1-12 PaticcaSamuppada
1-12-1 How Bhava-Cakka Destroys Wrong view.
1-12-2 Aspects of Paticcasamuppada
Paticcasamuppada is a series of cause and effects, made into a circular chain of twelve links (nidanas) illustrating the conditions that cause birth and re-birth. It is the sabhava-dhamma (true state of the nature) that governs cause and effect of phenomena , with each link causing the next one to occur. It occurs in samsara-vata and can¡¦t be stopped. It is simply cause and effect , and without a self or outside force ¡V in this world and other worlds.
No person or outside power can make this happen: this is called Patic-casamuppada-dhamma, and it is a cause and aiding condition (paccaya). For example avijjha (ignorance) is the paccaya (1) which leads to (2) Kamma Formations. (See casual links, below.)
This discussion of Dependent Origination will cover only becoming in this world, as a human being. The twelve casual links of Dependent Origination are as follows:
1. Dependent on Ignorance, arise Kamma-Formations.¡÷
2. Dependent on Kamma-Formations, arises Consciousness.¡÷
3. Dependent on Consciousness, arise Mind and Matter.¡÷
4. Dependent on Mind and Matter, arise the Six Sense Bases.¡÷
5. Dependent on the Six Sense Bases, arises Contact.¡÷
6. Dependent on Contact, arises Feeling.¡÷
7. Dependent on Feeling, arises Craving.¡÷
8. Dependent on Craving, arises Clinging.¡÷
9. Dependent on Clinging, arises Becoming.¡÷
10. Dependent on becoming, arises Birth.¡÷
11. Dependent on Birth, arise Decay and Death.¡÷
12. Decay and Death leads to sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair, etc
The three types of kamma-formations that can determine one¡¦s bourne are: formation of merit, formation of demerit, and formation of the imperturbable (4th arupa-jhana).
a) From Ignorance to Decay and Death ends the real Dependent Origination. ¡§Sorrow, lamentation¡¨, etc. are what follows, to show that each birth leads to dukkha ¡V 1st Noble Truth. The real Dependent Origination is called Bhava-cakka ¡V ¡§the wheel of becoming¡¨. As long as one is in samsara, the wheel can never be stopped.
¡]b¡^ Terms
1. Avijja (Ignorance) means failure to realize the Four Noble Truths.
2. Sankhara (Kamma Formations) is not the Sankhara of the Five Khandas. Sankhara here is kamma collected from the past life that leads to rebirth. There are three kinds of Sankhara: punna (merit), apunna (non-merit), anenjha (the highest arupa-jhana).
3. Vinnana (consciousness) is patisandhi-vinnana , or rebirth consciousness.
4. Nama-Rupa (Mind and Matter) is three cetasikas: vedana, sanna, sankhara plus kammasharupa (body created by kamma).
5. Six Sense Bases (Salayatana) are eye, ear, etc.
6. Contact (Phassa) refers to the cetasika (mental property) that directs citta (mental state) to the object of the Six Sense Bases.
7. Feeling (Vedana) is the cetasika (vedana-cetasika) that knows if feeling is sukkha, dukkha, etc.
8. Craving (tanha) is the lobha-cetasika that feels desire when six sense operate.
9. Clinging (Upadana) is the cetasika that grows out of lobha-cetasika, but is stronger.
10. Becoming (Bhava) is Kamma-bhava, or existence where in good or bad kamma is created.
11. Birth (Jati ¡V refers to the Five Khandas, or nama-rupa.
12. When Jati occurs, then there is decay and death.
The Lord Buddha described dependent origination (paticcasamup-pada-dhamma) so that we can realize the truth of sabhava-dhamma (true state of the nature), and see that it occurs by itself with cause and paccaya (aiding condition). The purpose of this is to help realize nama-rupa are anicca, dukkha, and anatta (sabhava-dhamma).
A vijjha(ignorance) is first on the chain of Dependent Origination, but actually it is like a wheel, or circle, which has no beginning or end. Avijjha is chief, however, of the links in the chain; since ignorance is a root cause of defilements, elimination of ignorance through wisdom is the only way to break the chain.
Ignorance comes from the asavas (cankers): canker of sense desire, canker of becoming, canker of views, canker of ignorance ¡V but all four derive from ignorance: which is ignorance of the Four Noble Truths.
Once, Ananda was telling the Buddha how beautiful Paticcasamup- pada is and how easy to understand. ¡§Not so¡¨, said the Buddha. ¡§Dependent Origination is deep, profound and difficult to understand.¡¨ If someone would like to study Dependent Origination, it is advisable to get a book written especially on the subject, and he will be surpricsed at the profound wisdom of the Lord Buddha. The benefit of this dhamma will be to prevent the wrong view of self, by showing that everything happens by cause, and there is no self, soul, god, etc. to cause anything.
