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[ Give Ear ]
The Oldest Version of the Paticca Samuppada
Glossology Paticca Samuppada This is a separate page which should be read in conjunction with this page. Links from this page of the Glossology go to descriptions of the individual terms.
§
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samm¤sambuddhassa
Buddha-vaggo
Desan¤
Evam me sutaµ ekaµ samaya³ Bhagav¤ S¤vatthiyaµ viharati Jetavane An¤thapi¼Ąikassa ¤r¤me// //
Tatra kho Bhagav¤ vhikkh ¤mantesi Bhikkhavo ti//
Bhadante ti te bhikkh Bhagavato paccassosuµ// //
Bhagav¤ etad avoca//
PaĀiccasamupp¤dam vo bhikkhave desiss¤mi//
t¤m su¼¤tha s¤dhukam manasikarotha bh¤siss¤mØti//
Evam bhanteti kho te bhikkh Bhagavato paccassosuµ// //
Bhagav¤ etad avoca//
Katamo ca bhikkhave paĀiccasamupp¤do//
Avijj¤paccay¤ bhikkhave saøkh¤r¤//
saøkh¤rapaccay¤ vi¾¾¤naµ//
vi¾¾¤¼apaccay¤ n¤marpaµ//
n¤marpapaccay¤ sa²¤yatanaµ//
sa²¤yatanapaccay¤ phasso//
phassapaccay¤ vedan¤//
vedan¤paccay¤ ta¼h¤//
ta¼h¤paccay¤ up¤d¤naµ//
up¤d¤napaccay¤ bhavo//
bhavapaccay¤ j¤ti//
j¤tipaccay¤ jar¤mara¼aµ soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassup¤yas¤ sambhavanti//
Evam etassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti//
Ayaµ vuccati bhikkhave samupp¤do// //
Avijj¤ya tveva asesavir¤ganirodh¤ saøkh¤ranirodho//
saøkh¤ranirodh¤ vi¾¾¤¼anirodho//
vi¾¾¤¼anirodh¤ n¤marpanirodho//
n¤marpanirodh¤ sa²¤yatananirodho//
sa²¤yatananirodh¤ phassanirodho//
phassanirodh¤ vedan¤nirodho//
vedan¤nirodh¤ ta¼h¤nirodho//
ta¼h¤nirodh¤ up¤d¤nanirodho//
up¤d¤nanirodh¤ bhavanirodho//
bhavanirodh¤ j¤tinirodho//
j¤tinirodh¤ jar¤mara¼aµ soka-parideva-dukkha-doman¤ssup¤y¤s¤ nirujjhanti//
Evam etassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotØti// //
Idam avoca Bhagav¤//
attaman¤ te bhikkh Bhagavato bh¤sitam abhinandunti// //
Mrs. Rhys Davids: Thus have I heard: The Exalted One was once staying near Savatthi at the Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's Park. And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
'Brethren!' 'Master!' responded those brethren. The Exalted One said: 'I will teach you, brethren, the causal law. Listen to it, give your minds thoroughly and I will speak.' 'Even so, lord,' responded those brethren. The Exalted One spake this:
What, brethren, is the causal law?
Conditioned by ignorance activities come to pass;
conditioned by activities consciousness,
conditioned by consciousness name-and-shape,
conditioned by name-and-shape sense,
conditioned by sense contact,
conditioned by contact feeling,
conditioned by feeling craving,
conditioned by craving grasping,
conditioned by grasping becoming,
conditioned by becoming birth,
conditioned by birth old age-and death, grief, lamenting, suffering, sorrow, despair come to pass.
Such is the uprising of this entire mass of ill. This, brethren, is called [causal] happening.
But from the utter fading away and ceasing of ignorance [comes] ceasing of activities;
from ceasing of activities ceasing of consciousness;
from ceasing of consciousness ceasing of name-and-shape;
from ceasing of name-and-shape ceasing of sense;
from ceasing of sense ceasing of contact;
from ceasing of contact ceasing of feeling;
from ceasing of feeling ceasing of craving;
from ceasing of craving ceasing of grasping;
from ceasing of grasping ceasing of becoming;
from ceasing of becoming ceasing of birth;
from ceasing of birth old age-and-death, grief, lamenting, suffering, sorrow, despair cease.
