All the teachings of Buddhism can be described as aspects of Paticcasamuppāda and forms the basis of the fundamental doctrines of aniccatā, dukkhatā, anattatā and suññatā. Paticcasamuppāda gives the fundamental truth of arising and cessation of conditioned phenomena. The being and the world, therefore, are described by Paticcasamuppada. The paticcasamuppāda which is realizable by Pñña is discovered by the Buddha and after knowing it, he preaches to the people for the sake of the world.
According to the Nidana of Samyutta Nikaya, the Paticcasamuppāda is described as 12 factors such as avijjā, samkhāra, viññāna nāmarūpa and so on. It then said that the suffering arises with cause becoming the result and the result becoming the cause, and suffering ceases with the cessation of cause becoming the result and the result becoming cessation of cause. Though Avijjā is the beginning of the Paticcasamuppāda, but it is like a cycle and there is the beginning and the end of the cycle. The starting life of the being, Therefore, in Samsâra also cannot be found.
The main aim of the Paticcasamuppāda is to show that the being comes due to cause and effect and with the cessation of cause and effect, the being ceases. It is to be said that the Dukkhakkhandha arises due to cause and effect and with cessation of the cause and effect of Dukkha, it ceases. The Paticcasamuppāda is comprised in a basic theory as: When this is, that is (Imassim sati idam hoti),
This arising, that arises (Imassuppā idam uppajjati),
When this is not, that is not (Imassim asati idam na hiti)
This ceasing, that ceases (Imassa nirodhā idam nirujjhati).
In Mahānidānasutta of D.N, it explains how the individual suffering becomes social suffering that in dependence upon feeling [vedanā], there is craving [tanhā], seeking [pariyesanā], gaining [lābho], and decision- making [vinicchayo], desire and lust [chandarāgo], attachment [ajjhosānam], possessiveness [pariggaho], stinginess [macchariyam] and safeguarding [ārakkho] and so on continuously and relatively. Statement as mentioning above is the existence of a being occurs according to a cycle of cause and effect. By comprehension of the Dhamma, one realizes the doctrine of Paticcasamuppāda. Because of it, the Samsāra exists with the interconnection of cause and effect.
The doctrine of paticcasamuppāda is one of the most profound and far-reaching teachings of the Buddha and as such this law of causality requires very thorough investigation and comprehension by anyone seeking liberation. Without clearly knowing the causal law, the Three Signata and the Four Noble Truths cannot be fully understood with the full insight that leads to Nibbāna. All of these are included within the paticcasamuppāda which demonstrates their relation with each other.
The early Buddhist discourses, the Sutta Pitaka include a large number of discourses which deal with causality. The Mahapadana suta of Digha Nikāya, Nidāna sajyutta of Sajyutta Nikāya, Mahakhandaka of Mahavagga Pali, and the many discourses of the Majjhima Nikāya are worldly of consideration in this regard. Although the Sutta Pitaka includes different versions the same teaching, the twelve-fold formulas of the theory have been more popular among the followers at the later period. In regard to the early discourses, it has been pointed out by a number of scholars that the following statement of the Buddha can be regarded as the basis formula of the teaching:
“Imasmij sati idaj hoti, imasmij asati idaj na hoti, imassuppada daj uppajjati, imassa nirodha idaj nirujjhati”
when this is present, this comes to be; when this is absent, this does not come into being; with the arising of this, this arises; with the destruction of this, this ceases to be.
The above statement of the theory of causality is given in an impersonal manner. This brief statement of the theory can be applied to explain any situation whether mental or physical in the world. The twelve-fold formula is but and instance where this brief statement is applied to explain the origination and destruction of suffering. When it is taken as gradual and reverse orders, gradual order explains the origination of the mass of suffering and the reverse order the cessation of suffering.
It has been clarified that, this teaching of causality is deep in meaning and it cannot be easily understood. Once Ananda said to the Buddha that he could easily comprehend this teaching, The Buddha admonished him saying:“Say not so, Anand…Deep indeed is this causal law, and deep indeed it appears. It is through not knowing, not understanding, not penetrating, that doctrine, that this generation has become entangled like a ball of string…unable to overpass the doom of the Waste, the Woeful Way, the Downfall, the Constant Faring on.” (S.N. II, p.64)
According to the early Buddhist teachings, there are two main aspects of this theory:
- Paticcasamuppāda
- Paticcasamuppannadhamma.
