The Pali word for dharma, it stands for the “the law of nature” or “the truth” and primarily refers to the teachings of the Buddha. It is understood as the Buddhist doctrine that followers live by and was mostly orally passed down through generations, eventually being written as part of the Tripitaka, or the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism, and later, the Mahayana Sutras of Mahayana Buddhism. Along with the Buddha and the Sangha, dhamma constitutes one of the most important features of Buddhist life aimed at protecting oneself from suffering.