Dependent origination (paticcasamuppada) and pragmatism in Buddhism

By Dr. Justuce Chandradasa Nanayakkara

Wesak day marks the three important events in the Buddha’s life -his birth, Enlightenment and his passing away. Since the advent of Buddhism millions of people across the world have been inspired by the Buddha’s life and his teachings

For more than two centuries, Buddhism has been a powerful, religious, political, and social force, not only in the country of its origin but in many other parts of the world. Buddhism has stood the test of time, remain relevant even in today’s fast paced materialistic world and it is believed that appeal of Buddhism will continue far into the future.

Buddhism is essentially practical and pragmatic in its orientation as it stresses the importance of practice over theory. The Buddha’s teachings emphasise on learning based on one’s observations and perception and believe that knowledge is not complete unless it is backed by experience. It teaches us to how to lead a virtuous ethical life, while facing the inevitable ups and downs of our lives. His teachings propose practical solutions to human problems. The Buddha is essentially a pragmatic empiricist.

The Buddha was a unique religious leader who encouraged reasoned, critical assessment of his teaching. This is borne out by his discourse to Kalamas calling for free vigorous investigation into the truths Buddha himself propounded. This discourse counters dogmatic assertions and blind faith prevalent at the time. Addressing Kalamas, the Buddha declared, “Come O Kalama’s, do not accept anything on mere hearsay. Do not accept anything by mere tradition. Do not accept anything on account of rumours. Do not accept anything just because it accords with your scriptures. Do not accept anything by mere inference. Do not accept anything by merely considering the appearances. Do not accept anything merely because it accords with your preconceived notions. Do not accept anything merely because it seems acceptable. Do not accept anything that the ascetic is respected by us. But when you know for yourselves these things are moral, these things are blameless, these things are praised by the wise these things when performed and undertaken, and conduce to ruin and sorrow then indeed do you reject them. “When you know for yourselves these things are moral, these things are blameless, these things are praised by the wise, these things when performed and undertaken conduce to wellbeing and happiness, then do you live and act according“. (Narada Thero).

The Buddha was a human being. He was born and lived as a human being but he was an extraordinary being who never arrogated to himself divinity.

Buddhism provides human beings with a practical and achievable path that leads to the alleviation of suffering or misery human beings experience in their day today life. Buddhism offers a notable advantage in reducing stress and anxiety which are increasingly common issues in our competitive fast-paced high stressed lives.

The Buddha’s teachings are so vast and extensive and it has shown remarkable ability to adapt itself to different circumstances and situations.so that people in all kinds of situations and predicaments can find some kind of solace and consolation by incorporating its basic tenets in their lives.

Unlike most western religions, Buddhism does not expect you to accept the authority of a supernatural being for one’s deliverance. Any external supernatural agency plays no part whatever in the moulding of the character of a Buddhist. Happiness and misery are the inevitable results of one’s own actions. Exhorting his disciples at his Parinibbana the Buddha made the following declaration which holds true even at present “Be ye islands unto yourselves, be ye a refuge unto yourselves, seek not for refuge in others.”

An important element in Buddhism is the efficacy of Buddhist methodology, an actual path that leads to the alleviation of suffering or unsatisfactoriness in the world. Buddhism provides us strategies for navigating daily challenges with equanimity, fortitude and wisdom. Adherence to Buddhist principles makes a person more resilient, composed and eventually a more fulfilled individual.

The law of dependent origination is one of the central teachings of the Buddha. Dependent Origination has been rendered into English in various forms. Some call it “dependence arising”, “causal conditioning”, “causal genesis” and conditioned genesis. In Pali this principle is designated as Patticca Samuppadha. Dependent Origination is a complex and profound concept, as a teaching it is difficult to clearly comprehend and it is subject to a variety of explanations and interpretations.

It is a discourse meant for an intelligent incisive mind. The Buddha once declared “Deep, indeed, Ananda is this pattica samuppada , and deep does it appear. It is through not understanding, through not penetrating this doctrine, that these beings have become entangled like a matted ball of thread, become like Munjal grass and rushes, unable to pass beyond the woeful states of existence and samsara. The cycle of existence,” (Piyadassi Thero)

Therefore, clear comprehension of the concept of dependent origination is crucial to understanding other central concepts in Buddhism such as rebirth, kamma and the trilakana Buddha considered dependent origination to be just as important as understanding the Four Noble Truths. Nevertheless, the principle of dependent origination has been overshadowed by the Four Noble Truths.

