The Dharma
I was interested in the dharma and what it meant to Buddha. Firstly, it was interesting how, when Buddha was asked about who would succeed him, he stated that his teaching should be the teacher. This is what is meant by dharma, and direct translation defines it as, ‘path’, ‘virtue’, ‘quality’, ‘vow’, and ‘nirvana’. Nineteenth century scholars define it as ‘the law’. This makes sense because Buddha referred to his teachings in this way. He believed that his teachings didn’t require a teacher, only people to obey the teachings, or rather, the dharma, or the law.
I also find it interesting that when Buddha was gone, the people didn’t require substitutes for him, but there was belief that the validity of the dharma was decreasing and it would, potentially disappear. However, this should not have even happened because Buddha said that his teachings did not require a teacher to carry them on. Also, it seems strange that the legitimacy of a religion can just go away. If it is a religion, and people believe, then it should not just fade away.
