Cause of suffering
Once when the Buddha was in Jajagaha city, the Buddha set out on alms rounds in the morning. Achelaka (naked) ascetic Kassapa, seeing the Buddha on his alms rounds, approached the Buddha in order to seek answers to some his personal questions. Ascetic Kassapa asked the Buddha’s permission three times to ask his personal questions. The Buddha rejected his request each time as the Buddha had already entered the city with dwellings and it was not the appropriate time for questions. Finally, Kassapa pleaded that he had only a trivial matter for which he needed a clarification. Then the Buddha gave permission,” ask as you like”. The dialog that followed was as follows;
⦁ “Is suffering self-made?
“Don’t say that, Kassapa”
⦁ “Is suffering made by others?”
“Don’t say that, Kassapa”.
⦁ “Is suffering,then, made by oneself as well as others?”
“Don’t say that Kassapa”
⦁ “Then, is it made spontaneously?
“Don’t say that, kassapa”
⦁ “Then, does suffering not exist?”
“No Kassapa, suffering does exist”
⦁ “if that is so, does the Buddha not know or see suffering?”
⦁ “ No Kassapa, I know suffering; I see suffering”.
Inspired by the above answers, Kassapa appealed to the Buddha to teach him about suffering and cause of suffering. The Buddha, then, agreed to explain the entire aspect of suffering and cause of suffering, targeting Kassapa as well as the whole world. In doing so, the Buddha introduced the doctrine of Paticca Samuppada (dependent origination) for the first time to the world. Therefore, this a doctrine referred to as “pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu”(doctrine previously unheard of). The Buddha’s teaching on Paticca samuppada is enumerated as follows;
Avijja-paccaya sankhara - With Ignorance as condition, there are formations
Sankhara-paccaya viññanam - With formations as condition, Consciousness.
Viññana-paccaya namarupam - With Consciousness as condition, Body and Mind. Namarupa-paccaya salayatanam - With Body and Mind as condition, the Six Sense Bases. Salayatana-paccaya phasso - With the Six Sense Bases as condition, Contact.
Phassa-paccaya vedana - With Contact as condition, Feeling.
vedana-paccaya tanha - With Feeling as condition, Craving.
Tanha-paccaya upadanam - With Craving as condition, Clinging.
Upadana-paccaya bhavo - With Clinging as condition, Becoming.
Bhava-paccaya jati - With Becoming as condition, Birth.
Jati-paccaya jaramaranam - With Birth as condition, Aging and Death,
Soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassupayasa sambhavanti - Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief and Despair.
Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti - Thus is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.
The process of Paticca samuppada begins with avijja (ignorance) and proceeds very rapidly to end with dukkha, domanassa… (Sorrow lamentation…), completing one cycle. This cycle keeps repeating itself at a rapid pace ceaselessly and ends generating a great deal of Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief and Despair each time. The Buddha realised this state of suffering with insight and knowledge and elucidated the way to end the suffering of all beings. Once when the Buddha was in Jajagaha city, the Buddha set out on alms rounds in the morning. Achelaka (naked) ascetic Kassapa, seeing the Buddha on his alms rounds, approached the Buddha in order to seek answers to some his personal questions. Ascetic Kassapa asked the Buddha’s permission three times to ask his personal questions. The Buddha rejected his request each time as the Buddha had already entered the city with dwellings and it was not the appropriate time for questions. Finally, Kassapa pleaded that he had only a trivial matter for which he needed a clarification. Then the Buddha gave permission,” ask as you like”. The dialog that followed was as follows;
⦁ “Is suffering self-made?
“Don’t say that, Kassapa”
⦁ “Is suffering made by others?”
“Don’t say that, Kassapa”.
⦁ “Is suffering,then, made by oneself as well as others?”
“Don’t say that Kassapa”
⦁ “Then, is it made spontaneously?
“Don’t say that, kassapa”
⦁ “Then, does suffering not exist?”
