Aṇguttara Nikāya:
Duka Nipata
IX. Dhamma Vagga
The Book of Twos
Suttas 86-96
'Things'
Translated from the Pāḷi by Michael M. Olds
Sutta 86
[86.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.[1]
What two?
The heart's release
and release through wisdom.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 87
[87.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Exertion and equanimity.[2]
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 88
[88.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Name and Form.[3]
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 89
[89.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Vision[4] and Freedom.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 90
[90.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
The becoming view
and the ending view.[5]
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 91
[91.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
No sense of shame
and no fear of blame.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 92
[92.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Sense of shame
and fear of blame.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 93
[93.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Harshness and bad friends.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 94
[94.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Gentility and lovely friends.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 95
[95.1][pts][ 84 ] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Skill with the elements
and skill in examining things mentally.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
say I."
Sutta 96
[96.1][pts] "Two, beggars, are Dhamma.
What two?
Skill concerning errors
and skill at recuperating from errors.
Indeed, beggars, these two are Dhamma,
I say."
[1] Dhamma. Woodward: "conditions", Bhk. Bodhi: "things" both reading lowercase "D". Here I previously used 'thing', as in "they are a 'thing'" (not as in 'object' but as in 'a couple', 'a pair' 'in a relationship'). The idea was to point to the fact that what is being spoken of here is not a bunch of randomly grouped things. The 'things' have a special relationship with each other that needs to be reflected in the translation whatever the translation ends up being.
I think we have here an indication of a special meaning of "Dhamma." Not "The Teaching" nor, either, just "thing"; but a force of natural law, similar to the "Tao" or "Chi" or "The Force", what I believe is always intended when the Buddha himself speaks of "Dhamma".
Early English translations spoke of "The Law" which my guess is came from initial investigations into the meaning that were later quashed.
In my translation of AN 2.129-139 I have used 'molds' for an identical case. dhammas: cast, die, form, matrix, shape, container, framework, template, pattern, frame; character, nature, temperament, temper disposition; mettle, caliber, kind, sort, variety, stamp, type.
[2] Avikkhepo. Not Upekkha. Calmness, balance, especially of mind.
[3] Nāmañ ca rūpañ ca. I have come full circle in the translation of this. Nāma (name) I believe means exactly that: that the baseline function of the individual mind is to distinguish itself and things by way of names; rūpa is the form of those things.
[4] Vijja translated here by Woodward as "knowledge" for his "knowledge and release".
[5] Bhava-diṭṭhi ca vibhava-diṭṭhi ca. Taken by Woodward (translating as the view of becoming and the view of non-becoming) to stand for the eternalism and annihiliationism views.
