The Dependent Origination

This is one of the fundamental doctrines (main principle teachings) of the Buddha. The Pāli term for the Dependent Origination is Paticcasamuppāda. Paticca means dependent upon, and samuppāda, means arising or origination. Pāli is the language of the Buddha, and there are several English equivalents to convey the meaning of the Pāli term, Paticcasamuppāda. Some of them are the 'Dependent Origination', 'Dependent arising', 'Causal dependencies', 'Causality', 'Causal genesis', 'Conditioned genesis' and the 'Law of cause and effect'.

Cause and Effect

As we are well aware, all animate and inanimate things have the nature of transience. Whatever has the nature of transience has the nature of suffering or dissatisfactoriness. According to the teaching of the Buddha this suffering does not arise automatically, involuntarily, without any reason. The Buddha very clearly says that there are causes and effects. But in Buddhism there is no First Cause. The Buddha emphatically stated that the first beginning of existence is something inconceivable and such a notion, mere speculation; a pernicious view of a beginning of a being may lead to mental derangement and degradation. Without believing or accepting mere speculative views, we Buddhists always see the relationship between the cause and effect. But one has to understand very clearly that we Buddhists do not talk only of one particular cause, but a cluster of causes and a cluster of effects.

This doctrine is an extremely important part of the teaching of the Buddha. It is so important that the Buddha said, " He who sees the Dependent Origination sees the Dhamma (teachings of the Buddha) he who sees the Dhamma sees the Dependent Origination." (D.N. Maha Nidana Sutta) The Dependent Origination and the Dhamma themselves are interdependent, intermingled.

According to this teaching, things are interdependent and one thing exists because of something else. If we put it in other way, no isolated existence can be seen in the world. Things are interdependent, interrelated, and interconnected.

A Tangled Ball of String

We all have to understand that this teaching is not an invention of the Buddha but a discovery of the Buddha. He himself said, " Whether the Buddhas appear or do not appear in the world, this Dhamma, the dependent Origination, exists in the world" (S. N. Nidana Samyutta). But in the absence of the Buddhas, this doctrine is shrouded with the dust of ignorance of beings. Only the Buddhas can rediscover reveal and proclaim this truth to the common masses. Once Ven. Ananda came to the Buddha and said, " It is wonderful Bhante, it is marvelous how propound the Dependent Origination is, and how propound it appears! And yet Bhante to me it appears as clear as clear." The Buddha said, "Ananda do not say that, do not say that, this is a deep and propound teaching. It is through not understanding, not penetrating this doctrine that this generation had become like a tangled ball of string, a ball of soft grass." ( D.N. Maha Nidana)

The main purpose of introducing this doctrine by the Buddha is the indication of the arising and the cessation of suffering or dissatisfaction. The greatness of this philosophy lies in the teaching of cause and effect, which is sometimes known as causality.

Principle of Causality

Let us now examine the structural principle of the Dependent Origination. The Principle, as the Buddha said;

"When this is, that comes to be. With the arising of this, that arises. When this is not, that does not come to be. With the cessation of this, that ceases " (S.N. Nidana Samyutta). Simply said, for B to be present, A must be present; and conversely when A is absent, B is also absent.

So, as we mentioned earlier, according to this teaching of the Buddha things are interdependent. Take for instance some other teachings of the Buddha; say the four Noble Truths, the three characteristics of existence, karma, or rebirth - they all are interconnected and interdependent.

Now it is clear to us that this Principle of the Dependent Origination could be applied to any thing in the world. The Buddha used it to understand and realize the arising of suffering and the cessation of suffering. By realizing the arising of suffering as a cycle of interdependent causes and effects of the twelve-linked Causal Genesis the Buddha said:

"Dependent on ignorance arise volitional formations. Dependent on volitional formations arises consciousness. Dependent on consciousness arise mentality and materiality. Dependent on mentality and materiality arises the six fold bases. Dependent on six old bases arises contact. Dependent on contact arises feeling. Dependent on feeling arises craving. Dependent on craving arises clinging. Depending on clinging arises becoming. Dependent on becoming arises birth. Dependent on birth arises aging and death, and sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. Thus, there is the arising of this whole mass of suffering". (S.N. Nidana Samyutta)

And then, referring to the cessation of suffering the Buddha said, "Through the entire cessation of this ignorance volitional formations cease. Through the cessation of volitional formations consciousness ceases. Through the cessation of consciousness, mentality and materiality cease. Through the cessation of mentality and materiality the six fold bases cease. Through the cessation of the six fold bases contact ceases. Through the cessation of contact feeling ceases. Through the cessation of feeling craving ceases. Through the cessation of craving clinging ceases. Through the cessation of clinging becoming ceases. Through the cessation of becoming birth ceases. Through the cessation of birth; aging, and death cease, and sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. Thus, there is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering".

Application of This Teaching in Daily Life

We shall now come to understand the application of this principle of the Dhamma in daily life. First one has to understand these 12 factors/links as a circle, not as a vertical or horizontal line starting from one place to other.

We are exposed to the world through the senses. Basically we have six senses. ere existence of the six senses cannot perceive the external world. We need external bases/data. For the concurrence of the bases and data there should be a mediator that is consciousness (viññana). So there are six types of consciousness based on the six senses namely, eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness.

Depending on the eye and forms eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. Dependent on contact arises three types of feeling - pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither painful nor pleasant feeling. At the time of contact (phassa) if one could be mindful one could turn the whole process of the wheel and change the process suffering into happiness and developing mindfulness and wisdom one could realize craving, attachment and cease the arising of suffering so that one would attain final liberation, Nibbāna.

In order to understand this application further, we should understand how the Buddha explained the theory of perception. According to the Discourse on the 'Six sets of six' the Buddha specifically said, "Dependent on the eye and forms eye consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition there arises feeling. Felt as pleasant feeling or painful feeling or neither painful nor –pleasant feeling. When a pleasant feeling touches one, one delights in it, welcomes it and remains holding to it. Then the underlying tendency to lust lies within one. When one is touched by a painful feeling, one sorrows, grieves and laments, weeps beating one's breast and become distraught, then the underlying tendency to aversion lies with in one. When neither-painful-nor pleasant feeling touches one, one understands as it actually is the origination, the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in regard to that feeling, then the underlying tendency to ignorance does not lie within one.

Bhikkhu, that one shall here and now make an end of suffering by abandoning the underlying tendency to lust for pleasant feeling, by abolishing the underlying tendency to aversion towards painful feeling, by extirpating the underlying tendency to ignorance in regard to neither-painful-nor pleasant feeling, by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowledge –this is possible." (M.N. Cha Chakka Sutta)

When we practice in daily life, what is more important is the point of contact where feelings arise. Then one should understand the different feelings and should be more and more mindful to understand the nature of things. If we can be mindful at the time of contact we can develop wisdom instead of craving, and this leads us to experience contentment. That is the way to peace and leading a happy and contented life which eventually elevated to the apex of the attainment of Nibbāna here in this very life.