“No Kassapa, suffering does exist”
⦁ “if that is so, does the Buddha not know or see suffering?”
⦁ “ No Kassapa, I know suffering; I see suffering”.
Inspired by the above answers, Kassapa appealed to the Buddha to teach him about suffering and cause of suffering. The Buddha, then, agreed to explain the entire aspect of suffering and cause of suffering, targeting Kassapa as well as the whole world. In doing so, the Buddha introduced the doctrine of Paticca Samuppada (dependent origination) for the first time to the world. Therefore, this a doctrine referred to as “pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu”(doctrine previously unheard of). The Buddha’s teaching on Paticca samuppada is enumerated as follows;
Avijja-paccaya sankhara - With Ignorance as condition, there are formations
Sankhara-paccaya viññanam - With formations as condition, Consciousness.
Viññana-paccaya namarupam - With Consciousness as condition, Body and Mind. Namarupa-paccaya salayatanam - With Body and Mind as condition, the Six Sense Bases. Salayatana-paccaya phasso - With the Six Sense Bases as condition, Contact.
Phassa-paccaya vedana - With Contact as condition, Feeling.
vedana-paccaya tanha - With Feeling as condition, Craving.
Tanha-paccaya upadanam - With Craving as condition, Clinging.
Upadana-paccaya bhavo - With Clinging as condition, Becoming.
Bhava-paccaya jati - With Becoming as condition, Birth.
Jati-paccaya jaramaranam - With Birth as condition, Aging and Death,
Soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassupayasa sambhavanti - Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief and Despair.
Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti - Thus is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.
Imasmim asati idam na hoti;
Imassa nirodha idam nirujjhati
“ when this is not, that is not,
this ceasing, that ceases “
If someone allows the twelve – linked paticca samuppada to operate unhindered in one’s mind, one can never find an end to the aspect of suffering associated with sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.
On the contrary, if someone is able to delink one of the twelve links associated with Paticca samuppada, then, one is able to steer clear of this whole traumatic process. The Buddha has given clear instructions to achieve this by delinking the appropriate link associated with the paticca samuppada.
Firstly, the term “avijja”(ignorance) needs to be explored when we proceed in the direction of escape from the cycle of paticca samuppada. Avijja is a process based “attachment”. Attachment, in modern context, could be likened to a “magnetic force”. So, avijja means the process of attaching (getting attracted to various sense objects) without the knowledge of resulting unfavorable consequences.
To the question,” when was the origin of avijja (attachment based on non-awareness of consequences)”, the Buddha replied, “ No beginning of avijja (ignorance) can be perceived”.
[Anamataggo yam Bhikkhave Samsaro Pubba Koti Napannayati]
Samsara (cycle of rebirth and death) propelled by attachment is a process shrouded in avijja and bonded by tanha (craving). Tanha (craving) results from vedana (feelings). Vedana could be identified as a certain degree of heat. The outcome of heat is attachment. Heat attracts objects to each other. For instance, it is a certain measure of heat that attracts a mother and a child to one another.
The underlying force of attachment is referred to as “gahakaraka”. The Buddha who perfectly comprehended this inherent force of attachment expressed an exclamation (udana) such as;
Gahakaraka gavesanto
dukkhajātipunappunam
Gahakaraka ditthosi
puna geham nakahasi
The Buddha was seeking the source of the force of attachment, referred to as the house-builder, through many births in samsara. Finally, the house builder was seen by the Buddha and the attachment came to an end as a result.
Paticca samuppada begins with avijja (ignorance). What runs contrary to avijja is vijja (clear knowledge). It is the conduct based on non-attachment. When the conduct is geared on the basis of non-attachment (vijja), formations (sankhara) cease to arise – vijja paccaya visamkara.
As the Buddha’s conduct is entirely devoid of any attachment, the Buddha is known as “vijja carana sampanno”.
