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....
The doctrine of Paticcasamuppada describes twelve causes and effects viz.,
- ignorance,
- kamma formations,
- consciousness,
- mind and body,
- six senses,
- sense contact,
- feeling,
- craving,
- clinging,
- becoming (bhava),
- birth (jati),
- old age and death.
According to the doctrine, ignorance and craving are the two main sources of suffering. There are two life cycles, the anterior life cycle and the posterior life cycle. The anterior life cycle begins with ignorance as its main source and ends with feeling, while the posterior life cycle begins with craving and ends with death. In the former life cycle, ignorance (avijja) and kamma formations (sankhara) in the past life leads to rebirth, while in the latter life cycle, craving (tanha) and clinging (upadana) cause rebirth in future. The two life cycles show how a mans lifetimes are linked with one another through cause and effect.
Again, if the doctrine of dependent origination is to be described on time scale, avijja and sankhara are two links in the past life, the links from vinnana to kammabhava concern the present life, while birth, old age and death are the links that future has in store for us. Thus, the doctrine refers to three time dimensions.