some Theravada quotes
vism VIII note 69. In the Piþakas the word sabháva seems to appear only once (Paþis II 178). It next appears in the Netti (p.79), the Milindapañhá (pp. 90, 164, 212, 360). It is extensively used for exegetical purposes in the Visuddhimagga and main commentaries and likewise in the subcommentaries. As has just been shown, it is narrower than dhamma (see also Ch. XXIII. n. 18). It often roughly corresponds to dhátu (element—see e.g. Dhs-a 263) and to lakkhaóa (characteristic—see below), but less nearly to the vaguer and (in Pali) untechnical pakati (nature), or to rasa (function—see I.21). The Atthasálinì observes: “It is the individual essence, or the generality, of such and such dhammas that is called their characteristic” (Dhs-a 63); on which the Múla tìká comments: “The individual essence consisting in, say, hardness as that of earth, or touching as that of contact, is not common to all dhammas**. The generality is the individual essence common to all consisting in impermanence,** etc.; also in this context (i.e. Dhs §1) the characteristic of being profitable may be regarded as general because it is the individual essence common to all that is profitable; or alternatively it is their individual essence because it is not common to the unprofitable and indeterminate [kinds of consciousness]” (Dhs- a 63). The individual essence of any formed dhamma is manifested in the three instants of its existence (atthitá, vijjamánatá), namely, arising, presence (= aging) and dissolution. It comes from nowhere and goes nowhere (XV.15
page 38 of Bodhi translation Root of existence
*Commentary"
“They bear their*
own characteristics, thus they are dhammas” (attano lakkhaóaí
dhárentì ti dhammá).
Sub. Cy. “They bear their own characteristics”: although there
are no dhammas devoid of their own characteristics, this is still
said for the purpose of showing that these are mere dhammas
endowed with their specific natures devoid of such attributions as
that of a “being,” etc. Whereas such entities as self, beauty, pleasurableness,
and permanence, etc., or nature (pakati), substance
(dabba), soul (jìva), body, etc., which are mere misconstructions
(parikappitákáramatta) due to craving and views, or such entities
as “sky-flowers,” etc., which are mere expressions of conventional
discourse (lokavoháramatta), cannot be discovered as ultimately
real actualities (saccikaþþhaparamatthato), these dhammas (i.e., those
endowed with a specific nature) can. These dhammas are discovered
as ultimately real actualities. And though there is no real
distinction (between these dhammas and their characteristics), still,
in order to facilitate understanding, the exposition makes a distinction
as a mere metaphorical device (upacáramatta).
related about dhammas and reality
dhammas