1.12.1 How Bhava-Cakka (the 12 links or 11 Paccaya) Destroys Wrong view. top
Realizing the truth of Paticcasamuppada will destroy vipallasa dhamma (perversity of perception) by the power of wisdom:
1. Avijjha (Ignorance) When it is realized that ignorance (avijjha) is the paccaya (aiding condition) of kamma-formations, it destroys the wrong view that some Higher Power caused or created everything.
2. Kamma-Formation Because it is realized that kamma-formations cause rebirth conscious-ness (patisandhivinnana), it destroys the illusion of self (sakkaya-ditthi) ¡V because it¡¦s not ¡¥you¡¦ being reborn, only rebirth consciousness.
3. Nama-Rupa Because consciousness is the paccaya (aiding condition) to nama and rupa (which is cetasika and rupa), this changes the wrong view that nama-rupa is substantial and permanent.
4. Six Sense Bases Because nama-rupa is the paccaya to the six sense bases (eye, ear, nose, etc), the wrong view is changed that we hear, we see.
5. Contact Because the six sense bases are paccaya for contact (phassa), and phassa is made up of organ, object and the citta that knows (vinnana), the wrong view is destroyed that sense organ, object, and citta, are self.
6. Feeling Because contact is the paccaya to feeling, such as sukha-vedana, etc. ¡V the wrong view is changed that ¡¥we have pleasure or suffer.
7. Craving Because feeling is the paccaya that results in tanha (which expressed in terms of mental properties, is lobha-cetasika), the wrong view is destroyed that sense pleasures in any bhava lead to happiness.
¡C 8. Clinging because tanha is the paccaya for clinging (upadana), which is com-posed of lobha-cetasika and ditthi-cetasika, the wrong view is changed that something is attractive, beautiful, pleasant-smelling, etc., and thus should be clung to.
9. Becoming Because upadana (clinging) is the paccaya for Becoming, it destroys the wrong view that when one dies there is no rebirth. (Acturally, upadana causes Becoming ¡V which is cetana-cetasika-citta. Cetana is the volition or action which brings about result (vipaka) ¡V which is Rebirth or Becomin.)
10. Birth Because becoming (bhava) is the paccaya for birth (jati), it desttoys The wrong view that the five Khandas are happiness.
11. Decay and Death Because birth (jati) is the paccaya for decay and death, the wrong view is changed that the five Khandas are beautiful, permanent and personal.
1.12.2 Aspects of Paticcasamuppada top
There are seven ways of looking at the law of Dependent Origination: as to links and connections, period and times, etc. Here, only a few will be discussed.
1. Modes or qualities (see Figure 1-4)
a) There are twenty elements in this breakdown. Five causes from past existence: Ignorance (Avijjha), Kamma Formation (Sankhara), craving (Tanha), clinging (Upadana), Process of Existence or becoming (Bhava).
b) Five results in the present: Consciousness (Vinnana), Mental and Physical existence (nama and rupa), Six Sense Bases (Salayatana), contact (Phassa), Feeling (Vedana).
c) Five causes in the present: Tanha, Uppadana, Bhava, Avijjha, and Sankhara.
d) Five results in the future: Vinnana, Nama-rupa, Ayatana, Phassa, Vedana. (Refers to rebirth, decay, and death. Fig.1-4).
a) In the past there were five causes that determined our present existence (bhava). Avijjha
(1) , the root cause , results because we fail to realize supramundane wisdom (lokuttura) . Through this ignorance , living in the mundane (lokiya) , we create kamma ; both bad and good , called kamma formations(sankhara)
(2). For example, if we practice samattha to reach jhana we are in lokiya creating sankhara (even though it is good), and this leads to tanha (8).
When tanha becaomes stronger, it changes to uppadana (9) : When we want something it is tanha, but when we possess it, it becomes clinging. This clinging leads to becoming (bhava) (10) .
There are two kinds of bhava : kamma-bhava, active process of becoming (past life), and uppati-bhava, the rebirth process. Kamma-bhava is kusala or akusala, and determines the future. Uppati-bhava is the process that carries out the destiny of the new becoming, which was determined by kamma-bhava.
