PAṬICCA SAMUPPĀDA

(DEPENDENT ORIGINATION)

          The Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda: “This Paṭicca Samuppāda (Dependent origination) is profound and appears profound.  It is through not understanding, not penetrating this doctrine that this generation has become like a tangled ball of string, matted as a bird’s nest, tangled lie coarse grass, unable to pass beyond the states of woe, the ill destiny, ruin, and the round of birth and death  (Samsāra).” Dīgha Nikāya, Mahānidāna Sutta.  Despite the profundity of this doctrine, nonetheless the Buddha wanted to understand and more importantly realize this profound teaching in order to pass beyond the suffering found in Samsāra.

          Paṭicca Samuppāda is a very important teaching among the teachings of the Buddha.  This teaching makes Buddhism different from all other religions. This doctrine teaches that all mental and physical phenomena in living beings are conditioned.  Everything we find in living beings, their minds and also their bodies, everything is dependent upon some condition.  This doctrine teaches that there is nothing that is absolute, which arises without a cause.  Also it teaches that since these mental and physical phenomena arise through conditions, there is no such thing as creation or someone creating anything at all.    

  

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SOURCE: From the speeches of Ven. Silananada