The term “ 4 Niyāma 3” , 4 refers to four kinds of regular order, and 3 implies to natural laws which have 5 categories. They are as follows.
1. Utu Niyāma (physical inorganic order of or relating to matter and energy, derived into English as physical law) refers to a natural law describing phenomena in the nature which related to material or inanimate things such as the phenomena of thunder and rain. Even the arising and perishing of the earth is also included in the Physical laws.
2. Bīja Niyāma (physical organic order of or relating to living things or organism, derived into English as biological law) refers to a natural law describing phenomena both plants and animals. It is the biological law that makes mango trees produce mango fruits, monkey gives birth as a monkey baby. This is so called the law of genetics. Darwin’s theory of evolution is also related to this order.
3. Citta Niyāma (order of mind, the nature of consciousness, derived into English as psychic law) refers to a natural law describing mind or mental phenomena. This law will explain about perceiving, and cognitive process on how mind function. Psychologists focus the study of a certain function of consciousness, which Abhidhamma Piṭaka elaborates in the full detail. Therefore, one who wants to know Psychology in Tipiṭaka has to study Abhidhamma Piṭaka.
4. Kamma Niyāma refers to order of act and result that governs all human life in general. That is, life will be good or bad, experience happiness or suffering, it depends on the karma or deeds in one’s own attention or volition of actions. Doer good beget good, doer bad beget evil. This is the karmic law.
5. Dhamma Niyāma is order of norm, or natural laws, corresponding to the conditionality of all things. Dhamma Niyāma, simply as universal law, covers all material and mental applications, constitutes the sum total of four other regular orders as the aforementioned.
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