When reading the suttas or having a delightful talk with other people we do not need to look far to see that dhamma is all around us and within us. But to see dhamma even in the troubled part of the world that is something many peole do struggle with. Often i have been asked. How can you say dhamma is everywhere, when we see how the world is struggeling.
But it is not the dhamma that is troubled, it is humans ignorance and greed that lead to trouble in this world, is it not?
Do you see dhamma all around you? can you see that living in the present moment is a way to fully see that dhamma is not just words, but action, thoughts and speech done by our self.
Dhamma is used in many contexts and IMO the Dhamma that you refer to is the truth, universal law or principle.
Ignorance is not understanding this truth and greed is the response which entails consequences.
I see Dhamma everywhere and living in the present moment for me is understanding Dhamma as Dhamma and not reacting in any way.
With Metta
Dhamma is a universal law, but it has to be activated through human will. Itâs not a case of employing equanimity in every situation, effort is required, and equanimity itself has an agenda:
âWhen I exert a [physical, verbal, or mental] fabrication against this cause of stress, then from the fabrication of exertion there is dispassion. When I look on with equanimity at that cause of stress, then from the development of equanimity there is dispassion.â So he exerts a fabrication against the cause of stress where there comes dispassion from the fabrication of exertion, and develops equanimity with regard to the cause of stress where there comes dispassion from the development of equanimity. Thus the stress coming from the cause of stress for which there is dispassion through the fabrication of exertion is exhausted & the stress resulting from the cause of stress for which there is dispassion through the development of equanimity is exhausted. "âMN 101
When we say Dhamma in Buddhism for instance in Satipathana (investigation Dahmma) refers to 37 Bodhipakkya Dhamma. Investigating five hindrances also a part of Dhamma investigation.
In my opinion this all covers the Dhamma in the world.
Whether the dhamma is âeverywhereâ in some sense or not, the First Noble Truth still applies. We know there is suffering. So the âeverywherenessâ would have to incorporate that Truth.
When the mind become calm/silent (understanding of )dhamma arise very easy and become wisdom , our coultivation of the teaching of dhamma lead us to live by the dhamma so we become dhamma in action, speech and thought. ( in my understanding)
This is what i mean by within us
But in DN 27, both dhamma and brahma is used to describe the Realized One
For these are terms for the Realized One: âthe embodiment of truthâ, and âthe embodiment of holinessâ, and âthe one who has become the truthâ, and âthe one who has become holyâ.
This is quite true. But I would hesitate to express this in this way: the fact that we see a frog does not necessitate that the frog is in us. (I certainly hope not!) There are already words for the internal manifestation of dhamma that the Buddha gave us: sÄ«la, samadhi, pañña. When you say that what is externally taught is within you, youâre blurring the lines. Very common in Mahayana, but not so in Early Buddhism.
The Hindu (or Vedic) metaphysical concept of Brahman has nothing to do with the suttas. A form of the word is used to describe the god-like qualities of the Buddha, but only with reference to his attainment of nibbana and his status as the Tathagata. Elements of the Hindu (or Vedic) world ended up in the suttas, but they were included only to demonstrate that even beings of seemingly infinite power took the Buddha as their teachers. Such was the power of his message. (There is also the question of the cultural context in which the suttas were written, but Iâm looking at this from a âtheological-constructiveâ point of view.)
Thank you for your reply Dhammadharo.
My wording may lack some because English is my second language and writing the english language when trying to express something important, is still a bit of a struggle for me.
And i do like when people correct me, that is one way i can learn more both in dhamma and in language
The Brahman is everywhere, too. So do the Force!