Paticcasamuppāda means the causes or conditions which give rise to the respective effects. Paticcasamuppannadhamma means the effects which have been produced by the causes or conditions. Thus, it is clear that the former refers to the causes and the latter refers to the effects. As to the modern definition, the latter can be regarded as referring to the facts and the former as referring to the relationship among the facts. As we know, the human knowledge consists of the above two facts, i.e.
- The knowledge of the facts.
- The knowledge of the relationship among the facts.
This means that the noble of paticcasamuppāda has a real understanding of the world of experience. In most of the other non-Buddhist philosophical and religious traditions, such as Hinduism and Janism, the teaching of causality is based on monism and nihilism. On the contrary, Buddhism rejects both monism and nihilism by the teaching of paticcasamuppāda. According to the Buddha, a complete analysis of world of experience should consist of two methods viz. Analysis and Synthesis.
The analysis not couple with synthesis falls to nihilism. The synthesis not couple with analysis falls to monism. The Buddhist theory of Dependent Origination which comprises of both methods reject nihilism as well as monism.
In the Mahayana, Nagarjuna in his most authentic text, ‘Mulamadhyamaka-karika’ states that “Yah pratityasamutpadah wunyataj taj pracakmahe sa prajbaptirupadaya pratipat saiva madhyama.” Thus the Madhyamaka tradition has taken paticcasamuppada as referring to voidness. This also is one of the interpretations of paticcasamuppāda.
The teaching on paticcasamuppada is considered the central philosophy of Buddhism because every other teaching is based on this. Its significant is well illustrated in the Mahahatthipadopama sutta of Majjhima Nikāya, when the Buddha himself says:
“Whoever sees Dependent Origination sees the Dhamma.
Whoever sees the Dhamma sees the Dependent Origination.”
“Yo paticcasamuppadaj passati so dhammaj passati, yo dhammaj passati so
paticcasamuppadaj”
It becomes clear by the above statement that the dhamma is equal with Dependent Origination and vice-versa. It makes us the purpose of life to realize and understanding the nature of man and the nature of life.
Before and during the time of the Buddha, various theories were put forth to explain the origin of the world. Among them are Niyativada (determinism), Pubbekatahetu (causes of past actions), Issaranimmanahetu (God), Adhiccasamappana (non-cause), Ucchedavada (nihilism) and the Sassatavada (eternalism). All these theories were rejected by the Buddha as wrong views.
In the search of Truth, the Buddha discovered the law of causation (paticcasamuppada). With this discovery, he became fully enlightened. Having discovered and comprehended this law, he pointed it out and taught it, established it, revealed it, analyzed it, clarified and spoke about it. And whether the Buddha exists or not, it always exists as it is. It has the characteristics of objectivity (tathata), necessity (avitathata), invariability (anabbathata) and conditionality (idapaccayata), all these can be understood only by the wise.
The basis of dependent origination is that life or the world is built on a set of relations. This principle can be given in a short formula of four lines:
“Imasmij sati idaj hoti, imassa uppada idaj uppajjati,
imasmij asati idaj na hoti, imassa nirodha idaj nirujjhati”
This principle underlying the paticcasamuppāda formulation makes the paticcasamuppāda formulation a doctrine to be seen and understood in this state of thing and does not any way warrant running into past periods or into future. In fact, in the Majjhima Nikāya sutta no 33, the Buddha has explained that the knowing and seeing of paticcasamuppada formulation is in now and then, not in the past or in the future.
According to the law of Dependent Origination, there are 12 factors which account for the continuity and cessation of existence. From the explanation of these 12 factors of existence, rebirth and kamma are also explained, furthermore, both the views of eternalistic and annihilationalistic are at the same time, completely repudiated.
According to the Mahaparinibbanasutta, all beings wander in the circle of existence because of the ignorance of 4 Noble Truths. In the Gahapativagga sutta (no. 3) of Abhisamasamyutta, the paticcasamuppada anuloma is defined as the ‘arising of dukkha’ (dukkha samudaya), and paticcasamuppāda patiloma is defined as the ‘ceasing of dukkha’ (dukkha attagamo). The former is the second Noble Truth and the latter is the third Noble Truth. Therefore they can be called the truth of arising and the truth of ceasing. Or as in the Gahapativagga sutta (no. 9) of Abhisamasamyutta states, the anuloma is the arising of the world (loka samudaya) and the patiloma is the ceasing of the world (loka nirujjha).
