Of all Buddhist terminology, the word Dhamma commands the widest, most comprehensive meaning. There is nothing that does not come within the purview of this word. In fact, all things, animate or inanimate, all phenomena, those that can be seen or felt and those beyond our empirical perception, all conditioned and unconditioned states, can be included in the term Dhamma. However, Dhamma as one of the Three Gems is that which is represented by the teachings of the Buddha.

The late Venerable Buddhadasa, one of the most influential thinkers and Dhamma exponents in contemporary Thailand, explains the meaning of the term by a fourfold definition. According to this, Dhamma means (a) the state of nature as it is, (b) the laws of nature, (c) the duties that must be performed in accordance with the laws of nature, and (d) the results that are derived from the fulfillment of such duties. This definition, he claims, represents the true and complete picture of Dhamma, and is inclusive of all things which the term refers to.

Buddhadasa's explanation closely follows the pattern of the Four Noble Truths, found in the very first discourse of the Buddha. The first Truth deals with dukkha (suffering), a Pali term which characterizes all things that exist. Dukkha represents the state of nature as it is, which is the first of the four definitions of Dhamma. The second Truth deals with the cause of dukkha, comparable with the laws of nature, for it is on the laws of nature that things (dukkha) arise, function, and cease. The third Truth deals with the extinction of dukkha, a state of complete freedom experienced as a result (fourth definition) of the efforts to fulfill the duty of Dhamma. The fourth Truth deals with the path leading to the cessation of dukkha, which is comparable to the third definition of Dhamma (duty to be fulfilled according to the laws of nature). By treading the path of Dhamma (performing duties) one obtains results proportionate to one's endeavor -- being free from dukkha.

Understanding the Dhamma in its broadest sense, according to the doctrine of the four Noble Truths, helps us to see how closely it is related to our lives and how we can perceive all aspects of our lives and activities in the light of the Dhamma. For example, we can clearly see Dhamma in our experience of hunger, something very common in life. Hunger is part of nature, a natural state of existence, which we feel the way it is (dukkha). It arises, according to the laws of nature, from certain conditions -- namely, lack of food. Nature further dictates that we must perform appropriate duties with regard to hunger, that is, we take necessary actions according to the laws of nature (fourth Noble Truth) by eating. As a result, hunger is appeased and we experience freedom from its pains (third Noble Truth).

Of course, this is simply an analogy of how an ordinary experience may be perceived from the perspective of the Dhamma. It does not specifically mean that eating constitutes the fourth Noble Truth, nor is the extinction of physical hunger really the third Truth as intended by the Buddha. The analogy demonstrates the practical purpose that understanding the Dhamma in relation to our direct experiences, and in the light of the Four Noble Truths, serves, especially since such an attitude enables us to live constantly in the presence of the Dhamma itself. The fourfold definition of Dhamma points to the infinite scope of the term as well as the inseparability of life and Dhamma.

A selection of enlightening Dhamma texts can be found --> here