fa Chinese term for (1) a standard, model, paradigm, or exemplar; (2) proper procedure, behavior, or technique; (3) a rule or law; (4) dharma. A mental image (yi) of a circle, a compass, and a particular circle can each serve as a fa for identifying circles. The sage-kings, their institutions, and their behavior are all fa for rulers to emulate. Methods of governing (e.g., by reward and punishment) are fa. Explicit laws or bureaucratic rules are also fa. (See Mo Tzu, ‘Dialectical Chapters,’ and Kuan Tzu, chapter 6, ‘Seven Standards.’) After the introduction of Buddhism to China, fa is used to translate ‘dharma’. See also BUDDHISM , DHARMA, MO TZ. B.W.V.N.