The Three Marks of Dharma

The Three Marks of Dharma

JUN/24/ 2023—JUN / 25/ 2023

Hello everyone, welcome to our Dharma talk at Dharma Rain Meditation Center.

As is known to all, three marks of Dharma (Sanskrit: Tri-dṛṣṭi-nimitta-mudrā) refers to the three standards of “Whatever is phenomenal is ephemeral, essential universal Dharma contain no ego-self, Nirvana is “tranquility. Mahayana Buddhism believes that these three criteria can be used to verify the teachings, to distinguish the real Dharma, it is like a seal or stamp that prove the real from regulars, used as a certificate. Hence it named marks of existence. The “marks” in the three marks of Dharma can correspond to Sanskrit: mudrā, which is the meaning of stamps and seals.

The theory of the Three Marks of Existence originated from the Archaic Scriptures. After the Buddha’s Nirvana, the various monks taught Channa impermanence, no self, and Nirvana. Its main content is:

(1) All phenomenal are impermanence (Sanskrit anitya^h! sarva-sam!ska^ra^h!), also called all phenomenal impermanence mark, all Dharma is impermanence mark, abbreviated as impermanence mark. Every sankhata Dharma is impermanent while the sentient beings could not realize it, and they are not always keeping those idiot thoughts about permanence. Therefore, the Buddha taught us to impermanence Dharma to break the improper thoughts of beings.

1. Essential universal Dharma contain no ego-self (Sanskrit nira^tma^nah! sarva-dharma^h!), also called all Dharma to contain no ego-self mark or no ego-self mark. Everyt asamskrta-dharma has no ego-self; however, the beings cannot realize it and try to master the Dharma, so the Buddha taught no ego-self to break the self-center from beings.

1. Nirvana tranquility (Sanskrit: antam! nirva^n!am), also called Nirvana Seal. All sentient beings do not understand the suffering from birth to death; they are tempted to create the dad karma and circulate in the three realms. Therefore, the Buddha taught the Nirvana Dharma to escape from the suffering from birth and death.

Why do we have to talk about three Dharma marks immediately after the principle, samadhi and wisdom Dharma talking? Because the three marks of Dharma are the core values of Buddhism. Unlike other religions, Buddhism allows for convenient changes in the practice of obeying the three Dharma marks, which means people can use various methods to teach and practice, including using secret methods to speed up cultivation, which also makes Buddhism fixable and more diversity, at the same time it highlights the character of Buddhism such as all beings are quality, respecting individual choices. Buddhism originated in India after the Brahmanism, many aspects of Buddhism inherited or resembled Brahmanism, such as meditation and asceticism, but the three marks of Dharma are unique, it described the ultimate goal of cultivation, enabling people to practice rationally and intelligently.

From the perspective of religion, the leader, the believer, and the doctrine are the three conditions for the formation of religion. Every religion in the world believes that the doctrines that it proclaims are truths. The so-called “truths” are conditional, that is: 1. universally, 2. must be so, 3. originally, 4. eternal. For example, if there is life, there must be death, the Chinese are like this, and the foreigners are the same. This is the truth that is so common, inevitable, and so eternal. The “three laws” of Buddhism are the truths that conform to these four conditions.

This is the three laws that explain the phenomena of life in the universe. By using these three marks of Dharma, we can distinguish the real Dharma from fake ones. Like the products in the market, you can be sure it is genuine with this stamp. If there is no stamp, it must be fake. 

Therefore, the three marks of Dharma is the basis for the proof of Dharma; it is the standard for identifying Dharma and fake Dharma. If it is contrary to the three marks of Dharma, it is not a true Dharma; if it is not compatible with the three marks of Dharma, it can be considered as the true Dharma.

Although the theory of Three Dharma marks was not personally declared by the Buddha, the Three Dharma’s original origin was related to the Buddha indeed. When Buddha Sakyamuni was a pratyekabuddha who was meditating in the field in his pre-life when he was sitting and meditating quietly, suddenly he heard a voice coming from afar, it turns out that: “All phenomenal are impermanence, which is the udayabbaya Dharma”. These two sentences are really very important for the practitioners; it is said that everything in the world has birth and death, just like the air of the sky, the realm of dreams, the illusion of impermanence, the changes from birth to death. He heard this rare Dharma, he felt so happy and went to find the person who spoke it. Instead of finding a person, he met a ghostly red ghost king looking for something to eat. The pratyekabuddha asked him: ‘Ghost King, have you seen anyone talking here? ‘Ghost King said: “It was me”. The pratyekabuddha said: “I think the two sentences you read are incomplete, there must be something else, can you please tell me the rest?” Ghost King said: You want to listen to the rest, ha-ha! Not so easy, you know that real Dharma is not easy to find, if you want to know the rest, you have to offer me something to eat.” The pratyekabuddha said I am cultivating in this mountain, the only thing I can do is to pick up some fruit to offer you.” Ghost King said: “I don’t eat fruit, I want to eat blood-sucking animals. The pratyekabuddha said: “It is too embarrassing to me. I am a pratyekabuddha; I cannot offer you blood-sucking animals, I have to keep the precepts.” Ghost King said: “Then you will never know the rest”. The pratyekabuddha said: If you can tell me now, I will offer my body to you later, please tell me soon.” Then the ghost king told him: “After the udayabbaya, Nirvana will be the endless happiness”. After listening to this sensation, the pratyekabuddha enlightened immediately. He understood that everything in the world is impermanent, and we have to destroy the illusion of life and death and to attain the Nirvana. The pratyekabuddha asked the ghost king to sit down, he keeled on the ground stretch his head out and said: “please eat”. Suddenly the ghost king turned his face into a heavenly person and talked to the pratyekabuddha concerning the consciousness: “Good, good indeed, Patyekabuddha you are on the bodhisattva path, it is viriya, I have to support the real cultivation. After these words of praise, the heavenly man has disappeared. “Whatever is phenomenal is ephemeral, essential universal Dharma contains no ego-self, Nirvana is “tranquillity this is the teachings from the Buddhas of past. The truth from this gatha is Buddhism’s fundamental truth, which is the theory from three marks of Dharma.

Thank you for the listening!