Dear friends,

Using helpful hints of Jim Anderson, I have explored further the
meaning of 'dhammaa' as the fourth frame of reference.

Pali commentaries give four main meanings of the word 'dhamma':

gu.na - moral quality or action;
desanaa - preaching & instruction;
pariyatti - 9-fold collection of Buddhist scriptures;
nissatta, nijjiiva -- three aruupa-khandhaa: vedanaa, sa~n~naa,
sa'nkhaara (which constitute citta).

Mr. Rhys-Davids also mentions these four in his article on dhamma, yet
the fourth meaning remains unclear. Yet according to the commentaries,
this is the meaning associated with the fourth frame of reference.

Mr. Rhys-Davids writes that it is (4) nissatta-nijiivataa, or "the
phenomenal" as opposed to "the substantial", "the noumenal",
"animistic entity". What does it mean in the context of fourth frame
of reference?

In the third frame of reference the practitioner explores the states
of mind as a whole, but in the fourth frame of reference he explores
the internal dynamics of the constituent parts of the mind, rise and
fall of particular mental factors and phenomena.

Therefore in my opinion the translation 'internal processes of the
mind' would be more to the point.

See commentaries:

Dhammapada-Atthakatha 1.22

Dhammaati gu.na-desanaa-pariyatti-nissattanijjiivavasena cattaaro
dhammaa naama. Tesu-
"Na hi dhammo adhammo ca, ubho samavipaakino;
adhammo niraya.m neti, dhammo paapeti suggatin"ti.
(theragaa. 304; jaa. 1.15.386)-
Aya.m gu.nadhammo naama. "Dhamma.m vo, bhikkhave, desessaami
aadikalyaa.nan"ti (ma. ni. 3.420) aya.m desanaadhammo naama. "Idha
pana, bhikkhave, ekacce kulaputtaa dhamma.m pariyaapu.nanti sutta.m
geyyan"ti (ma. ni. 1.239) aya.m pariyattidhammo naama. "Tasmi.m kho
pana samaye dhammaa honti, khandhaa hontii"ti (dha. sa. 121) aya.m
nissattadhammo naama, nijjiivadhammotipi eso eva. Tesu imasmi.m
.thaane nissattanijjiivadhammo adhippeto. So atthato tayo aruupino
khandhaa vedanaakkhandho sa~n~naakkhandho sa'nkhaarakkhandhoti.

Siilakkhandhavagga-Atthakatha 1.99

28. Eva.m brahmadattena vuttava.n.nassa anusandhivasena tividha.m
siila.m vitthaaretvaa idaani bhikkhusa'nghena vuttava.n.nassa
anusandhivasena- "atthi, bhikkhave, a~n~neva dhammaa gambhiiraa
duddasaa"ti-aadinaa nayena su~n~nataapakaasana.m aarabhi. tattha
dhammaati gu.ne, desanaaya.m, pariyattiya.m, nissatteti evamaadiisu
dhammasaddo vattati.
"Na hi dhammo adhammo ca, ubho samavipaakino;
adhammo niraya.m neti, dhammo paapeti suggatin"ti. (theragaa. 304);

Aadiisu hi gu.ne dhammasaddo. "dhamma.m, vo bhikkhave, desessaami
aadikalyaa.nan"ti-aadiisu (ma. ni. 3.420) desanaaya.m. "idha bhikkhu
dhamma.m pariyaapu.naati sutta.m, geyyan"ti-aadiisu (a. ni. 5.73)
pariyattiya.m. "tasmi.m kho pana samaye dhammaa honti, khandhaa
hontii"ti-aadiisu (dha. sa. 121) nissatte. idha pana gu.ne vattati.
tasmaa atthi, bhikkhave, a~n~neva tathaagatassa gu.naati evamettha
attho da.t.thabbo.

Dhammasangani-Atthakatha .38

Dhammasaddo panaaya.m pariyatti-hetu-gu.na-nissatta-nijjiivata-adiisu
dissati. Aya~nhi "dhamma.m pariyaapu.naati sutta.m geyyan"ti-aadiisu
(a. ni. 4.102) pariyattiya.m dissati. "Hetumhi ~naa.na.m dhamma
pa.tisambhidaa"ti-aadiisu (vibha. 720) hetumhi.

"Na hi dhammo adhammo ca, ubho samavipaakino;
adhammo niraya.m neti, dhammo paapeti suggatin"ti.
(theragaa. 304; jaa. 1.15.386)-

Aadiisu gu.ne. "Tasmi.m kho pana samaye dhammaa honti" (dha. sa. 121),
"dhammesu dhammaanupassii viharatii"ti-aadiisu (dii. ni. 2.373)
nissattanijjiivataaya.m. Svaayamidhaapi nissattanijjiivataayameva
va.t.tati.