Figure 1-4
Paticca ¡V Samuppada (Dependent origination)
| Past Existence | 1. Dulusion (avijjha) 2. Kamma-Formations (Sankhara) |
Kamma Process (kamma-bhava) 5 causes: 1,2,8,9,10 |
| Present Existence | 3. Consciousness (vinnana) 4. Mental and Physical Existence (nama-rupa) 5. Sense-Organs (salayatana) 6. Sense-Impression (phassa) 7. Feeling (vedana) |
Rebirth-Process (uppatti-bhava) 5 results: 3-7 |
| Present Existence | 8. Craving (tanha) 9. Clinging (uppadana) 10. Process Of Existence (bhava) |
Karma-Process (kamma-bhava) 5 causes: 8,9,10,1,2 |
| Future Existence | 11. Rebirth (jati) 12. Decay and Death (jara-marana) |
Rebirth-Process (uppatti-bhava) 5 results: 3-7 |
Each of the five nidanas (links) from the past are paccaya to the next one, and the result then becomes paccaya to the next.
Bhava implies the creation of kamma, because in any becoming (bhava) we are living in samsara. The law of sabhava-dhamma, which is paticcasamuppada, is that when you do any kamma you receive that kamma ¡V and nobody can escape this, or change the result. This is the law of nature that brings about justice.
b) These five results from the past existence, in the present represent qualities that one has when born into a becoming as a human being.
c) Five causes in the present. The fifth result in the present (feeling) leads to the first cause in the present (craving), which leads to clinging, bhava (existence), and then to ignorance and kamma-formations (8,9,10,1,2). The bhava here is upati-bhava , which determines the new life. This bhava leads to Ignorance , because one doesn¡¦t realize the Four Noble Truths . This creates kamma (bad and good) again , which becomes Sankhara (Kamma-Formations).
Sankhara (Kamma-Formations), in this group, is when you are doing kusula or akusula actions
Bhava (becoming), in this group, means the kamma is finished.
d) Five results in the future. Sankhara is the paccaya for rebirth consciousness (patisandhi-vinnana). The next four are nama and rupa, in the present existence. These five make a total of 20 modes. These 20 modes are like a wheel, that has no beginning or end. But the Lord Buddha knew that the chief cause (root) was avijjha (ignorance).
Figure 1-5 Bhava-cakka (Wheel of existence)
2. Three Connections. (See Figure 1-6)
In this aspect, we look at the nidana in terms of three connections.
a) The round of defilement (kilesa).
b) The round of kamma.
c) The round of result (vipaka).
Ignorance (avijjha) (1)
Craving (tanha) (8)
Attachment (uppadana) (9)
b) Round of kamma refers to:
Becoming (bhava) (10)
Kamma formations (sankhara) (2)
c) Round of result refers to:
Consciousness (vinnana) (3)
Mind and matter (nama-rupa) (4)
Six Sense Bases (salayatana) (5)
Contact (phassa) (6)
Feeling (vedana) (7)
Figure 1-6 The triple Round; Cycle
Two Roots of action
3. Two Roots of action (Figure 1-4, 1-5)
To understand paticcasamuppada, it is important to know that there are two roots for action, avijjha (ignorance) and tanha (craving). Avijjha is the root cause for tanha, Tanha is the root cause for avijjha. Avijjha is the past and tanha is the present, but in the end they are roots for each other ¡V and the circle can go either way.
The first root (link) leads to vedana, the seventh link. Then it leads to tanha (eighth link-root), then to (9) upadana to (10) bhava, to (11) jati and then (12) decay and death.
One who has ditthi-carita (with wrong view), thinks there is no cause and result, there is no punna (merit), no papa (evil) and no rebirth. That is why the Lord Buddha showed avijjha as the root cause, to show there is cause (avijjha) and result.
The result in the present is (3) patisandhi-vinnana leading to (4) nama and rupa (5) Six sense Bases (6) contact (7) feeling. These links (3-7) in the present are caused by avijjha (root) in the past and sankhara (1 & 2). As long as one has avijjha there will be a result.
Tanha (8) caused by its paccaya, vedana (7) leads to upadana (9) and bhava (10). These then circle back to avijjha (1) and sankhara (2). These five (8,9,10,1,2) are present causes and are the result of (1) avijjha. The result of avijjha (1) and sankhara (2) is to repeat 3-7 (Present Existence) again.
When (8) tanha is reached 8,9,10,1,2 become the cause again in the present. And so the wheel goes round and round. Every time one is reborn (11) 3-7 begin and this leads to (12) Decay and Death.
Seeing the result of tanha, one who has the wrong view that everything is permanent,
no decay or changes, or one with strong raga-carita (one with lust for life),
can see that nama-rupa leads to decay and death.
In the circle of birth and death we are continually reborn in the three lokas (kama-loka, rupa-loka and arupa-loka or thirty-one bhumi).
To escape from this, we must practice Satipatthana, according to the principles laid down in the Maha-satipatthana Discourse, which is the first element of Bodhipa-kkiyad-hamma ¡V and leads to realization of the Four Noble Truths.