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The Principles of Motion and Rest
literature have often used the expression et where the word Dharma means the Fahia the essence or the essential attributes of it. These latter senses of the word, Dharma have nothing to do with moral codes or legal acts or ethical principles but point, though but vaguely, to matters, to some extent metaphysical.
DHARMA IN BUDDHIST LITERATURE
In the Buddhist literature also, Dharma is ordinarily understood to mean a moral act or a system of moral practices. Occasionally, however, the Buddhists invested the word with a super-ethical significance. In such cases, Dharma stood for the Cosmic Law e.g. 'the Law of Progressive Causality' or 'the Law of Impermanence'. In many places, again, the Buddhists stepped further into the strictly metaphysical sphere and identified Dharma with the nature', 'the essence' or 'the attribute' of a substance. DHARMA IN JAINA METAPHYSICS
In the Jaina system, Dharma has a peculiar sense in addition to its above-noted significance, ethical or otherwise. It is described as the fatture or the cause of Motion, a non-psychical Real, which, like the Kāla or the principle of mutation or Ākāśa or space is formeless (BTH). It is said to pervade the whole of the Lokākāśa or 'filled space' and has innumerable (Asamkhyeya) Pradeśas or parts. It is immaterial and eternal. It does not extend to the Aloka or the infinite void space.'
THE NATURE OF DHARMA
The absence of taste, colour, etc. in Dharma disting
1 The author of the Pancāsti-kāya-Samayasāra says---
धम्मत्थिकायमरसं अवन्नगंध असद्दमप्फासं।
लोगागाढं पुठं, पिहुलमसंथा दियपेदसं । Dharma is a substance which has not the qualitics of taste, colour, smell, sound and contact. It prevades the whole of the filled space and is noncomposite, although it has innumerable parts.
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