chos kyi dbyings

SA chos dbyings, sphere or purview of religion, basic space of phenomena [JV]

dharmadhatu, realm of dharmas [RY]

Realm of phenomena. 'dharmadhatu.' Dharmadhatu, absolute expanse. expanse of reality [RY]

Dharma-element, dharmadhatu [IW]

Dharma-element, dharmadhatu [as suchness, realm of dharmas, realm of phenomena sm gnas lugs gyi don, lit expanse of the dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of all dharmas, totality of existents, all-encompassing space, boundless space = voidness, openness, de bzhin nyid [IW]

basic space of phenomenal reality/ dharmadhatu [RY]

basic space [thd]

basic space of phenomena; dharmadhatu [RB]

Syn de bzhin nyid Dharma-element, Dharmadhatu, as suchness, realm of dharmas, realm of phenomena. Syn gnas lugs gyi don, lit. expanse of the Dharma, ultimate reality, synonym of voidness or openness, the realm of all dharmas, totality of existents, all-encompassing space, boundless space [RY]

Dharma expanse. DKC

Discussion

In the Great Vehicle, dharma expanse is generally considered equivalent to the ultimate truth. It is also equivalent to the term dharma nature (dharmata), but stresses the spacious quality of the experience of Noble equipoise.

The word dhatu in the Sanskrit compound dharmadhatu also has the sense of cause or potential. (In other contexts dhatu is often translated as element.) However, this sense does not carry over well into English, so it seems better to follow the lead of the Tibetan translators and translate it as dharma expanse.

It seems preferable to use actual English words to the Sanskrit as much as possible, and so dharma expanse is preferable to dharmadhatu. Although one could translate it as "phenomenal nature," it is necessary to use the word dharma in order to maintain the relationship between this word and the words dharma, dharma nature, and dharma base (chos, chos nyid, chos can). Although the word dharma itself is Sanskrit, it is commonly accepted in English and found in dictionaries whereas dharmadhatu is not. Whether you say dharma expanse or dharmadhatu, the meaning will not be apparent to beginners without explanation, but the term dharma expanse gives more information to English speakers about the nature of the experience than does dhatu. DKC