Dependent Origination

Lord Buddha, in his endeavour for emancipation of humanity from suffering, had the vision of Pratityasamutpada -the Dependent Origination, also called Dependent Arising.  

The Dependent Origination is the universal Law of Cause and Effect.  It explains the nature of existence, the Samsara, characterised by repeated suffering.  And it is perpetuated by interconnected chain-link of cause and effect, called Nidanas. 

By nature we seek pleasure.  We try to avoid pain and take care of ourselves first. 

Pleasure is the binding force that binds us to Samsara.  Rolling thought processes are its ever changing base and the pleasure seeking activity of ours does not stop even at death.  At death our material body dies.  But the part of us that is immaterial acquires a new form and we continue to be in the pursuit of sensual pleasure.  The process goes on endlessly, and so we suffer endlessly. 

Until we stop seeking pleasure, pain will not leave us, and until we care for others we will not be able to take care of ourselves. 

In the enlightened vision of Dependent Origination Lord Buddha realised: “When this is –the cause; that is –the effect.  With the arising of this, that arises (Assutava Sutta).”

“This is because that is.  If this is not, that is not (Pratityasamutpada Sutra).”

“That being, this comes to be; from the arising of that; this arises; that being absent; this is not; from the cessation of that, this ceases (Samutta Nikaya).”

Expounding his vision on Dependent Origination, Lord Buddha says; “Behind every phenomenon, there is a cause.  That cause is a phenomenon itself.  The very basis of phenomenal existence is interdependence, the interdependence of cause and effect.  Nothing exists entirely by itself and nothing is permanent. 

The vicious cycle of cause and effect continues ad infinitum bringing about repeated suffering.  This is Bhava Cakra, the wheel of successive becoming, the wheel of repeated suffering.  In this Bhava Cakra, the primary cause that sets the wheel in motion is ignorance.  We suffer because of our ignorance, the primary causal factor for suffering.

Further, a cause cannot come in effect without condition.  The effect arises depending upon the condition.  The severity and extent of effect is either softened or intensified by the condition in which it is expressed.  A wholesome action at present causes a wholesome effect in the future, which can also be a condition for preventing or at least moderating the negative retribution of the unwholesome action of the past.  We cannot change the cause which have been a case of past but we can change the condition at present.  The present being in our hand, we can change our fate by changing the condition doing wholesome action.”

The teaching of Lord Buddha on Dependent Origination essentially and primarily enables us to understand suffering and cessation of suffering.  It reveals the way for breaking the chain of cause and effect putting an end to the repeated suffering.

The Dependent Origination has twelve Nidanas -links of cause and effect.  The twelve Nidanas are (1) ignorance, (2) mental formation, (3) six consciousnesses, (4) name and form, (5) six spheres or bases of senses, (6) contact -coming together, (7) feeling, (8) craving, (9) clinging, (10) becoming, (11) birth, and (12) death.  The twelve Nidanas constitutes the Bhava-Cakra, the cycle of successive becoming.

Each of the twelve Nidanas successively gives rise to next link, and the cycle continues ad infinitum. 

1...From arising of ignorance arise Sankhara –the mental formation, the impulse, the formation of volition, an array of displaced mental disposition, which are the conditioning activities.

Ignorance –Avidya, implies to not knowing suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and not knowing the way leading to cessation of suffering is ignorance. 

2...From arising of Sankhara arises Vijnana –Consciousness; the six consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. 

3...From arising of Vijnana arises Nama Rupa, the name and form, the mind and body. 

The name implies to emotional aspect of our being: feeling, perception, intention, contact, and attention.  The form is the body, the aggregate of four great elements. 

4...From arising of Nama Rupa arises Sala Yatna –the six sense bases or faculties: the eyes, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

5...From arising of Sala Yatana arises Phassa –contact. 

Contact implies to coming together of the sense object, the sense faculties as medium, and the consciousnesses. 

6...From arising of Phassa arises Vedana –feeling.

7...From arising of Vedana arises Tanha –craving, the misplaced desires.

8...From arising of Tanha arises Upadana –clinging or grasping.

9...From arising of Upadana arises Bhava –becoming. 

10...From arising of Bhava arises Jati –birth. 

11...From arising of Jati arises Jaramarana, the twelfth link.

The twelfth link, the Jaramarana, involves Jara –decay, ageing or changing, Marana -death, Soka -sorrow, Parideva -lamentation, Dukkha -pain, Doe manassa -grief, and Upayasa -despair.

Upon having the perfect vision of the Dependent Origination in forward order, Lord Buddha reflected the same in reverse order and realised; “When this cause does not exist, that effect does not arise.  With the cessation of this cause, that effect cease. When this isn’t, that isn’t.  From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that (Assutava Sutta).” 

The twelve Nidanas in reverse order were envisioned as:

1...With the cessation of ignorance, the conditioning activity ceases.

2...With the cessation of conditioning activity, the consciousness ceases.

3...With the cessation of consciousness, the mind and matter cease.

4...With the cessation of mind and matter, the six spheres of senses ceases.

5...With the cessation of six spheres of senses, the contact cease.

6...With the cessation of contact, the feeling ceases.

7...With the cessation of feeling, the craving ceases.

8...With the cessation of craving, the grasping ceases.

9...With the cessation of grasping, the becoming ceases.

10...With the cessation of becoming, the birth ceases.

11...With the cessation of birth, the twelfth link, the aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair ceases. 

The root of the Dependence Origination is ignorance and its fruition is suffering.  The suffering being the universal un-satisfactory experience, every one naturally endeavours to find a way out from suffering.  It is due to ignorance -the displaced mental formation, the second link, comes into being.  These two together give rise to consciousness, the third link, which in turn give rise to name and form, the fourth link, the being of human individual.  The name and form being in existence give rise to six sense faculties, the fifth link.

The six sense faculties being activated establishes contact with sense objects, the sixth link, which in turn give rise to feeling and craving, the seventh and eighth link respectively, wanting to have certain things and avoid others. 

The craving, the eighth link, give rise to clinging, the ninth link.  With clinging being arisen there arises the becoming, the tenth link, which give rise to birth, the eleventh link.  And with birth, there comes the death, the twelfth link. 

Among the twelve Nidanas, Avidya –ignorance, the first Nidana, and Tanha -craving, the seventh Nidana are the primeval causes of suffering. 

The profundity of the Dependent Origination is in its affirmation that existence of every phenomenon is interdependent and impermanent.  It rules out that no existence is really independent and permanent.  It is a primary teaching that enables us to understand suffering and cessation of suffering.  It gives us the wisdom to destroy ignorance and let go the craving.

Metaphorically the twelve Nidanas are presented as the events of the past, present and future.  Ignorance and mental formation as past events have been assigned to the past life.  In the present the process of evolution taking place in us are the eight Nidanas: the consciousness, name and form, six senses, contact, feeling, craving, clinging and becoming.  These events are assigned to present life, which are happening in us at every present moment.  The last two Nidanas aren’t happening now but going to happen in future.  These events of future are assigned to future lives of which the state of being will be determined by the present.  It affirms how precious the present moment of our lives is.

Lord Buddha sums up the teachings on Dependent Origination by saying: “One who sees the Dependent Origination sees the Dharma.  One who sees the Dhamma sees the Dependent Origination (Majjhima Nikaya 1).

The teaching of Lord Buddha on Dependent Origination is indeed the core teaching on the deliverance from sufferings.