So all this then means that if paticcasamuppāda is seen the four Noble Truths are also seen, since to see one Truth is, as the Sajyutta Nikāya V has pointed out, to see all the four. And seeing the four Noble Truths is just seeing the Buddha’s Teaching.
The theory of paticcasamuppāda can be observed in various discourses of the Buddha. The Cakkavattisihanadasutta explains the deterioration of the society beginning with the degeneration of human value. The Aggabbasutta deals with the evolution of the society in a series of causes and effects. The Sakkapabhasutta explains the cause-and effect theory which makes a person virtue and wise. The Madhupindikasutta explains the causal relation of mental factors in cognition. And the Abhisamaya Sajyutta deals with the 12 factors of existence, explains the origin and cessation of the mass of suffering. Other such as Mahanidanasutta, Kutadantasutta, and Mahatavhasankhyasutta etc also based on the theory of causation in dealing their relevant subjects.
According to early Buddhist teachings, there are two main aspects of this theory:
- Paticcasamuppāda
- paticcasamuppannadhamma.
Paticcasamuppāda means the causes or conditions which give rise to the respective effects. Paticcasamuppannadhamma means the effects which have been produced by the causes or conditions. Thus, the former refers to the causes and the latter refers to the effects. As to the modern definition, the latter can be regarded as referring to the facts and the former as referring to the relationship among the facts. This means that the noble of paticcasamuppāda has a real understanding of the world of experience.
The teaching on paticcasamuppada is considered the central philosophy of Buddhism because every other teaching is based on this. Its significant is well illustrated in the Mahahatthipadopāma sutta of Majjhima Nikāya, when the Buddha himself says:
“Yo paticcasamuppadaj passati so dhammaj passati, yo dhammaj passati so paticcasamuppadaj passatiti”
The Law of Dependent Origination (Paticcasamuppāda)
This is one of the major teachings in Buddhism. In fact this is the most difficult teachings to comprehend in Buddhism. Once Ven. Ananda (Mahanidana Sutta of D.N) said to the Buddha he can easily comprehend this teaching. But the Buddha warned him and said him that he should not speak like that because it is the most difficult teaching in Buddhism.
Normally this Dependent Origination (paticcasamuppāda) has explained with twelve links. Those are as follows:
- Avijja paccaya savkhara – Dependent on ignorance arise conditioning activities.
- Savkhara paccaya vibbana – Dependent on conditioning activities arises consciousness (re-birth)
- Vibbana paccaya namarupa – Dependent on rebirth consciousness arise mind and matter.
- Namarupa paccaya salayatana – Dependent on mind and matter arise six (sense) bases.
- Salayatana paccaya phasso – Dependent on six sense bases arises contact.
- Phassa paccaya vedana – Dependent on contact arise feeling.
- Vedana paccaya tanha – Dependent on feeling arise craving.
- Tanha paccaya upadana – Dependent on craving arise grasping.
- Upadana paccaya bhavo – Dependent on grasping arises becoming
- Bhava paccaya jati – Dependent on becoming arise birth
- Jati paccaya jaramarana soka parideva dukkha domanassa upayasa – Dependent on birth arise decay, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and depair.
Paticcasamuppāda is the Dhamma.
According to the Mahahatthipadopama Sutta of Majjhima Nikāya:
“If any one sees paticcasamuppada sees dhamma. If any sees dhamma sees paticcasamuppāda”.
(yo paticcasamuppāda passati so dhammaj passati, yo dhammaj passati so patissamuppadaj passati)
According to this statement paticcasamuppāda and the Dhamma is identical. Therefore paticcasamuppāda has been a major teaching in Buddhism. This paticcasamuppāda has translated into English as Causality, Cause and Effects or Dependent Origination. (Therefore, Dhammas paticcasamuppāda has been identical, because of this interpretation paticcasamuppāda is considered as a fundamental teaching in Buddhism. Paticcasamuppāda means ‘cause and effect’. )
A is there, B will be there
A is born, B will be born
A is not there, B will not there
A is extinguished, B will be extinguished.
