Ten meanings of Dharma

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Ten Meanings of Dharma - Kyabjé Dudjom Rinpoche gives ten meanings for the term Dharma, quoting from Vasubandhu’s The Principles of Elucidation (Vyakhyayukti [Skt.], Namshé Rigpa [Tib.]):

  1. an object of knowledge,
  2. the path,
  3. nirvana,
  4. a mental object,
  5. merit,
  6. life,
  7. teachings of the Buddha,
  8. what is subject to age or change,
  9. religious vows, and
  10. spiritual tradition.

They all relate to the sense of ‘holding’, which is the meaning of dhṛ, the root of the word Dharma.