Such is the ceasing of this entire mass of ill.
It is the Exalted One who spake this. Pleased in mind those brethren took delight in the saying of the Exalted One.
Before I give Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation, here is an important quote from his introduction to this section:
"Direct knowledge of dependent origination is not the unique mark of the arahant -- a widespread misconception -- but an achievement already reached by the stream-enterer on making "the breakthrough to the Dhamma' (dhammabhisamaya). The noble disciple's knowledge of dependent origination has two aspects: one is a direct perception of the relationships between each pair of factors in the present; the other, an inferential knowledge that this fixed order of phenomena holds invariably in the past and future, so that anyone who comprehends dependent origination must comprehend it in exactly the same way that the noble disciple has comprehended it."
I agree with the first statement, this is what I would call "The True Streamwinner" (as opposed to the Streamwinner by faith; or the one who is Streamwinner by virtue of his momentum in that direction). As for the latter statements: I don't think they hold up under examination. We get this formula in a number of different ways with differing pairs, and sometimes in the very brief form: This being that becomes, from the ending of this, the ending of that. And, also, the Four Truths is another way this formula is stated. What is true here for all who see the point is:
that all see the "principle" of intentional action giving rise to personal, subjective, results;
the nature of those results as always being painful as a consequence of their inherent nature as phenomena bound in time and therefore bound to end;
that by the cessation of the intentional activity the personal, subjective results also cease;
and the fact that this is necessarily the case for the past and future.
(Here is Bhikkhu Bodhi's rendition...just the elements):
"And what, bhikkhus, is dependent origination?
With ignorance as condition, volitional formations [come to be];
with volitional formations as condition, consciousness;
with consciousness as condition, name-and-form;
with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases;
with the six sense bases as condition, contact;
with contact as condition, feeling;
with feeling as condition, craving;
with craving as condition, clinging;
with clinging as condition, existence;
with existence as condition, birth;
with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be.
Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. This, bhikkhus, is called dependent origination.
But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations;
with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness;
with the cessation of consciousness, cessation of name-and-form;
with the cessation of name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases;
with the cessation of the six sense bases, cessation of contact;
with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling;
with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving;
with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging;
with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence;
with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth;
with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation,
pain, displeasure, and despair cease.
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering."
And here is the version by Bhikkhu Thanissaro[1]
And what is dependent co-arising?
From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications.
From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness.
From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form.
From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media.
From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact.
From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling.
From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving.
From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance.
From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming.
From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth.
From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play.
Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering.
From Warren, Buddhism in Translations
The world, for the most part, O Kacc¤na, holds either to a belief in being or to a belief in non-being. But for one who in the light of the highest knowledge, O Kacc¤na, considers how the world arises, belief in the non-being of the world passes away. And for one who in the light of the highest knowledge, O Kacc¤na, considers how the world ceases, belief in the being of the world passes away.
For the take on the Paticca Samuppada given in Warren, Buddhism in Translations, see the following chapters:
# 37 Discussion of Dependent Origination
Here is my version. I am going to make this one as literal as I possibly can (and I will follow the breaks) for simplicity in comparison with the Pali. Hear 'Bhagava' like you heard it when you were a student and referring to your instructor, you said: "Teach said..." And try to hear it as if it were being spoken:
I HERE TELL once upon a time Bhagava, roun-Savatthi revisiting, Jeta-woods, Anathapindika's Park.
There to the Beggars gathered round he said Beggars!
Broke-tooth! the Beggars responded to Bhagava.
Bhagava then said:
I will teach you rebounding conjuration
listen well pay attention, I will speak.
Even so, Broke-tooth! the Beggars responded to Bhagava.
Bhagava then said:
What then Beggars is rebounding conjuration?
Rebounding off blindness beggars, own-making
rebounding off own-making, being conscious
rebounding off being conscious, identity/entity-ness
rebounding off identity/entity-ness, six-realm-ness
rebounding off six-realm-ness, touch
rebounding off touch, experience
rebounding off experience, thirst
rebounding off thirst, boundup-ness
rebounding off boundup-ness, living
rebounding off living, birth
rebounding off birth, aging and death grief and lamentation pain and misery and despair become one's own
Even so is the accomplishment of this pile of shit made to be
Thus told, beggars, is it's conjuration.
