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 11 - Bhikkhuni Vajira

On The Nature Of Khandhas

Moreover, it is the extinction of suffering that is underscored in the famous saying of bhikkhuni Vajira. While she was sitting under a tree near Jetavana monastery, Mara appeared and in order to scare and discomfit her, asked her,“Hey, bhikkhuni! Who created a living being? Where is the creator? How did a living being originate and how would he come to an end?”

Bhikkhuni Vajira replied, “O, Mara! What do you think is a living being? Is not your belief in a living being an illusion? What you regard as a living being is nothing but a heap of sankhara. No being is to be found in this heap, a living being (sattava) is merely a term for the collection of five khandhas viz., rupa, vedana, etc., just as ”chariot“ is the term for the combination of wheel, axle, etc.; there is no being but only the group of five khandhas: That cause suffering - in fact, it is only suffering (dukkha) that arises, exists and ends. There is no arising and extinction of anything other than dukkha.”

Therefore, a living being is to be understood only in the popular acceptation of the term. It does not exist in the absolute sense; there is only the psycho physical process which comprises ignorance, craving, attachment, kamma and kammic effort as causes and consciousness, body mind, sense bases, impression and feeling as effects. These effects in turn become causes that give rise to rebirth and suffering.

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