Key Terms/Dharmatā
Basic Meaning
The true nature of phenomenal existence.
See page 252: In Sanskrit, “the nature of reality,” or “the nature of things,” interpreted in Chinese as the “dharma-nature”; the intrinsic nature (svabhāva) of dharmas, which is constant (nitya) and transcends all discriminative phenomena. Dharmatā is also sometimes used to mean “the way things are,” and is used interchangeably with other terms that have the connotation of “the real nature of things,” such as “suchness,” or “things as they are” (tathatā), dharma realm (dharmadhātu), emptiness (śūnyatā), the “real end” (bhūtakoṭi ), ultimate truth (paramārthasatya), etc., and is sometimes used in compound with those terms.
1) nature, innate nature, true nature of reality, dharmata, real condition of existence, reality, isness, nature-of-things, fact, [absolute / true nature], nature of things, the actual nature of phenomena, real nature. 2) quality, character, law, pure being, [in context of ultimate nature] - nature [in mundane context]. the great emptiness of all things. the ultimate content of what is. dharmata, reality; pure being, [in context of ultimate nature] - nature [in mundane context]. intrinsic nature [thd]
1) rang gshis sam rang bzhin/ ... lo rgyus kyi chos nyid/ ... 'bad rtsol la ma brten par rang 'dod 'bras bu chos nyid kyis 'thob mi yong/ ... 2) rang bzhin stong pa nyid/ ...