But utterly-eradicating being blind, own-making is eradicated
own-making eradicated, being conscious is eradicated
being conscious eradicated, identity/entity-ness is eradicated
identity/entity-ness eradicated, six-realm-ness is eradicated
six-realm-ness eradicated, touch is eradicated
touch eradicated, experience is eradicated
experience eradicated, thirst is eradicated
thirst eradicated, boundup-ness is eradicated
boundup-ness eradicated, living is eradicated
living eradicated, birth is eradicated
birth eradicated, aging and death grief and lamentation pain and misery and despair are uprooted
Even so is the accomplishment of the eradication of this pile of shit made to be.
That is what Bhagava said
And, the Beggars, HighinMind at Bhagava's exposition, were exceeding-pleased
For an example of an unusual set of "pairs" in this formula visit:
../../ThePaliLine/fourfoodexpansion.htm#FourFoods
go to the bottom of the page, under "Where there is Lust" a short sutta which has a variation on the usual order.
Mahasi Syadow's take on the Patica Samupada
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/mahasi-paticca/paticca-01.htm
Anyone interested in the development of Buddhism in the West needs to familiarize himself with the understanding of the system held by Mahasi Syadow. His influence has been enormous (note the similarity in translation of terms to Horner[2]).
Some things to keep in mind:
Note that he uses the version in which consciousness appears twice.
Also note that in this very long discussion a great deal of time is spent on aspects of giving. I believe the approach is mistaken. Mahasi's take is that it is an aspect of the system to engage in giving, even on up to the stage of Arahant. This is in contradiction to the passage where the Buddha states: "Not only do I teach the giving up of bad deeds, I teach also the giving up of good deeds."
This issues is to be understood this way: Giving is a good thing for producing good kamma. Producing good kamma is not the goal of the system, the ending of kamma is the goal of the system. Giving is helpful to one starting out on the way in that it produces a sense of confidence and a feeling of calm. This is a good atmosphere in which to develop the higher understandings necessary to accomplish the goal of the system. Giving is maintained as a habit by Bhikkhus all the way to Arahantship as a matter of being a good example to others
In another place, MS describes the outcome of a good deed of supporting the Sangha as resulting in a horrid rebirth. This is a blurring of the situation. The individual gives to support the sangha, and follows the views of a misguided teacher. It is the following of the views of a misguided teacher that is the cause of the horrid rebirth, not the doing of the good deed, which will, no doubt, result in good consequences at a later time.
"It is not possible, it cannot come to be that the consequence of a good deed is a bad outcome. Should one see an individual who here performed good deeds suffering a bad rebirth it must be assumed that he did a bad deed before or a bad deed after or held on to wrong views at the time of death." (paraphrase see: The Great Analysis of Kamma
Also MS goes into the subterminology of the Abhidhamma far too much for my taste. Nevertheless MS discusses the various links in the chain in great detail and gives examples and the general discussion is useful towards understanding the system as well as the influence his views have had on Western Buddhism.
His terminology:
Paticca Samupada = Dependant Origination
Avijja = ignorance
Sankhara = effort, activity, or kamma-formations
Vinnana = consciousness
Nama/Rupa = psycho-physical phenomena
Vinnana
Salayatana = sense-bases (ayatana = bases)
Phassa = contact, impression
Vedana = feeling
Tanha = craving
Upadana = grasping or attachment, clinging
Bhava (he uses Kammabhava) = condition or kamma for renewed existence), becoming
Jati = rebirth
Jaramanara = Old age and death sorrow grief and lamentation
Other terms used:
Nivarana = hinderances
Vipassana = insight
panna = wisdom
upekkha = equanimity
Noble Eight-Fold Path:
Right
View
Intention
Speech
Action
Livlihood
Effort
Mindfulness
Contimplation
Here is a little exercise to demonstrate Downbound Confounded Rebounding Conjuration
Lite a burner on your stove. [You should actually do this, don't just think it through.] Stand in front of the burner. Ask yourself: "What would happen if I placed my hand in the flame and left it there for a while?"
