The Buddha and his teachings - OCRThe Dhamma

The Dhamma and the Three Jewels

The Dhamma is the Buddha’s teachings. The word ‘dhamma’ comes from two Sanskrit words that mean ‘to uphold’ (or ‘to keep’) and ‘the law’.

Another key Buddhist concept is the Three Jewels (also called the Triratna).

These are:

• the Buddha
• the Dhamma
• the Sangha

Wheel of Life

According to Buddhist belief, the true nature of existence is expressed in the Wheel of Life. It was originally developed in Tibet as a teaching aid. The wheel shows the interconnectedness of all things, held together by craving. This can be expressed as ‘dependent origination’ or ‘conditionality’.

Dependent origination or conditionality

Pratityasamutpada means ‘dependent origination’ or ‘conditionality’. This idea is crucial in Buddhist thought. It is one of the key principles of the Dhamma. It can best be understood as the interconnectedness of all existence.

• Dependent origination – this means that nothing exists without something else causing it to exist. Nothing has an independent origin. Instead, everything is dependent for its origin on something else.
• Conditionality – because existence is dependent on previous or connecting factors, it is conditional. One thing can only happen because of conditions that already exist. This also means that if conditions change or cease to exist, aspects of existence that depend on these conditions also change or cease to exist.

These two connected concepts are a way to understand and make sense of life. For example, a person experiences sensations in their body because they have senses, they experience craving because they are overloaded with sensation, and they experience grasping because they want to satisfy their cravings.

The 12 nidanas

The 12 nidanas, or ‘links’, are shown in the Wheel of Life. They are states of mind that are themselves dependent on previous states of mind.

Lakshanas – the Three Marks of Existence

An essential part of the Buddha’s Dhamma is the three lakshanas, or Three Marks of Existence. ‘Lakshanas’ can be translated as ‘marks’ or ‘signs’. These are three fundamental marks of reality, sometimes also called the Three Universal Truths.

Anicca

Anicca means that nothing in the universe is fixed – nothing stays the same and everything will change. Some things change quickly, such as the waves in the sea. Some things change so slowly we do not recognise it, such as coastal erosion. Anicca means ‘impermanence’. This fundamental mark of existence reminds Buddhists that nothing is fixed or stable.

Anatta

As everything in the universe changes, so too do human beings. People might believe that our personalities are fixed but this is a mistake. Our feelings, beliefs and characters, even our souls, change. Sometimes they change quickly and sometimes they change slowly, but they are not fixed. Anatta means ‘no self’.

Dukkha

Dukkha is another fundamental mark of existence. It refers to the fact that people suffer. Life is unsatisfactory, bringing pain, fear and longing. The impermanence of existence (anicca) means that pleasant experiences do not last. Human desires and goals are always shifting (anatta), and life can seem meaningless. Dukkha means the ‘unsatisfactoriness’ of existence.