The Buddha has often expressed his experience of Enlightenment in one of two ways, either in terms having understood the Four Noble Truths or in terms of having understood the nature of the dependent origination. But it is stated real insight into dependent origination arises with maturity. Pattica samuppada exemplify the process of birth and death and it is not a theory of the ultimate origin of life. It deals with the cause of rebirth and suffering but it does not show the evolution or the origin of the universe. (Ven. K. Dhammananda ….) It must be noted, that the dependent origination only explains the process how dukkha arises, but does not give the means by which dukkha could be eliminated. For the purpose of eliminating dukkha a person has to follow the Noble Eightfold Path until he understands the Four Noble Truths.

Of all the components of the dependent origination avijja is of fundamental importance. Avijja is the fundamental ignorance within oneself, a cloud of delusion which is extremely deep and all pervasive. It is the ignorance that produces the kamma that leads to all the conditions for birth and samsaric process. Dependent on the existence of those conditions, or samskaras, vinnana arises. The first three factors –avijja, sankara and vinnana– are not dependent on physical existence. They are most certainly mental states. (Ajaan Pannavaddho)

Dependent origination is an account of sequence of causes that condition the arising of suffering and in reverse order, the cessation of suffering. In other words, it is a principle of conditionality, relativity and interdependence which is of universal applicability. This principle has been expressed in a short and simple formula thus. “imasnim sati , idam hoti- (when this exists, that comes to be, Imassa uppada idam uppajatti (with the arising of this, that arises), in the reverse order principle works thus. “Imasmin asti idam na hoti “(when this does not exist, that does not come to be), Immasa nirodha idam nirujjahati (with the cessation of this, that ceases” ( Cula Sakuludayi Sutta Majjhima Nikaya). This principle explains the whole process of life and also shows how the process can be terminated. The Buddha said, “One who sees dependent origination sees the Dharma, one who see the Dharma sees dependent origination.”

This law emphases an important principle that all phenomena in the universe are relative conditioned states and do not arise independently of supportive conditions. A phenomenon arises because of a condition which are present to support its arising. And the phenomena will cease when conditions and components supporting its arising change and no longer sustain it. The presence of these supportive conditions in turn depend on other factors for their arising. sustenance and disappearance. It is the Buddhist doctrine of causality. It maintains that everything has been caused into existence. Nothing has been created ex nihilo. This doctrine enables us to understand how rebirth takes place without a belief in a soul. It is particular teaching of Buddhism that deals with the phenomenon or perpetual changes caused by kamma, vicissitudes of life all of which come from direct causes and indirect causes.

Buddhism postulates an interconnected and interdependent reality of every phenomenon in the universe, in which continuous synthesis and interplay of mutual dependence could be observed.

Knowledge of dependent origination is also helpful in overcoming attachment. Craving is the root cause of attachment. Therefore, to free our mind of attachment we must get rid of craving (tanha) and eliminate it. When you overcome craving, you will overcome attachments as you cannot deal with an attachment directly. Mere determination or will power will not work to eliminate attachment, as we must get rid of its cause, which is craving. This is clearly stated in paticcasammupda or dependent origination. “’ dependent on feeling, craving arises, dependent on craving attachment arises craving being the condition for attachment when craving is eliminated attachment cannot arise.

Patticcsampupada as stated earlier is an account of the sequence of causes that condition the arising of suffering is composed of twelve factors which account for samsaric journey and continuity of existence, birth after birth. The twelve factors which arise , each dependent on the proceeding factor are: 1.Avijja (ignorance),2. Sankhara (volitional activities), 3. Vinnana or Patisandhivinnaya( Rebirth consciousness or relinking consciousness), 4.Nama rupa ( Mind body combination), 5. Salayatana ( Six spheres or avenues of sense), 6.Phassa ( Contact), 7. Vedana (Feeling), 8. Tanha ( Craving), 9. Upadana (Grasping or clinging), 10. Bhava or kamma bahava ( The process of becoming or activities), 11. Jathi (Birth), 12. Jara marana (Decay and death). This law of dependence origination which takes a realistic look at the universe is comparable to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

The Buddha emphatically declared the first beginning of existence is something inconceivable doctrine of patticca sampuddha is not a creation of some divine power . whether a buddha arises or not. Conditionality goes on forever uninterrupted and uncontrolled by an external agency. Paticcasampupada does not give practical guidance on how to do it. It only how process unfolds but does not indicate the way to unravel the entanglement.