we're after, that's a huge class of actions, it's only those that lead to nirvana.

For example, take right effort and viriya indriya.
For example, being a skilled chef is a skillful quality, being a skilled judge is a skillful quality. But those are not the unarises skillful Dharmas that the Buddha wants us to undertake constantly.

Even skillful ethical qualities like being a kind and generous person, on its own (without Buddha DHARMA that leads to nirvana), will only lead to impermanent residence in the deva realms.

The only 'Dharma' definition that the Buddha is talking about, in formulas such as right effort, is this one:

AN 7.83 (it's almost the last sutta in AN 7, before the repetition series starts)
https://lucid24.org/an/an07/an07-v07/index.html#s83
That's mostly sujato translation there, so you can see the problem I point out, where he translated 'dhamma' as 'thing', where "DHARMA" is the kusala Dharma that right effort, right sati/remembering needs to constantly align with and perform.

‘ime dhammā ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattantī’ti;
certain things do lead solely to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and nirvana.

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