This means “Origination with Dependents or Conditions”. According to Mahatanhasankhyaya Sutta of Majjhima Nikāya:
“From the arising of A, B arises. From the cessation of A, B ceases”.
(imasmij sati idaj uppajjati, imassa nirodha idaj nirujjhati)
Because of this that presents, from the arising of this that arises
(Imasmij sati idaj hoti, imassa uppada idaj uppajjati).
Because of this that ceases. From ceasing of this that ceases
(imamsij asati idaj na hoti, imassa nirodha idaj nirujjhati)
Whenever A is absent B absent. Buddhism advocates causal relations (many causes and many effects). By this theory of dependent origination all sort of wrong views have been rejected. Theism, non-causal relations, materialism, it said that whether the arise or not his causal relation is existing. This order exists namely the fixed nature of phenomena (Dhammatthitata), the regular pattern of phehomena (dhamma-niyamata) or conditionality (idappaccayata). This the Tathagato discovers and comprehends, having discovered and comprehended it he points it out, teaches it, lays it down, establishes, clarifies, it and says ‘look’.
(According to this paticcasamuppāda theory Buddhism advocates causal relations. Many causes and many effects. Those wrong views are Theism (Issara nimmanavada), the theory of non-causal relations (ahetuppaccaya vada), Fatalist theory (deeds done in previous lives – pubbekatahetu vada), Materialism (Bhautikavada) etc. In Samyutta Nikaya (II, 25) says: “whether Tathagatas arise or not, this order exists namely the fixed nature (dhammatthitata) of phenomena, the regular pattern of phenomena (dhammaniyamata), conditionality (idppacayata). This the Tathagata discovers and comprehends; having discouvered and comprehended it, he points it out, teaches it, lays it down, establishes, reveals, analysis, clarifies it and says ‘look’. – Uppada va tathagatanaj anuppada va tathagatanaj thita va sa dhatu dhammatthitata dhammaniyamata idappaccayata. Tam tathagato abhisambujjhati abhidameti; abhisambujhitva abhisametva acikkhati deseti pabbapeti patthapeti vivarati vibhajati uttanikaroti passatha ti caha.)
Almost all the scholars have said that the purpose of t his “Chain of Causation” is to explain misery, says Prof. K.N. Jayatilleke – Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge and E.J. Thomas – History of Buddhist Thought says: - “The formulat is held to expound the two truths of the origin of pain and cessation of pain”.
From the evidence of the texts it appears to have been used to primarily explain rebirth and kamma, without falling into atman hypothesis of the Eternalists and without falling into the other extreme of Materialism. As an empiricist the Buddha could not posit the existence of a soul. At the same time he could not like the materialists deny the continuity of the individual after death and the responsibility of the individual for his actions.
According to causal accounts of the factors operating in maintaining the process of the individual and thereby suffering explains like this: “In the belief that the who acts is the ssame as the person who experiences…he posits Eternalism; in the belief that the person who acts is not the same as the person who acts is not the same as the person who experiences… he posits Materialism. Avoiding these two extermes the Tathagata preaches the doctrine in the middle. Dependent on ignorance arise conditioning activities. In this manner there arise this mass of suffering. In the same way there cease this mass of suffering when the causes are cease to exist.
Another purpose for which the chain was explained was to show the explanation of the origin and development of the individual in place of explanation in terms of Methaphysical first cause and final cause. Therefore these causal relations can be applied to theories of perception, knowledge and consciousness etc.
These causal relations also not necessity but probability. Therefore the causal relation is also not deterministic.
(1) Avijja paccaya savkhara
Dependent on ignorance arise conditioning activities.
What is avijja? Ignorance, not knowing. Mainly not realizing the Four Noble Truths. Not knowing kusala and akusala. Not knowing kamma and vipaka. Not knowing what is good and what is bad. Not knowing conventional truth and absolute truth
Savkhara – activities, formation, making and collecting. Pubbabhisavkhara, apubbabhisavkhara and Anebjabhisavkhara (formation of merit, demerit and unshakable) kayasavkhara and vacisavkhara and citta savkhara (the bodily formation, verbal formation and mental formation. Anebja means four kind of moral consciousness with regard to formless sphere (arupavacara citta)
In simple avijja paccaya savkhara means because of ignorance we collect various merits and demerits.
