What is the meaning of paramattha dhamma?

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Paramattha dhamma is an Abhidhamma term, meaning the 'highest' dhamma.

The equivalent in the Pali suttas is called 'lokattura (supramundane) dhamma' or 'heartwood'. Such dhamma is related to not-self ('anatta'), emptiness ('sunnata') & here-&-now liberation-&-Nibbana.

The Ani Sutta states:

Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will listen when discourses that are words of the Tathagata β€” deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent (lokuttara), connected with emptiness β€” are being recited'.

Paramattha dhamma is the opposite of 'lokiya (mundane) dhamma', which is about kamma, rebirth, metta & any other mundane moral dhamma which can be practised with 'self-view' by ordinary unenlightened people. The primary goal of lokiya dhamma is morality & non-harming. Where as the goal of paramattha dhamma is to extinguish all suffering. To quote:

Paramattha-dhamma (absolute truth of nature) is the Dhamma or the knowledge, which when we know it, will enable us to extinguish dukkha. Ultimate truth then is the way the thing that helps us, enables us to extinguish all dukkha.

Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu

The important distinction between 'lokuttara' ('paramattha') & 'lokiya' dhamma is found in the Maha-Cattarisaka Sutta, which explains two sorts of Right View:

And what is right view? Right view, I tell you, is of two sorts: (i) There is right view with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions [of becoming]; (ii) there is right view that is noble, without effluents, transcendent (lokuttara), a factor of the path.

For example, my posts on this forum are exclusively about 'paramattha dhamma'.

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