Dependent OriginationFor a human being, life in the
present time is always imperfect because the mind is full of craving in a
world of delusion in which things are pleasant and unpleasant. Sensation
arises and flows according to impulses.
So human beings are anxious and struggle to fulfil their desire which
is impossible for anyone to do. The more they search, the more anxious
they become. Suffering follows all the way. There is no balance and
fulfilment because people's minds are dominated by Ignorance. Therefore,
imperfection will always be present.
Compositions of a person's craving
From dependence on Impulses arises Craving.Wholesome Dhamma: The mind which
is full of intelligence, reason wisdom and peace.
dependence on Craving arises Searching (or Pursuit).
on Searching arises Fortune.
From dependence on Fortune arises
Decision (or Resolve).
From dependence on Resolve arises Love.
From dependence on Love arises Preoccupation.
From dependence on
Preoccupation arises Attachment.
From dependence on Attachment arises
From dependence on Miserliness arises
From dependence on Protection arises Unwholesome Dhamma
Unwholesome Dhamma: The mind which is not intelligent, but
stupid, depressed, cloudy or restless.
Unwholesome Dhamma is an unskilful action such as killing, quarrelling,
squabbling, slandering and lying. The mind is overcome by Ignorance, bound
up by the chain of craving which is never fulfilled.
If human beings in this world want to find the way to overcome impulses
and craving which are the latent qualities of their mind, they should
study Dependent Origination. This Dhamma, which is the Buddha's
Transcendental wisdom, is the key to dispel all the Unwholesome Dhamma
which makes people plunge into the heap of Suffering, so full of anxiety.
Peace and contentment will thereby appear in every human being's mind.
Dependent Origination is the Truth which is necessary for all Buddhists to
study because it is the way to understand the states of human mind by the
practice of The Four Foundations of mindfulness, applying mindfulness
(Sati) and wisdom (Panna) to contemplate the body, feelings, the mind and
reality. This practice is undertaken in order to understand Suffering, the
Cause of Suffering and to know the way to Cessation of Suffering. This is
called practising the Dhamma until wisdom arises. When wisdom appears,
Ignorance is eliminated.
Dependent Origination can be broken up into different forms and
subsequently analysed for meditators to understand and gain wisdom. They
have to contemplate each step in turn in the Cycle. Extinction therefore
takes place consecutively. Wisdom arises followed by a clear comprehension
in the Cycle of Existence. There is no doubt left concerning birth, old
age, disease and death. The vision of Truth will appear. The true nature
of Suffering will be understood and this is followed by a weariness of
birth, old age, disease and death. This realization will free one from the
Cycle. The defilements, craving and attachment will be eliminated. One
will gain the Four Noble Paths and their Fruitions and will finally
realize Nibbana. This can be called Extinction and is the Noble Path and
Fruition of the Perfect One (Arahat) and Nibbana. It is the highest virtue
of celestial and human beings.
The BuddhaWhen the Buddha discovered that Ignorance was the root
cause of Suffering, he used the Path of Truth, which is transcendental
wisdom, to destroy latent dispositions which are buried deep in the
flowing panorama of successive mental states. Consequently he became
enlightened about the 3 worlds (the sensuous planes, the form planes and
the formless plane), the impermanence of Self and Egolessness. What we
call Ego consists of the 4 elements, earth, water, fire and wind. It is no
more than the combination of the element of corporeality and mentality.
Therefore Ignorance is dispelled by his wisdom; the Buddha achieved the
real Extinction of Kamma Formations through the Noble Path of Truth and
freed himself from the snare of the origin of Suffering. The
Transcendental wisdom which appears is compared with the light of virtue
that shines in the heart of the one who practises. Right up to the present
day, worlds of the followers have always been happy and peaceful.
The Origin of Dependent OriginationThe causes of Dependent
Origination are as follows.
From Dependence on Ignorance arise Karma
Formations.The arising of this whole mass of suffering is called
From Dependence on Karma Formations arises
From Dependence on Consciousness arises Mind and
From Dependence on Mind and Matter arise the Six
From Dependence on the Six Sense - Bases arise
From Dependence on Contact arises Feeling.
Dependence on Feeling arises Craving.
From Dependence on Craving
From Dependence on Clinging arises Becoming.
Dependence on Becoming arises Birth.
From Dependence on Birth arises
Decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.
Dependent Extinction is as follows.
Through the total fading away and extinction of
Kamma-Formations are extinguished.
extinction of Karma-Formations, Consciousness is
Through the extinction of Consciousness, Mind and
Matter are extinguished.
Through the extinction of Mind and Matter,
the Six Sense-Bases are extinguished.
Through the extinction of the
Six Sense-Bases, Contact is extinguished.
Through the extinction of
Contact, Feeling is extinguished.
Through the extinction of Feeling,
Craving is extinguished.
Through the extinction of Craving, Clinging
Through the extinction of Clinging, Becoming is
Through the extinction of Becoming, Birth is
Through the extinction of Birth, Decay, Death, sorrow,
lamentation, pain, grief and despair are extinguished.
of this whole mass of suffering means freeing oneself from the snare or
loop of Dependent Origination.
