user-1: I remember the 1st book I read on Buddhism was about 'dharma' and that this has a few meanings, including, at least 'teaching' and 'element' (I suppose both of these are English glosses).

(Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism) The natural order of the universe;
natural law, cosmic order.
(Buddhism) The teachings of the Buddha as a practice to
be promulgated and taught.

These are different senses: teaching / reality.
Would you say that the teachings explain the elements?
By "explain" I mean show how they are caused.

Follow up question (I'm posting enough!) is whether either the teachings are about something real, or what they are about the elements in the present.

user471: The term dhamma has multiple meanings in Buddhism. Dhamma is defined in the accesstoinsight.org glossary page as:

dhamma [Skt. dharma]:(1) Event; a phenomenon in and of itself; (2)
mental quality; (3) doctrine, teaching; (4) nibbāna. Also, principles
of behavior that human beings ought to follow so as to fit in with the
right natural order of things; qualities of mind they should develop
so as to realize the inherent quality of the mind in and of itself. By
extension, "Dhamma" (usu. capitalized) is used also to denote any
doctrine that teaches such things. Thus the Dhamma of the Buddha
denotes both his teachings and the direct experience of nibbāna, the
quality at which those teachings are aimed.

The first sense - dhamma as an event or phenomena, can apply to "thing" as well. I guess this is what you meant by "element", and not "dhatu".

dhātu: Element; property, impersonal condition. The four physical
elements or properties are earth (solidity), water (liquidity), wind
(motion), and fire (heat). The six elements include the above four
plus space and consciousness.

If you want to know more about Dhamma, the doctrine and teachings of the Buddha, see this page.
If you want to know more about dhamma (mental quality or mental object), the fourth foundation of mindfulness, see this page, this page and the Satipatthana Sutta.
So, you can say that Dhamma (the teachings) explain dhamma (the mental objects) in the Satipatthana Sutta.

-1: <p>I remember the 1st book I read on Buddhism was about 'dharma' and that this has a few meanings, including, at least 'teaching' and 'element' (I suppose both of these are English glosses).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism) The natural order of the universe;
natural law, cosmic order.
(Buddhism) The teachings of the Buddha as a practice to
be promulgated and taught.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These are different senses: teaching / reality.</p>
<p>Would you say that the teachings explain the elements?</p>
<p>By &quot;explain&quot; I mean show how they are caused.</p>
<hr />
<p>Follow up question (I'm posting enough!) is whether <em>either</em> the teachings are about something real, <em>or</em> what they are about the elements in the present.</p>
 471: <p>The term dhamma has multiple meanings in Buddhism. Dhamma is defined in the accesstoinsight.org <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html#d" rel="nofollow noreferrer">glossary page</a> as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>dhamma [Skt. dharma]:(1) Event; a phenomenon in and of itself; (2)
mental quality; (3) doctrine, teaching; (4) nibbāna. Also, principles
of behavior that human beings ought to follow so as to fit in with the
right natural order of things; qualities of mind they should develop
so as to realize the inherent quality of the mind in and of itself. By
extension, &quot;Dhamma&quot; (usu. capitalized) is used also to denote any
doctrine that teaches such things. Thus the Dhamma of the Buddha
denotes both his teachings and the direct experience of nibbāna, the
quality at which those teachings are aimed.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The first sense - dhamma as an event or phenomena, can apply to &quot;thing&quot; as well. I guess this is what you meant by &quot;element&quot;, and not &quot;dhatu&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>dhātu: Element; property, impersonal condition. The four physical
elements or properties are earth (solidity), water (liquidity), wind
(motion), and fire (heat). The six elements include the above four
plus space and consciousness.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you want to know more about Dhamma, the doctrine and teachings of the Buddha, see <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this page</a>.</p>
<p>If you want to know more about dhamma (mental quality or mental object), the fourth foundation of mindfulness, see <a href="https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebmed063.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this page</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/soma/wayof.html#mental" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this page</a> and the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html#mental" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Satipatthana Sutta</a>.</p>
<p>So, you can say that Dhamma (the teachings) explain dhamma (the mental objects) in the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html#mental" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Satipatthana Sutta</a>.</p>
