What is dharma?

The Dharma or the Dhamma is nothing complexe or mysterious at all. Dharma is the Norm or the Law of Nature. Also can we say that dharma or dhamma is the Truth, the Ultimate Reality of everything.

Blocked by defilement, one can not see the ultimate truth of dharma. By studying the Teaching of the Lord Buddha (1); practicing Dharma (2); one can then get to the essence of dharma or so-called the ultimate truth of everything (3).

The essence of Buddhism or of Dharma is then very simply the practicing of one's body and mind- in order to reach the very truth of one's body and mind, in order to reach the very truth of all natural beings and cause and effects.

Levels of Dharma

After attaining the enlightenment, Lord Buddha first felt that dharma seemed to be too difficult for most of people to understand as all the living beings are blocked by and are so used to the defilement. Then at last he decided to give the teaching. Anyway, all his Teachings can be in one aspect categorized in 2 kinds or 2 level: 1st Level is the dharma for those in household life; 2nd Level is the dharma for those who want to get to know the Ultimate Truth, to get to know the defilements, the Law of Cause and Effects, the Law of Karma (Kamma- a volitional action; action; deed; good and bad volition; work; job; activity; transaction).

So, when talking dharma, one should first know in each among the 2 levels or which of the 2 aspects of dharma one is talking about.

To get to see, touch and really know dharma, then, can be either practicing of dharma in real, household style of life or mixing up both of household life and serious dharma practice or practicing only serious dharma way of life (the adopting of the ascetic life; the ordination)

Why should one study or practice dharma?

As dharma is the Nature itself, to understand or to only living a life with dharma in the way of being in household life will bring one to a happy, peaceful kind of life that has no conflicts with the Law of Nature. Moreover, if one also seriously practice in order to get to the Englightenment by oneself, that person will then, with dharma, lead herself or himself to the Nirvana: the Utmost Happiness beyond the Wheel of Rebirth.

How to Know What is the Right Practice

As already mentioned elsewhere in this homepage, in order that one can get out of this wheel of sufferings (Wheel of Rebirth), one needs to practice Mindfulness and Vipassana-bhavana. These days, there are many different schools or different ways of practicing. Here are some informations to help guiding you to the right schools or the right way of teaching.

1) First of all- Ask yourself what your purpose is

If you are another one who would like to find out the truth about Life and everything, the pracitice of the four Foundations of Mindfulness and Vipassana-bhavana is exactly the answer.

If you see life as Unhappiness and/or Delusion and you would like to find a way out of all these, the practice of the four Foundations of Mindfulness and Vipassana-bhavana is exactly the answer.

2) Why Four Foundations of Mindfulness?
Why Insight Meditation (Vipassana-bhavana)?

As already mentioned elsewhere, Life, Rebirth and Sufferings are the outcome of 'Not-Knowing' (Avijja). So, in order to get to 'Know' (Vijja), one must observe and understand the nature of everything through a special way what is called the four Foundations of Mindfulness and Vipassana-bhavana (Insight Meditation).

Talking through the Ultimate truth of everything, all beings in this Wheel of Rebirth are nothing but a combination of body and mind. Or more in detail- a combination of the Five Aggregates (Panacakkhandha; the five groups of existence; the five casually conditioned elements of existence forming a being or entity, viz., corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness.)

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the Insight Meditation are the ways to enable one to observe and get to see the reality about the body and mind. Gradually, through this observation, one's mind will be developed, will come to 'Know' the truth behind our normal perception and belief about ourself and about the overall nature. This 'Knowing' is called Wisdom (Panna; knowledge; insight; discernment; reason). This is the wisdom resulting from mental development. This is understanding through practice. This is Bhavanamaya-panna.

3) Next- Find the right guide or teacher or school

Thus, any teachers or guides that tends to teach the mindfulness of our OWN Body and Mind (our own means means to look, observe and set up mindfullness in our each of us' body and mind, not in the other one else's body or mind), that teachers or guides tends to lead to the right way and the right kind of Wisdom we are talking about.

On the other hands, anything practice or anything else that leads to practice of miracles; a wonder of psychic power, marvel (Iddhipatihariya) or that leads to practice anything else apart from one's own body and mind, are not the way.

To emphasize the point, what one need to do in order to get enlightened and gain the Wisdom is to try observing one's own mind and body through setting up mindfulness and Vipassana-bhavana.