Component parts of Dependent Origination
- Ignorance (Avijja) is ignorance of the real nature of
Suffering in the mind, its cause, Cessation of Suffering (in the mind),
and the Path leading to Cessation of Suffering.
- Karma Formations (Sankhara) are Volitional activities.
- Bodily Formations
- Verbal Formations
- Mental Formations
From Dependence on Karma Formations, Consciousness arises.
- Consciousness (Vinnyana) is the rising of consciousness of
the sense object through the 6 sense organs.
- Eyes- Eye Consciousness
- Ears- Ear Consciousness
- Nose- Nose Consciousness
- Tongue- Tongue Consciousness
- Body- Body Consciousness
From Dependence on Consciousness, Mind and Matter arise.
- Mind and Matter (Nama-Rupa): Nama is Mind within the physical
body. It is subtle and delicate in nature and branches out into:
Rupa is the physical body which can be
contacted by eyes. Its nature is gross and combined with the 4 Primary
Elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind.
- Feeling or Sensation (Vedana)
- Perception, Memory (Sanya)
- Volition (Cetana)
- Contact (Phassa),
- Mental Impression, Mental Application, Pondering
From dependence on Mind and Matter, Six Sense Organs arise.
- Six Sense Organs (Salayatana): The Six Sense Objects, forms,
sounds, odours, sapids, tangible and mental objects, collide with their
respective sense organs giving rise to six types of Consciousness.
Eyes - Eye contact
Ears - Ear contact
Nose - Nose contact
Tongue - Tongue Contact
Body - Body Contact
Mind - Mind Contact
From Dependence on the Six Sense Organs, Contact arises.
- Contact, Mental Impression (Phassa) is the conjunction of the
sense bases, sense object and the resultant Consciousness.
Visual consciousness - eye (and forms)
Auditory consciousness - ear (and sounds)
Olfactory consciousness - nose (and odours)
Gustatory consciousness - tongue (and sapids)
Tactile consciousness - body (and tangible objects)
Mind consciousness - Mind (and mental objects)
From Dependence on Contact, Sensation arises.
- Sensation, Feeling (Vedana) is the feeling that experiences
an object when it comes in contact with the senses, whether it is
pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent.
Feeling arisen from visual contact - eyes
Feeling arisen from auditory contact - ears
Feeling arisen from olfactory contact - nose
Feeling arisen from gustatory contact - tongue
Feeling arisen from physical contact - body
Feeling arisen from mental contact - mind.
From Dependence on Sensation, Craving arises.
- Craving (Tanha) There are 6 kinds of craving corresponding to
the 6 sense objects.
Craving for forms
Craving for sounds
Craving for odours
Craving for tastes
Craving for tangible objects
Craving for mental objects.
From Dependence on Craving, Grasping arises.
- Grasping (Upadana) Grasping is clinging to sense-objects and
the 5 aggregates.
Clinging to sensuality
Clinging to views
Clinging to mere rules and ritual
Clinging to ego-belief (belief that 5 aggregates are Ego)
From Dependence on Grasping, Becoming arises.
- Becoming (Bhava) is the mind which searches, full of impulses
end emotions. It is the mind of an ordinary man who is dominated by
craving, of one who intends to take a rebirth through craving for
existence as the result of attachment in the previous physical forms and
lives. There are 3 planes of existence.
- The Sensuous planes - the worlds of humans, animals and celestial
- The Form planes - of divine beings.
- The Formless planes - of divine beings.
From Dependence on Becoming, Birth arises.
- Birth (Jati) is Rebirth which is the arising of
psycho-physical phenomena. Men and women form attachment to one another
leading to sexual intercourse. Consequently, beings with aggregates and
senses are born.
From Dependence on Birth, Old age, Death, Sorrow, lamentation, pain,
grief and despair arise.
- Old Age and Death (Jara, Marana) Jara means decay such as the
hair turning grey, teeth dropping out, wrinkled skin, getting older, and
the decline of sense faculties. These are impermanent conditions and are
full of suffering.
Marana means movement, destruction, death, the breaking up of the
aggregates, the elimination of the sense faculties.
The source of all this Suffering is Ignorance which can be compared
with a plant. The plant grows into a tree, complete with roots, trunks,
leaves, flowers and fruit. However, its origin cannot be found. In the
same way a sentient being"s physical and mental factors arise dependent on
Ignorance, of which no one can trace its origin. It has already appeared
as a chain of Dependent Origination.
An ordinary man can only stop the Cycle of Dependent Origination
temporarily because he has no transcendental wisdom about the 5
On the other hand, a Noble One can stop the Cycle permanently by
transcendental wisdom. He will never take a Rebirth again. It is the real
Extinguishing and is like a fire which has completely gone out once its
fuel has been consumed. The 5 aggregates are really understood by the
appearance of wisdom.
These teachings, given by Ven. Ajahn Sanong, were translated by
Fuengsin Trafford and Simon Romer.
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HTML transcription by Paul Trafford ( see contact details).