Steinert App Dictionaries/06-Hopkins-Comment/536

don byed nus pa

Comment: This is the definition of thing (dngos po). In the Great Exposition School even permanent phenomena have the capacity to perform a function, such as uncompounded space capacity to allow the placement or movement of objects. In the SUtra School and above, having the capacity to perform a function refers to the function of producing effects, and thus the reference is only to impermanent phenomena.