<p>Like sankhara, the term dhamma is very broad and means different things per different context. In the broadest sense, sankhara is a subset of dhamma, for dhamma includes not only conditioned phenomena/sankhara, but also unconditioned element/ASankhataDhatu, ie. Nibbana. See the Pali defitions for <a href="http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/b_f/dhamma.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhamma</a> and <a href="http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/s_t/sankhaara.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sankhara</a> further details.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-10T14:31:42.383Z
2020-08-10T14:31:42.383Z
santa100
<p>In the context of your description:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>sankhara</em> means conditioned things / phenomena.</li>
<li><em>dhamma</em> means all things / phenomena i.e. both conditioned and unconditioned things / phenomena</li>
</ul>
<p>What is unconditioned? Only <em>Nibbana</em> - it is that which is experienced by the mind, when it is completely free of all fetters and defilements.</p>
<p>What is conditioned? Everything else, including mental and physical phenomena / things.</p>
<p>&quot;<em>sabbe sankhara dukkha</em>&quot; means &quot;all conditioned things/ phenomena are suffering / unsatisfactoriness&quot;. This does not include <em>Nibbana</em>.</p>
<p>&quot;<em>sabbe sankhara anicca</em>&quot; means &quot;all conditioned things/ phenomena are impermanent&quot;. This does not include <em>Nibbana</em>.</p>
<p>&quot;<em>sabbe dhamma anatta</em>&quot; means &quot;all things/ phenomena are not self&quot;. This includes <em>Nibbana</em>.</p>
<p>From AccessToInsight's <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>dhamma</em> [Skt. <em>dharma</em>]:<br />
(1) Event; a phenomenon in and of itself;
(2) mental quality; (3) doctrine, teaching; (4) <em>nibbāna</em>. Also,
principles of behavior that human beings ought to follow so as to fit
in with the right natural order of things; qualities of mind they
should develop so as to realize the inherent quality of the mind in
and of itself. By extension, &quot;<em>Dhamma</em>&quot; (usu. capitalized) is used also
to denote any doctrine that teaches such things. Thus the <em>Dhamma</em> of
the Buddha denotes both his teachings and the direct experience of
<em>nibbāna</em>, the quality at which those teachings are aimed.</p>
<p><em>saṅkhāra</em>:<br />
Formation, compound, fashioning, fabrication — the
forces and factors that fashion things (physical or mental), the
process of fashioning, and the fashioned things that result. <em>Saṅkhāra</em>
can refer to anything formed or fashioned by conditions, or, more
specifically, (as one of the five <em>khandhas</em>) thought-formations within
the mind.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Please see <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/31737/471">this answer</a> for details.</p>

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2020-08-10T15:00:50.150Z
2020-08-10T15:18:35.813Z
2020-08-10T15:18:35.813Z
ruben2020
<p>Sabbe Dhamma Anatta is difficult to understand.... Here is my understanding.Dhamma roughly translates to religion. More precisely all teachings about what is. Is there a God ? Is there a suffering ? Are there emotions ? Are there forms ? Are there choices ? Is there consciousness ? Is there Universe ?Whatever there is can not be said to be me , mine or myself ... That is the meaning of Sabbe Dhamma Anatta ...</p>

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2020-08-11T03:27:54.587Z
2020-08-11T03:27:54.587Z
SacrificialEquation
<p>What does the word '<em>dhamma</em>' mean when the Buddha said '<em>sabbe dhamma annatta'.</em></p>
<p>I am being confused here. I looked through the translation. It reads '<strong>all conditioned/unconditioned things are not-self</strong>'.</p>
<p>Isn't the word <em>sankara</em> used for conditioned things.</p>
<p>The word <em>dhamma</em> in my native language literally means '<strong>religion</strong>'. Also I checked Wikipedia for the word <em>dhamma</em>. The Wiki gives similar meaning as '<em>religion</em>' in context of <strong>Hinduism</strong> but not clear on Buddhist use of the word.</p>
<p>My question is whats translation of word '<em>dhamma</em>' and in what context is it used in line '<em>sabbe dhamma annatta'</em>?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-10T18:55:25.887Z
[Here](https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/interpretation-of-sabbe-dhamma-anatta/4666) there's an insightful discussion about the meaning of '*dhamma*' in the context of "*sabbe dhamma anatta*'. Kind regards!
Brian Díaz Flores
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T19:19:05.370Z
For those (like me) who need to look these things up, this is from the [Dhammapada, XX, 277-9](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.20.budd.html)
Ted Wrigley
<dhammas><translation>
Confusion about the word 'dhamma'?
# Confusion about the word 'dhamma'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-10)

