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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Beliefs and Doctrine

Dharma

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈdɑːmə/nounCommon term

In religious studies & theology, dharma means: A key idea in Indian religions meaning duty, law and the right order of things; in Buddhism it also refers to the teaching of the Buddha.

In Turkish: dharma, görev, kozmik düzen

How it is used

In Hindu thought, a person's dharma depends on their stage of life and social position, and many Hindus call their religion Sanatana Dharma, the 'eternal dharma'. In Buddhism, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha are the Three Jewels. Theravada texts use the Pali form dhamma.

Example sentences

  1. The Bhagavad Gita discusses Arjuna's dharma as a warrior.

  2. Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Common collocations

  • Sanatana Dharma
  • teach the Dharma
  • one's dharma
  • the Buddha's Dharma
  • karmaIn Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, the principle that a person's intentional actions have consequences that shape their future, including future lives.
  • HinduismA family of religious traditions that developed in South Asia, with no single founder, sharing scriptures such as the Vedas and ideas such as dharma, karma and rebirth.
  • BuddhismA religious and philosophical tradition based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India around the fifth century BCE.
  • VedasThe oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, composed in Sanskrit and passed down orally for many centuries; there are four Vedas, of which the Rigveda is the oldest.

More terms: Beliefs and Doctrine

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