Dharma
Dharma listen is a key concept with multiple meanings in the Indian religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. There is no single word translation for
dharma in western languages. In Hinduism,
dharma signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with order that makes life and universe possible, and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and ‘‘right way of living’’. In Buddhism
dharma means "cosmic law and order", but is also applied to the teachings of the Buddha. In Buddhist philosophy,
dhamma/dharma is also the term for "phenomena". In Jainism
dharma refers to the teachings of the
Jinas and the body of doctrine pertaining to the purification and moral transformation of human beings. For Sikhs, the word
dharm means the "path of righteousness". The Classical Sanskrit noun
dharma is a derivation from the root
dhṛ, which has a meaning of "to hold, maintain, keep". The word "dharma" was already in use in the historical Vedic religion, and its meaning and conceptual scope has evolved over several millennia. The antonym of dharma is
adharma.