God is Dharma (the law of God)

This is part of a series reflecting on God-talk and Buddhist terminology. It is an opening to dialogue, not a final word on the subject.

One can find many nuances in the term Dharma and how it is used in Eastern thought. It has been described or defined as the teachings of the Buddha, a comforter or protector of those who follow the teachings of the Buddha, and as the fundamental axioms of reality which give rise to karma (cause and effect) and illuminate the nature of emptiness through the interdependence, no-self, and impermanence. And this isn't an exhaustive list.

But it is revealing.

The Bible and the Judeo-Christian tradition speaks of the law of God. This is sometimes misunderstood as short-hand for one of formulations of the Ten Commandments, or the various rules and admonitions found in Leviticus, or something along those lines. Yet the Old Testament prophets and the Gospel of Jesus affirm that this is not so. Even the summary Jesus gives of these rules and commandments--love God and your neighbor as yourself--is only a reflection of this deeper law of God. Or perhaps more accurately, a reflection of how to come to actually know the law of God.

I mean, after all, if God's law was something so straightforward, you might expect the Bible to be much shorter and simpler. Yet the law of God is simple and elusive. It cannot be defined in words, and can only be pointed at or hinted at through narratives. This will sound familiar to many Buddhists, with the rules and stories of the Bible pointing to the law just as the finger points to the moon. We mustn't make the mistake, as unfortunately so many have, of mistaking the finger for the moon. Or in this case, rules and commandment for the law of God.