Saddanitippakarana (Dhatumala) .339

Dhammasaddo pariyatti-hetu-gu.na-nissatta-nijjiivata-adiisu dissati.
Aya~nhi "dhamma.m pariyaapu.naati sutta.m geyyan"ti-aadiisu
pariyattiya.m dissati. "Hetumhi ~naa.na.m
dhammapa.tisambhidaa"ti-aadiisu hetumhi.

"Na hi dhammo adhammo ca, ubho samavipaakino;
adhammo niraya.m neti, dhammo paapeti suggatin"ti

Aadiisu gu.ne. "Tasmi.m kho pana samaye dhammaa honti. Dhammesu
dhammaanupassii viharatii"ti-aadiisu nissattanijjiivataaya.m.

Atha vaa dhammasaddo
sabhaava-pa~n~naa-pu~n~na-pa~n~natti-aapatti-pariyatti-nissatta-nijjiivataa-vikaara-gu.na
paccaya-paccayuppanna-adiisu dissati. Aya~nhi "kusalaa dhammaa
akusalaa dhammaa abyaakataa dhammaa"ti-aadiisu sabhaave dissati.

Yassete caturo dhammaa, saddhassa gharamesino;
sacca.m dhammo dhiti caago, sa ve pecca na socatii"ti

Aadiisu pa~n~naaya.m.
"Na hi dhammo adhammo ca, ubho samavipaakino;
adhammo niraya.m neti, dhammo paapeti suggatin"ti-aadiisu

Pu~n~ne. "Pa~n~nattidhammaa, niruttidhammaa,
adhivacanaadhammaa"ti-aadiisu pa~n~nattiya.m. "Paaraajikaa dhammaa,
sa'nghaadisesaa dhammaa"ti-aadiisu aapattiya.m. "Idha bhikkhu dhamma.m
jaanaati sutta.m geyya.m veyyaakara.nan"ti-aadiisu pariyattiya.m.
"Tasmi.m kho pana samaye dhammaa honti. Dhammesu dhammaanupassii
viharatii"ti-aadiisu nissattanijjiivataaya.m. "Jaatidhammaa
jaraadhammaa mara.nadhammaa"ti-aadiisu vikaare. "Channa.m
buddhadhammaanan"ti-aadiisu gu.ne. "Hetumhi ~naa.na.m
dhammapa.tisambhidaa"ti-aadiisu paccaye. ".Thitaavasaa dhaatu
dhamma.t.thitataa dhammaniyaamataa"ti-aadiisu paccayuppanne.

Atha vaa dhammasaddo
pariyatti-sacca-samaadhi-pa~n~naa-pakati-pu~n~na-apatti-~neyya-adiisu
bahuusu atthesu di.t.thappayogo. Tathaa hi "idha bhikkhu dhamma.m
pariyaapu.naatii"ti-aadiisu pariyattiya.m dissati. "Di.t.thadhammo
pattadhammo"ti-aadiisu sacce. "Eva.mdhammaa te bhagavanto
ahesun"ti-aadiisu samaadhimhi. "Sacca.m dhammo dhiti caago"ti
evamaadiisu pa~n~naaya.m. "Jaatidhammaana.m bhikkhave sattaanan"ti
evamaadiisu pakatiya.m. "Dhammo have rakkhati dhammacaarin"ti
evamaadiisu pu~n~ne. "Cattaaro paaraajikaa dhammaa"ti-aadiisu
aapattiya.m. "Kusalaa dhammaa"ti-aadiisu ~neyye. Eva.m
dhammasaddappavattivisayaa vividhaa a.t.thakathaacariyehi dassitaa,
tattha tattha pana aadisaddena yuttivisayaadayo ca atthaa gahetabbaa.
Tathaa hi dhammasaddo-

"Nesa dhammo mahaaraaja, ya.m tva.m gaccheyya ekako;
ahampi tena gacchaami, yena gacchasi khattiyaa"ti

Aadiisu yuttiya.m vattati. "Mana~nca pa.ticca dhamme ca uppajjati
manovi~n~naa.nan"ti-aadiisu visaye. "Sata~nca dhammo na jara.m
upetii"ti ettha nibbaane vattati. Tatra yaa nissattataa, saa eva
nijjiivataa. Yo ca hetu, so eva paccayo.

Icceva.m-
Pariyattipaccayesu, gu.ne nissattataaya ca;
sabhaave ceva pa~n~naaya.m, pu~n~ne pa~n~nattiyampi ca.
Aapattiya.m vikaare ca, paccayuppannakepi ca;
saccasamaadhipakati-~neyyesu yuttiyampi ca;
visaye ceva nibbaane, dhammasaddo pavattati.
Keci pana dhammasaddassa pavattivisayaana.m dasadhaava pariccheda.m vadanti.
Сeyyamagge ca nibbaane, sabhaave atha jaatiya.m;
mane visayapu~n~nesu, bhaave paavacanepi ca;
imesu dasasvatthesu, dhammasaddo pavattati.

Metta,
Dimitry