What does the word '*dhamma*' mean when the Buddha said '*sabbe dhamma annatta'.*

I am being confused here. I looked through the translation. It reads '**all conditioned/unconditioned things are not-self**'.

Isn't the word *sankara* used for conditioned things.

The word *dhamma* in my native language literally means '**religion**'. Also I checked Wikipedia for the word *dhamma*. The Wiki gives similar meaning as '*religion*' in context of **Hinduism** but not clear on Buddhist use of the word.

My question is whats translation of word '*dhamma*' and in what context is it used in line '*sabbe dhamma annatta'*?

**Tags:** dhammas, translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: [Here](https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/interpretation-of-sabbe-dhamma-anatta/4666) there's an insightful discussion about the meaning of '*dhamma*' in the context of "*sabbe dhamma anatta*'. Kind regards!  
> **username_2**: For those (like me) who need to look these things up, this is from the [Dhammapada, XX, 277-9](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.20.budd.html)  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-08-10. Score: 1

Like sankhara, the term dhamma is very broad and means different things per different context. In the broadest sense, sankhara is a subset of dhamma, for dhamma includes not only conditioned phenomena/sankhara, but also unconditioned element/ASankhataDhatu, ie. Nibbana. See the Pali defitions for [Dhamma](http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/b_f/dhamma.htm) and [Sankhara](http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/s_t/sankhaara.htm) further details.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-10. Score: 1

In the context of your description:

* *sankhara* means conditioned things / phenomena.
* *dhamma* means all things / phenomena i.e. both conditioned and unconditioned things / phenomena

What is unconditioned? Only *Nibbana* - it is that which is experienced by the mind, when it is completely free of all fetters and defilements.

What is conditioned? Everything else, including mental and physical phenomena / things.

"*sabbe sankhara dukkha*" means "all conditioned things/ phenomena are suffering / unsatisfactoriness". This does not include *Nibbana*.

"*sabbe sankhara anicca*" means "all conditioned things/ phenomena are impermanent". This does not include *Nibbana*.

"*sabbe dhamma anatta*" means "all things/ phenomena are not self". This includes *Nibbana*.

From AccessToInsight's [Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html):

> *dhamma* [Skt. *dharma*]:  
> (1) Event; a phenomenon in and of itself;
> (2) mental quality; (3) doctrine, teaching; (4) *nibbāna*. Also,
> principles of behavior that human beings ought to follow so as to fit
> in with the right natural order of things; qualities of mind they
> should develop so as to realize the inherent quality of the mind in
> and of itself. By extension, "*Dhamma*" (usu. capitalized) is used also
> to denote any doctrine that teaches such things. Thus the *Dhamma* of
> the Buddha denotes both his teachings and the direct experience of
> *nibbāna*, the quality at which those teachings are aimed.
>
> *saṅkhāra*:  
> Formation, compound, fashioning, fabrication — the
> forces and factors that fashion things (physical or mental), the
> process of fashioning, and the fashioned things that result. *Saṅkhāra*
> can refer to anything formed or fashioned by conditions, or, more
> specifically, (as one of the five *khandhas*) thought-formations within
> the mind.

Please see [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/31737/471) for details.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-08-11. Score: -1

Sabbe Dhamma Anatta is difficult to understand.... Here is my understanding.Dhamma roughly translates to religion. More precisely all teachings about what is. Is there a God ? Is there a suffering ? Are there emotions ? Are there forms ? Are there choices ? Is there consciousness ? Is there Universe ?Whatever there is can not be said to be me , mine or myself ... That is the meaning of Sabbe Dhamma Anatta ...


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