“kathameva bhikkhave sankhara…”; analysing the formations (sankhara) the Buddha classified three types of sankhara, namely , kaya sankhara (bodily formations), vaci sankhara (verbal formations) and citta sankhara (mental formations). These formations are shrouded in avijja (avijja) and function as a flow of energy associated with attachment which could be comparable to magnetic force. Also, these formations are generated incorporating various degrees of heat energy. Formations with high degree of heat energy are known as “apunyabhi sankhara”. Formations with moderate heat energy are known as “punyabhi sankhara” and the formations with lower heat energy are known as “anenjabhi sankara”.
As long as avijja is in existence sankharas are bound to form with resulting attachment. When a mind is cultivated to dispense with avijja, then, sankhara begin to cease. This is the stage where the mind is devoid of intense heat and attachment. This mental state is described in the verse,
” visamkhara gatham cittam , tanha nam khayamajjhaga…”.
When sankaharas are present, vinnana (consciousness) takes place. Vinnana is described as capacity to cognize sense objects- vijanatiti kho avuso, tasma vinnanan ti vuccatiti. When an object is cognized (vinnana) groups of atoms (rupa kalapa) which carry similar heat energy begin to get inclined towards the object (nama) and vibrate (rupa). In paticca samuppada, this process is referred to as vinnana paccaya nama and rupa. The energy discharged during the process of nama rupa would move on to sense bases (ayatana) and get deposited in them with the potential for future stimulation. What is “produced” by these sense bases are known as “vedana” (feelings). Vedana is the result of objects coming in to contact (passa) with these sense bases (ayatana). This process is referred to as passa paccaya vedana.
Depending on the gravity of passa, three types of vedana, namely sukha, dukkha and upekkha (Pleasant, unpleasant and indifferent feelings) would result in. When the contact (passa) is intense, feelings (vedana) become intense too. If this is the case, then, the mind is fully directed to towards that particular sense object. The act of mind directing towards the object is known as “tanha” (craving) – vedana paccaya tanha.
When the mind is directed towards the sense object (tanha), the mind clings on to that particular object. This is referred to as “upadana” (clinging). In Paticca samuppada this process is known as tanha paccaya upadana. Once the object is grasped by the mind, a number of internal actions would take place in respect of the sense object. This stage is known as upadana paccaya bhavo. As a result of the act, bhavo, a series of mind (citta) accompanied by mental factors (cetasika) would arise (jati). This is the stage known as bhava paccaya jati in paticca samuppada. Followed by the birth of cittas (mind), the momentum of the mind gets weaker gradually (jara), and finally ceases altogether (marana) causing sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. (soka, parideva, dukkha, domanassa, upayasa). The cycle of paticca samuppada ends with sorrow, lamentation etc. after each round. It was the Buddha who showed the world for the first time the way to break away from this vicious cycle and seek emancipation. The Buddha’s advice was to apply mindfulness on the sections of kaya, vedana, citta, dhamma to achieve this goal.
An important turning point is found on the path to emancipation at the stage of vedana paccaya tanha (feelings as condition, craving arises). If feelings (vedana) could be contemplated as they arise, then, craving (tanha) ceases to arise. When this happens, remaining stages after tanha (craving) would cease to arise. That leads to the cessation of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair which is the typical outcome of the cycle of paticca samuppada. So, it is the mindfulness on kaya, vedana, citta, dhamma that brings about a peaceful state of mind, according to the teachings of the Buddha.
When the actions of the mind are observed with mindfulness, mind could be brought to a stable, composed state. This is known as samatha bhavana (Cultivation of tranquility). Once the mind becomes tranquil through samatha cultivation, then, mind is trained to apply lesser energy to crave and stay away from the natural tendency to crave through the observation of feelings (vedana). This specific observation is identified as cultivation of vipassana (insight).
It is the obligation of all intellectual individuals to relieve themselves of the endless suffering by cultivating the tranquility and insight practice in this manner.
