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 3 - Anuloma Reasoning

The bodhisatta reasoned about the correlation between vinnana and nama rupa thus: This vinnana has no cause other than nama rupa. From nama rupa there results vinnana; from vinnana there arises nama rupa. Hence, from the correlation between vinnana and nama rupa there arises birth, old age and death; there may be successive births or successive deaths.

Moreover vinnana causes nama rupa; nama rupa causes sense bases (ayatana). From sense bases there arises contact; contact leads to feeling; feeling gives rise to craving; craving to grasping; and grasping results in rebirth which in turn leads to old age, death, anxiety, grief and other kinds of mental and physical sufferings.

Then the bodhisatta reflected on dependent origination negatively. If there were no vinnana there could be no nama rupa; if no nama rupa, then no ayatana and so on. The negation of the first link in the chain of causation leads to the extinction of suffering that has beset us

ceaselessly in the infinite series of samsaric existences. After this reflection on dependent origination in its positive and negative aspects, the bodhisatta contemplated the nature of the aggregates of grasping. Then he attained the successive insights and fruitions (magga phala) on the Ariyan holy path and finally became the all Enlightened Buddha. Every bodhisatta attained supreme Enlightenment after such contemplation. They did not learn what and how to contemplate from others but owing to cumulative potential (parami) that they had acquired through innumerable lifetimes, they contemplated as mentioned before and attained Enlightenment.

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