niyāma

the 'fixedness of law' regarding all things; cf. tathatā. -

Pañca-niyāma is a commentarial term, signifying the 'fivefold lawfulness' or 'natural order' that governs:

• (1) temperature, seasons and other physical events (utu-niyāma);

• (2) the plant life (bīja-n.);

• (3) karma (kamma-n.);

• (4) the mind (citta-n.), e.g. the lawful sequence of the functions of consciousness (s. viññāna-kicca) in the process of cognition;

• (5) certain events connected with the Dhamma (dhamma-n.), e.g. the typical events occurring in the lives of the Buddhas. (App.).