A Discourse on Paticcasamuppada

by Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw | 62,614 words

The Paticcasamuppada refers to “The Doctrine of Dependent Origination”. This is the English translation done by U Aye Maung Published by U Min Swe Buddhasasana Nuggaha Organization Rangoon, Burma....

Chapter 5 - Tanha And Samsara

Simultaneously with the arising of consciousness at the moment of seeing, etc., there arise nama rupa, ayatana, phassa and vedana. For every ordinary person who is not yet free from defilements, vedana (feeling) leads to tanha. Tanha in turn causes upadana (clinging) that makes him do a good or a bad deed (kammabhava). Under certain conditions, kammabhava gives rise to rebirth that makes living beings subject to old age, sickness, death, grief and all other mental and physical sufferings. This is how feelings lead to samsaric dukkha.

Nobody can prevent the arising of nama rupa, ayatana, phassa and vedana as concomitants of vinnana. The Buddha and the Arahats, too, have pleasant, unpleasant or neutral (upekkha) feelings as a result of contact with sense objects. They feel pain that arises from physical affliction but they do not suffer mentally; nor do they take delight in pleasant sensations. So they are free from craving and attachment. They do not strive for pleasure and happiness and because of their non kammic way of life, they do away with rebirth, nama rupa and other causes of suffering. This is the extinction of dukkha for the Arahat who is completely free from defilements.

So it is said, “Due to the complete extinction of tanha that is rooted in pleasant or unpleasant feeling on the Ariyan path, there arises the extinction of upadana (clinging).”

Experience of the pleasant or unpleasant feelings make the non Arahats crave for the good things of life but it has no effect on the person who has attained Arahatship after passing through the successive stages on the holy path. This may sound incredible to the common people but in fact the most alluring sense object has no appeal for the Arahat and he takes no interest in his welfare. He is, therefore, wholly free from craving and attachment and this means complete extinction of kammic effort, rebirth and its attendant suffering.

So it is said, “The extinction of upadana leads to the extinction of the cause of rebirth (kammic effort). The extinction of kammic effort leads to extinction of rebirth. Extinction of rebirth leads to extinction of old age, death, grief, etc.”

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