chos kyi dbyings

chos kyi dbyings

The sphere of dharmas, "the base of dharmas," "the ore of dharmas"—a synonym for the nature of things.

A synonym for emptiness or the ultimate nature of things (see i.4). This term is interpreted variously—given the many connotations of dharma / {chos}—as the sphere, element, or nature, of phenomena, reality, or truth. In this text it is used with this general, Mahāyāna sense, not to be confused with its rather different meaning in the Abhidharma as one of the twelve sense sources (āyatana) and eighteen elements (dhātu) related to mental perception.

Defined as the ultimate nature of phenomena, and also as the essence of the Dharma. Literally "the element of phenomena, or the Dharma." This term is also used to mean "the realm of phenomena," meaning all phenomena.

Defined in the commentary as the ultimate nature of phenomena, or the supreme among phenomena. Also defined as the essence of the Dharma. Literally "the element of phenomena, or the Dharma." This term is also used to mean "the realm of phenomena," meaning all phenomena.

In combination with pratītyasamutpāda (in this text {rten cing 'brel bar 'byung ba chos kyi dbyings}), the term dharmadhātu can refer to a type of Buddhist relic which is said to embody the essence of the Buddhist doctrine.

The "sphere of dharmas," a synonym for the nature of things.

The element, or nature, of ultimate reality.

This compound is actually metaphorical in sense, with (at least) two interpretations possible because of ambiguities in the word dhātu. Dhātu as in the expression kāmadhātu (desire-realm), may mean "realm"; or it may mean "element," as in the eighteen elements (see entry), where it is explained as analogous to a mineral such as copper. Thus the realm of the Dharma is the dharmakāyā, the pure source and sphere of the Dharma. And the element of the Dharma is like a mine from which the verbal Dharma, the buddha-qualities, and the wisdoms of the arhats and bodhisattvas are culled. This is metaphorical, as Vimalakīrti would remind us, because the Dharma, the ultimate, is ultimately not a particular place; it is immanent in all places, being the actuality and ultimate condition of all things and being relatively no one thing except, like voidness, the supremely beneficent of concepts.

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