(2) Savkhara paccaya vibbanaj
Because of conditioning activities arises rebirth consciousness
Depending on the formation of merits and demerits birth consciousness arises. This refers to rebirth. According to Buddhism because of merit (pubba) and demerit (papa) collected by a person will form the Birth consciousness.
Vibbana runs, vibbana transmigrates but it is not the same (vibbanaj sandhavati samsarati annabbaj)
(3) Vibbana paccaya namarupaj
Depending on rebirth consciousness arise mind and matter.
It is the Buddhist point of view that at the conception vibbana will form the mind and the body. This compound word Namarupa should be understood as nama alone, rupa alone and namarupa together. In the case of arupa planes there arises only mind; in the case of mindless (asabba) planes, only matter; in the case of kama and rupa plane, both mind and matter.
- Yogacara – pravrtti vijbana 6, Manana vijbana 7th , alaya vijbana 8th .
- Theravada – pravrtti vibbana, and bhavanga
- In Sanskrit – antarabhava (interim existence)
- In Pali – gandhabba – being willing to be born.
- Sambhavaesi – looking for flesh birth.
- Nahi taj vibbanaj atthi yaj sabbaya vippamuttaj – there is not vibbana without sabba.
(4) Namarupa paccaya salayatanaj
Depending on Mind and Matter arise six (sense) bases
Here nama (mind) means feeling, sensation and mental activities. Rupa means four great physical elements. Six sense bases are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and the heart. Here the heart is the base of the mind. Because of the mind and the matter these six senses will appear. It is said in the Visuddhimagga after six weeks of the conception these six senses will grow. For the formation of six senses mind and matter should be there. Six senses will not appear on the physical body without the mind. That is why it is mentioned that Depending on mind and body six senses will appear.
(5) Salayatana paccaya phasso
Depending on six sense bases arises sense-impression (phassa)
The six kinds of sense impression eye-impression, ear-impression, nose-impression, tongue-impression, body-impression and mind-impression will arise because of sense bases. Without sense bases these sense impressions will not occur. Visual consciousness will arise because of eye and material shape; the meeting of the three is sensory impression (phasso) etc., because of the rest of the sense bases respective sense impression will arise.
(6) Phassa paccaya vedana
Depending sense impression arises feeling.
When the sense impressions are there it will arise feeling. Therefore feeling is also divided into six such as:
- Feeling produced through eye contact
- Feeling produced through ear contact
- Feeling produced through nose contact
- Feeling produced through tongue contact
- Feeling produced through body contact
- Feeling produced through mind contact
Phassa is explained just as heat is produced when two sticks are rubbed against each other. So a pleasant feeling is produced from pleasant contact and ill feeling will produced because of unpleasant contact. Phassa is stimulus that initiates all sorts of mental activities. Contacted one feels (phuttho vedeti), contacted one thinks (phuttho ceteti), contacted one forms mental images (phuttho samjanati).
(7) Vedana paccaya tanha
Depending on feeling arise craving
Vedana is classified with regard to the six senses:
- Cakkhusamphassaja vedana
- Sotassamphassaja vedana
- Ghanasamphassaja vedana
- Jivhasamphassaja vedana
- Kayasamphassaja vedana
- Manosamphassaja vedana
Sajyutta Nikaya (IV, p. 233) makes a distinction of vedana as satisfaction in vedana (assada), misery in vedana (adinava) and renouncing the vedana (nissarana). The pleasure and happiness which arises conditioned by vedana – that is the satisfaction in vedana. The misery of vedana is the impermanence of vedana, the changing nature of vedana, pain the substantial nature of vedana. (yaj vedanaj paticca uppajjati sukkha somanassaj ayaj vedanaya assado; ya vedana anicca dukkha viparinamadhamma ayaj vedanaya adinavo)
The feeling is divided into three: pleasant (sukha), unpleasant (dukkha) and neutral (upekkha). Sometimes it is divided into five: sukha, dukkha, upekkha, somanassa, domanassa. Here sukha and dukkha refer to bodily feeling and somanassa and domanassa refer to mental feeling.
There is pleasure to be attained by the five love objects (kamaguna), but better is the pleasure felt in the first jhana. But even this is inferior to the pleasure in the second jhana. Each level of samadhi gives a greater pleasure than the preceding one. The highest type of pleasure is experienced in sannavedayitanirodha (the cessation of ideation and sensation). – anagami arahanta.