Now ask yourself: "Would I, willingly, place my hand in that flame?"
Of course not.
Why not?
Because you are not blind to the consequences.
Because you are not blind to the consequences you do not engage in that activity of body that would place your hand in that flame. Because you do not do that you do not suffer the pain of a burn't hand.
To that degree you have brought dukkha, Pain to an end. To that degree you have experienced, first hand, with your own eyes, in the here and now, in this life, Nibbana.
Now: Ask yourself: What is the nature of this Nibbana I have experienced? Does it have Form (rupa)? Does it involve sense experience? (vedana); is it pleasant, unpleasant, neither pleasant nor unpleasant (it may be neither pleasant nor unpleasant but does it involve the senses?)? Does it involve perception (sanna)? Is it, in fact, any aspect of any kind of a world I have created for myself with any act of body, speech or mind? Does it involve Consciousness (vinnana)?
Does it have anything at all to do with my self?
Does it exist?
Does it not exist?
See the difficult part is seeing how the same principle is involved in this Entire Stockpiled Pile Of Dukkha you calla "My a Me"
I have been reading Wings to Awakening. I have many thoughts on this work, but one I thought I would pass along immediately as it solves a problem apparently perplexing Bhikkhu Thanissaro and others researching the Paticca Samuppada (or maybe not):
He says (pp 304): "Another point of disagreement is over the question of how the factors of fabrication and ignorance came to be added to the basic list." (of the paticca samuppada) He gives two sources for the basic list: S.XII.67 (which doesn't help on this issue) and D.15 (his page 330), which begins (his translation):Ananda: It is amazing, lord, it is astounding, how deep this dependent co-arising is, and how deep its appearance, and yet to me it seems clear as clear can be.
The Buddha: Don't say that, Ananda. Don't say that. Deep is this dependent co-arising, and deep its appearance. It's because of not understanding and not penetrating this Dhamma that this generation is like a tangled skein, a knotted ball of string, like matted rushes and reeds, and does not go beyond the cycle of planes of deprivation, woe, and bad destinations.
"Miraculous Bhante! Supernatural Bhante! So very deep, Bhante, is this rebounding conjuration, and so very deep appearing. And yet to me it seems as clear as clear can be!"
"Not so Ananda, should this be said! Not so Ananda, should you put voice to this. Very deep, Ananda is this rebounding conjuration and very deep does it appear. It is, Ananda, because of not awakening to, not penetrating this phenomenon, that this age of excrudescence-covered chord-bound birth, this bull-rush-and-tule-grass run-around way of living rolls on to downbound, painful ruination."
I read the Buddha's response to Ananda as saying: "Because of Ignorance, there is Sankharaming," so actually (if we take this series as having come first at all) then the two factors of fabrication and ignorance were there all along, just in a different form.
We could also read this as the Buddha actually suggesting that this is how the series should be summarized, as opposed to the way Ananda does it, which is just praise. If we read it this way it reveals much about how we should be reading the meaning of "paticca," (i.e., simply "because").
[1]Access to Insight: SN.12-002, Bhk. Thanissaro, trans.
[2]See: Glossology: Paticca Samuppada
References:
See: Glossology Paticca Samuppada
Samyutta-Nikaya, Nidana-vaggo, Nidana-samyuttam, I. Buddha-vaggo: Desana
PTS: The Book of the Kindred Sayings, II:i:1: The Teaching, Rhys Davids, trans., pp1
WP: Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Volume 1: II: Connected Discourses on Causation, I:1: Dependent Origination
The Great Downbinding Spell, mo translation
DN II: #15: MahaNidana Sutta, Pali
The Great Causes Discourse, Bhikkhu Thanissaro Trans
Samyutta Nikaya, II: #65: Nagaram, pp 104
PTS: The Book of the Kindred Sayings, II #65: The City, Mrs. Rhys Davids, trans, pp72
WP: The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, I, II The Book of Causation #65: The City, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans, pp600
ATI: Samyutta Nikaya XII.65 Nagara Sutta The City Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
BD: The Lost Citadel, mo translation of SN II.#65: Nagara
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