လိုက္နာက်င့္သံုး ရႊင္ျပံဳးခ်မ္းသာၾကပါေစ။
Introduction To Paticcasamuppada – Dependent Origination
Given by Ashin Indavamsa, Vivekavana Buddhist Temple (14 - 05 - 2011)
Today, I would like to introduce Paticcasamuppada to you all. I will present the facts why we should learn it and what benefits we can get by learning. This talk may be just introduction to Paticcasamuppada. I cannot go to the detailed explanation of Paticcasamuppada because we have not got enough time to give long talk. We pay homage to the Buddha every morning chanting the paragraph of Paticcasamuppada beginning with Avijja paccaya Sankhara.
Paticcasamuppada is a Pali word and it can be divided into three parts: Paticca, Sam and Uppada. Paticca means “because of” and “dependent upon”, Sam means well and Uppada means arising of effect through causes. The combination of these three parts means dependent on causes there arises effect well. We mostly know it in English as the Law of Dependent Origination.
There is a question why we learn and study the Law of Dependent Origination. What kind of benefit can we get from learning it? We first can understand the law of cause and effect. Nothing can automatically exist without causes. Dependent on the combination of causes, the effects, something or someone come into existence.
The universe and the world also came into existence because the conditions came together. At the end of the span of the universe and the world, they will also come to disappear or they must have the conditions to be destroyed or to collapse. Whatever happens in the world, the explosion of the volcanoes, tsunami, earth quake and so on has the causes to arise.
When we look at ourselves, fever, headache, stomach upset and diseases also have the causes to arise or to be suffered from. When we greet each other saying that “How are you?, I am fine; very well”, we can understand that the conditions or causes harmoniously sustain mind and body, well and happy.
In order to live long and sustain the body, we supply it the necessary things, food, water, air and some kind of protection of the body. If one of the causes cannot work properly or they cannot come together or we cannot supply it enough, we will be suffered from something, ache, pain, and diseases and so on.
The body is conditioned by the four elements (earth, water, fire and air) and four causes, kamma (volition), citta (consciousness), utu (temperature) and ahara (nutrition). When they work properly, we are well. If the mind is not interrupted by the arising of defilements, we can say, I am happy. Therefore everything including the world and the universe follows the law of Cause and Effect.
If we fully comprehend the Law of Cause and Effect through Paticcasamuppada, we will gain the penetrative knowledge of arising and disappearing of mind and matter and we can remove the wrong views on egoism. And then the annihilation-belief and the eternity-belief can be eliminated.
According to the Buddha’s Teaching, the phenomena of mind and matter appear and disappear one by one. Let’s take the example of two natural phenomena as A and B. Before A disappears, B cannot appear. Only after A disappears, B can arise. When one disappears, another one takes its place. The Buddha says anything that comes into existence is subjected to change, decay and extinction.
We must try to understand the physical and mental processes that constitute life and continuing even after death. When you know the fact that one disappears after arising, you can remove the eternity-belief in the existence of a persisting ego-entity, soul or personality. When you know the fact that one takes another’s place after it disappears, you can remove the annihilation-belief that holds no further life will follow after death and man will become dissolved into the elements at death.
When we practice Vipassana insight meditation after removing the wrong views by the knowledge of listening and reading books, we are not attached to things wrongly and the meditation will be strong and in progress. The insight knowledge is gradually matured and it will lead to the Path-Knowledge and Fruit-Knowledge.
On the fully development of Vipassana, insight meditation, there will come Enlightenment. At the moment of enlightenment, the defilements will be totally eradicated by Path-Knowledge. They will never arise in us until we attain Nibbana.
By learning and studying the Paticcasamuppada, the Law of Dependent Origination, the meditators may get the following benefits step by step forward. We may first understand the Law of Cause and Effect and remove the wrong views on Egoism. Vipassana, Insight Meditation will be strong and there will arise Enlightenment. Then we attain Nibbana, the ultimate goal of Buddhists.
When we view the benefits in reverse order, to attain Nibbana there must come Enlightenment (Path-Knowledge). Vipaasana must be strong for Enlightenment and wrong views must be removed by the knowledge of listening and studying to become strong Vippasana. The Law of Cause and Effect must be fully understood to remove the wrong views. We must learn and study Paticcasamuppada, the Law of Dependent Origination to understand the Law of Cause and Effect.
We can understand this is also Paticcasamuppada. Dependent on learning the Paticcasamuppada, there arise the effect of understanding the law of cause and effect. Dependent on the understanding the law of cause and effect, there arises the effect of removing the wrong views. Dependent on removing the wrong views, there arises the effect of becoming strong insight meditation. Dependent on becoming strong Vipassana, there arises the effect of attaing Enlightenment. Dependent on Enlightenment, there arises Nibbana.
You must bear this order in your mind. Whenever you are asked to explain about this order, you can tell them: Paticcasamuppada (the Law of Dependent Origination) – the Law of Cause and Effect – Removing the worng views on Egoism - Strong Insight Meditation – Enlightenment (Path-Knowledge) and Nibbana.
In reverse order of this process: Nibbana (the total Extinction of Attachment) - Enlightenment (Path-Knowledge) - Strong Insight Meditation - Removing the worng views on Egoism - the Law of Cause and Effect - Paticcasamuppada (the Law of Dependent Origination).
I am now going to recite Paticcasamuppada. Thus, please listen to the Paticcasamuppada respectfully and pay close attention to it.
In the Law of Dependent of Origination, there are twelve factors or links which shows the process of arising of sentient being from one phenomenon to another in an endless chain of Samsara. They are: Avijja, Samkhara, Vinnanam, Namarupa, Salayatana, Phasso, Vedana, Tanha, Upadanam, Bhavo, Jati and Jaramaranam.
The reason why we learn Paticcasamuppad is understanding of the process mentioned above, the law of cause and effect and so on. We can remove the wrong views and finally we can attain Nibbana, the cessation of suffering.
After listening to this Dhamma Talk, I wish you understand, put it into practice and enjoy the benefits through your practice. May you have right understanding which leads to the cessation of suffering and attain Nibbana in a shortest possible way! May you be well, happy and healthy! May you live long with Dhamma. That’s all for today. Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.
