Dharma refers to all the methods of cultivation taught by the Buddha which lead to ultimate enlightenment. They are means to an end, not an end in themselves.

Dharma as Teaching
He turns the inconceivable, wondrous wheel of Dharma and reveals the conduct of the path to Bodhi, which destroys the sufferings of all living beings forever. (FAS Ch1).

Monks, as a man going along a highway might see a great stretch of water, the hither bank dangerous and frightening, the further bank secure, not frightening, but if there were not a boat for crossing by or a bridge across for going from the not-beyond to the beyond, this might occur to him: ‘This is a great stretch of water, the hither bank dangerous and frightening, the further bank secure and not frightening, but there is not a boat for crossing by or a bridge across for going from the not beyond to the beyond. Suppose that I, having collected grass, sticks, branches and foliage, and having tied a raft, depending on that raft, and striving with hands and feet, should cross over safely to the beyond?’ Then, monks, that man, having collected grass, sticks, branches and foliage, having tied a raft, depending on that raft and striving with his hands and feet, might cross over safely to the beyond. To him, crossed over, gone beyond, this might occur: ‘Now this raft has been very useful to me. I, depending on this raft, and striving with my hands and feet, crossed over safely to the beyond. Suppose now that I, having put this raft on my head, or having lifted it on to my shoulder, should proceed as I desire?’ What do you think about this, monks? If that man does this, is he doing what should be done with that raft?”

“No,Lord.”

“What should that man do, monks, in order to do what should be done with that raft? In this case, monks, it might occur to that man who has crossed over, gone beyond: ‘Now, this raft has been very useful to me. Depending on this raft and striving with my hands and feet, I have crossed over safely to the beyond. Suppose now that I, having beached this raft on dry ground or having submerged it under the water, should proceed as I desire?’ In doing this, monks, that man would be doing what should be done with that raft. Even so, monks, is the Parable of the Raft dhamma taught by me for crossing over, not for retaining. You, monks, by understanding the Parable of the Raft, should get rid even of (right) mental objects, all the more of wrong ones.” (Horner, tr. Middle Length Sayings, I 173-174)

The Dharma which I speak is like a raft. Even Dharmas should be relinquished, how much the more that which is not Dharma. (VS 49)

Dharma as Reality
In this sense Dharma refers to the reality which is realized through the application of Dharma as teaching. It is the world of total enlightenment (Dharma Realm).

Divisions of the World as Dharma
Another use of the word dharma is any aspect or division of the teaching. Dharma in this sense is an expedient distinction made for the sake of greater understanding. For example, the five skandhas, the Six Pāramitās, and the eighteen realms are all dharmas (One Hundred Dharmas).

The raft of Dharma gives us something to hang onto as we eliminate our attachments, which cause us to suffer and to be stuck on this shore of birth and death. The raft of Dharma refers to the methods of inward illumination; it takes us across the sea of our afflictions to the other shore, nirvana. Once there, “even Dharmas should be relinquished.”

“The Dharma is spoken to break people’s attachments. If people had no attachments, they wouldn’t need the Dharma. But people have attachments because their consciousnesses take over, and so they give rise to distinctions and attachments. If you let your wisdom be in charge, you will have no attachments.…” (VBS #179 6-9)

“There are no fixed, static dharmas. Because the Dharma is not fixed, it is alive. Dharma which is alive is separate from all attachments. It is said, ‘One bestows the teaching for the sake of the individual and prescribes the medicine according to the illness.’ In the same way the Dharma is spoken as an antidote to an individual’s specific problems.” (DFS I 7-8)

法 [fa] ; Dharma ; Dhamma