Tanha: Because of feeling craving arise. Therefore craving has been divided into six categories:
- Craving for rupa – rupa tanha
- Craving for sadda – sadda tanha
- Craving for gandha – gandha tanha
- Craving for rasa – rasa tanha
- Craving for photthabba – photthabba tanha
- Craving for dhamma – dhamma tanha.
When there is a pleasurable object people will crave for it. When there is a painful object the craving will arise to avoid that and get a pleasure. When there is an indifference the person will get that as a pleasure and generate craving for that.
(8) Tanha paccaya upadanaj
Because of craving arises grasping.
Upadana – fuel or fire wood. That which is grasped by craving (tanha) and hearsay (ditthi) -- tanha-ditthi. There are four kinds of grasping:
- kama (kama-upadana = kamupadana) – sense desires.
- Ditthi (ditthupadana) – speculations
- Silabbata (silabbatupadana) – belief in rites.
- Attavada (attavadupadana) – belief in soul.
- Pabca-upadanakkhandha – the five fold aggregates which are based on grasping.
- Nibbana – extinction of grasping, destruction of grasping.
Upadana paccaya bhavo
Dependent on grasping arises becoming.
Bhava – Birth, existence, increase, renewal of corporal existence, transmigration. Lowest point of existence is hell (apaya). Highest position of existence is with perception neither is not is not (nevasanna nasannayatana).
There are two bhavas: kamma bhava and uppatti bhava. Kamma bhave means kamma, uppatti bhava means birth. There are eight / 9 (查) uppatti bhavas. Those are:
- kama bhava – 11 sensuous spheres: 4 hells, 1 human world and 6 heavens
- rupa bhava – 16 rupa lokas (form sphere):
- Brahma porisajja
- Brahma purohita
- Maha brahma
- Parittabha
- Appamanabha
- Abhassara
- Parittasubba
- Appamanasubha
- Subhakinha
- Vehapphala
- Asannasatta
- Suddhavasa – divided into five: aviha, atappa, sudassa, sudassi, akanittha.
- arupa bhava – 4 formless spheres: akasanancayatana (here the life is 20 kappas), vibbanancayatana, akincannayatana and nevasabba na asabbayatana.
- sabba bhava – the world with conscious existence. Except asabbasatta (rupabhava) and nevasabbanasabbayatana (arupabhava) the other 19 birth places are sabba bhava.
- asabba bhava
- nevasabba na asabba bhava
- ekavokara bhava – the world with one skandha = asabbasatta
- catuvokara bhava – the world with four skandhas = 4 formless spheres.
- pabcavokara bhava – kamabhava and rupabhava
- 31 birth places:
- apaya – 4 (hell)
- human – 1
- deva world – 6
- highest brahma – 4
- kama bhava – 11
- rupa bhava – 16
- arupa bhava – 4
Bhava paccaya jati
Dependent on becoming arise birth.
How we can understand that becoming (bhava) is the cause for birth (jati)? In the early link of causality it was explained that where there is grasping (upadana) there will be becoming (bhava) and given every details of spheres where a person can be born. That has mentioned as bhava. Here it is mentioned about the birth because we can see the difference of inferiority and superiority of beings. If we asked how is it to be known that becoming is a condition for birth? Because of the observable difference of inferiority and superiority of beings. For in spite of equality of external circumstances, such as father, mother, seed, blood and nutriment the difference of inferiority and superiority is observation even in the case of twins. Because twins are not be equal in their qualities. And that fact is not causeless. There is not cause other than kamma process. Because kamma is the cause of the difference of inferiority and superiority among beings. Buddha said “It is kamma that separates beings according to inferiority and superiority” (kamma satte vibhajati yadidaj hinappanitataya) – Majjhima Nikaya iii, 203)
- Mahahatthipadopama sutta
- Ahetuppaccaya (no cause) – Mokkhali Gosala
- Fatalist theory – Nigantha Nagaputta
- Materialism – ChavakaJati paccaya jaramarana soka parideva dukkha domanassa upayasa aneke dukkha ssambhavanti.
Depending on birth arise aging, death, sorrow, grief, pain etc.
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