Truth; transcendent spiritual qualities; the Buddha’s Teaching. First
and foremost, Dhamma is the quintessential nature of perfect har-
mony existing in and of itself, independent of all phenomena, yet
permeating every aspect of sentient existence. Dhamma is the right
natural order of things that forms the underlying basis for all exist-
ence, though it is not dependent on or conditioned by any form
of existence. Ultimately, Dhamma is the sum of those transcend-
ent qualities, such as detachment, loving kindness and wisdom, the
spiritual perfection of which brings the mind into harmony with
the Supreme Truth. By further extension, Dhamma encompasses
the basic principles that are the essence of the Buddha’s Teaching,
including the patterns of behavior that should be practiced so as to
harmonize oneself with the right natural order of things.
dhammã: Elemental factors of experience; the intrinsic essence of some-
thing; mental phenomena.
dhutanga: Ascetic practices. The dhutangas are a set of 13 specialized
ascetic practices that Buddhist monks voluntarily undertake. Their
purpose in each case is to counteract specific mental defilements
(kilesas). They are: 1) Wearing only robes made from discarded cloth;
2) Wearing only the three principle robes and no others; 3) Going
on almsround everyday without fail; 4) Not omitting any house on
almsround; 5) Eating only one meal per day; 6) Eating all food
directly from the alms bowl; 7) Refusing to accept food offered after
the almsround; 8) Living in the forest; 9) Dwelling at the foot of a
tree; 10) Living in the open – not at the foot of a tree or under a
roof; 11) Living in a cemetery; 12) Being satisfied with whichever
bed or resting place is available; 13) The sitter’s practice; that is to
say, sitting, standing or walking, but never lying down.
dukkha: Suffering, pain, discontent; the unsatisfactory nature of all phe-
nomena. Dukkha is the condition of fundamental discontent that
is inherent within the very nature of all sentient existence. Essen-
tially, it is the underlying sense of dissatisfaction that ultimately
undermines even the most pleasant experiences, for everything in
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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