Meaning of the word Dhamma / Dharma. Dharma is a well known anglicized Sanskrit word mostly translated with the term of teaching. The Pali version is Dhamma and has broad meaning as to be seen below in this original text from the Thai Buddhist organization (indented): In the original Pali language, the word "Dhamma" was used to refer to all of the Intricate and involved things that go to make up what one call Nature. Some major points the word "Dhamma" embraces: Nature itself; The Law of Nature; The duty of each human being to act in accordance with the Law of Nature; The benefits to be derived from this acting in accordance with the Law of Nature. There is a wide range of meaning covered by the word "Dhamma". It does not refer simply to books, palm-leaf manuscripts, or the voices of preachers. Dhamma is all-embracing; it is profound; it includes all things To clarify this meaning further from a different angle one can look at how the word Dhamma is used in context with other words and connected with the word parts in present day Thai language since it still reveals its. The Thai word for nature is ธรรมชาติ (DhammaChat) Where as the word part ธรรม (Dhamma) is translated to the word Dharma and the second part of the word, ชาติ (Chart) is translated into nation, state or realm Ergo the word nature would become something like Dharma nation, Dharma state or Dharma realm. To come to an in English sensible version of meaning for the Thai word Dhamma Chat (nature), one has to look at the correct English synonyms for the words state and realm, which there are; condition, shape, circumstances, situation and sphere. This leaves us with the more accurate translation of the Thai respectively Pali understanding for the English word nature which then is as follows: Dharma of condition, shape, circumstances, situation, sphere If one now stop using the habitual understanding of Dharma (Dhamma), as simply the word “teaching” and extends it to as above described additional meaning of ”law = regulation”, it starts to reveal its meaning. This leaves us with the more accurate translation of the Thai respectively Pali understanding for the English term nature which becomes:
Nature = ธรรมชาติ (DhammaChat) = regulation of condition, shape, circumstance, situation and sphere, Meaning; nature = the sphere of shape, condition, all situations and circumstances occurring. An often quoted phrase that is commonly known in Thai reads;
ธรรมชาติ
เกิด
ธรรม
(DhammaChat) Nature
(ghoet) births
(Dhamma) Dharma
This now translates into a more specific meaning of The wholesome regulations of conditions, shapes, circumstances, situation, and spheres gives birth to the teaching The essence of above translation is the meaning that all is already self-contained in ones own existence and one can say that the teaching is born and derived from Nature itself. In terms of Dhamma language, the Dhamma is one and the same as the Awakend One, as stated in following well known Pali text: "One who sees the Dhamma sees the Tathagata. One who sees the Tathagata sees the Dhamma."