Chapter V Summary and Conclusion the Buddha Reauzes The
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Chapter V Summary and Conclusion The Buddha reaUzes the inalienable connection between the philosophical problem of causation and change. In the process of Dependent Origination (paticcasamuppannadhamma), that is event, which depends on other events to arise, and which arise for just a moment in order to condition the arising of further events. It is in the continuously changing of phenomena from one state to another that causal law is observed and this change is seen as a perpetual reaction of conditions one with another. The sentient being is seen more or less as an immanent system becoming transient through its sense doors, and is seen as a metabolic process perpetually in reaction with its contacts. As in the physical spheres, the transformations are dependent on the proportions of the conditions with which it is a relation of action and reaction, so, in the psychological sphere, the psychological individual, which is the cumulative products of its saihsaric existence, is in constant reaction with the proportions of contacts. Therefore, the phenomenal world dependent on causes and conditions have been summed up as Ti- lakkhana: sabbe sahkhara anicca, sabbe sankhdra dukkhd, sabbedhammd anattd. The theory of paticcasamuppada can be condensed into three aspects: (1) Metaphysical (2) Application to psychological aspects (3) Ethics - hetu and paccaya; it is mainly relation of action and its result. For instance, if we do something we get some result. In the doctrine of paticcasamuppada, if is impossible to keep metaphysics, psychology and ethics separate from one another. The theory of paticcasamuppada is chiefly composed of psychological process and the moral aspect cannot be entirely separated from its metaphysics. The ultimate purpose of all its philosophy is not intellectual but moral - the attainment of freedom from the suffering and misery in the cycle of rebirth, the ultimate goal, i.e. Nibbana. In the Pali Nikayas we can find various aspects of Nidanas in the formula of paticcasamuppada with different links and different terms. Among them the twelve links came to be regarded as the representative and most developed form of paticcasamuppada. As already discussed in the earlier chapter of this work the Noble Truth contains the cause and effect principle of paticcasamuppada by the dictum that sum total of dukkha identified with namarupa is entirely due to craving (tanha) and if tanha were absent the sum total of dukkha is identified with namarupa will not arise at all. Therefore, it can be said that whatever doctrine expounded by the Buddha is within the scope of the doctrine of the Four Noble Truths, so also it can be said that any doctrine expounded by the Buddha is within the scope of the doctrine of paticcasamuppada. B The twelve membered formula of paticcasamuppada starts with avijja: Avijja is not only an absence of knowledge but also misapprehension of it. The meaning of avijja as the root cause of dukkha is figurative. It is done just for the convenience of teaching. Avijja is a state of prevention, an absence of true knowledge of the phenomenal world. When human actions are carried out with ignorance they become colored by either merit or demerit or neutrality. This is the birth of formations, a kammic force, governed by volitions. It is the seed of consciousness. Thus, when ignorance gives rise to volitional formation a person is bound to act. The ethical nature of one's own activity is governed by his volitions. Hence, ignorance is called the chief condition for kammic formations. Ignorance is predominant in unwholesome activities, while it is latent in mundane wholesome activities. Hence, both mundane wholesome and unwholesome kammic formations are said to be conditioned by ignorance. At this point, Buddha has connected the psycho-physical process of a living being with ethical or moral values. Thus, the whole life of a person is shaped by his intentions. When these intentions are endowed with ethical or moral values they give rise to meritorious activities which in turn generate a meritorious consciousness. On the contrary if one's intentions are not sound they will produce the exactly opposite result. In this case consciousness is nothing but their positive, negative or neutral energy which is the result of one's own kamma. We as the human beings are producing this type of energy moment to moment through our actions. As an ultimate result of this process one is said to have rebirth. Therefore, in the broader perspective sankharas are said to be the cause of rebirth. Vinnana performs two basic roles, that is cognizing an object and keeping the continuity of human existence from moment to moment. The three fold classification of Vifmana into patisandhi (rebirth-linking), bhavanga (life-continuum) and cuti (death) simply refers to the three stages of one and the same consciousness. Vinnana and namarupa are interdepending factors, none of them can exist in isolation or interdependent of each other. This implies that Vifinana is different from the Brahmanic soul as much as it is an impermanent ever-changing and dependently arisen factor. According to the Buddhist doctrine, Viiinana is not an eternal entity which goes from one life to another but it simply serves as a condition for another existence. The human personality, which is an immediate result of consciousness, is generally represented by the term namarupa. Nama denotes mentality or psychic personality comprising of five psychological factors while rupa denotes physical body constituted by four great elements. Both these factors are invariably dependent on each other; neither the nama nor the rupa can either exist or ftmction in isolation. The nature of namarupa is that of a conditioned phenomena; it has not got any substance. It arises and passes away from moment to moment. It is conditioned by Vinnana and conditions salayatana. The term ayatana denotes the six sense bases including five sense faculities and mind along with their respective objects. In the light of the statement "namarupa is the condition for the arising of salayatana". Salayatana means the six internal sense bases. With respect to external sense bases the sensory object should be understood as the sensory stimulator or the impact of these objects, which is met at point of sensory contact. Here, it should be noted that in this context sense objects cannot be understood as external material objects as in case of such object the statement "with the arising of namarupa arise the six sense bases" cannot become applicable. Phassa does not, merely, mean physical contact but it rather stands for a mental concomitant state involving the sense organ, the sense stimuli and the resultant consciousness. In the frame work of the paticcasamuppada, phassa is said to be the cause of pleasant, unpleasant, neutral feeling or in another term it is the cause of the entire mass of suffering. The underlying implication of these statements is that phassa, in this context, is effected by ignorance. It is a fact that one cannot avoid contact till the last moment of his life. However, as it is shown in the suttas phassa does not act alone but there are other factors such as volitions which decide its result. In case of a practitioner, who has gotten rid of feeling, perception and craving, dimension of the contact changes. When we talk of the cessation of phassa in the context of paticcasamuppada it does not mean the absence of any contact but it rather means the contact with right understanding without clinging. Vedana is the key link in the chain of Dependent Origination. It signifies either physical or mental experience. It is feeling that experiences an object when it comes in contact (phassa) with the senses and experiences the essential properties manifested in the object by the contact stimulus. There are six classes of feeling based on six types of contacts. Besides, there are three classes based on pleasantness, unpleasantness or neutrality of feeling. The former is the mere perception of external stimuli - a perception, devoid of any subjective interpretation; the latter, however, has a definite subjective content, for it must either be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Feeling is the immediate prerequisite of craving and craving (tanha) is the root cause of dukka. Craving is an instinctive impulse based on ignorance. It is an absence of reason or logic as a thirsty person's longing for water. When one dwells contemplating gratification in things that can fetter, craving increases. It is neutral for the common man to develop craving for the sensual pleasure. It is extremely difficult to overcome sensual pleasure. Ignorance and craving are the most powerful factors in the cycle of rebirth. Ignorance is shown as the past cause that conditions the present and craving, the present cause that conditions the future. The main characteristics of tanha are that it leads to regeneration in sarhsara, savours of lustful attachment purses pleasures at every turn, that is to say it binds a being to the endless cycle of sarhsaric existence. Therefore, Nibbana is referred to as the extinction of craving (tanhakkhaya). Upadana is an intensified degree of craving, it is the mental state that clings to the desired object or person in various aspects of emotional effect. Clinging comprises the two mental properties of greed and error. In clinging the mental properties of greed and error are very intense. Greed associated with the immoral consciousness rooted in greed is craving which is dependent upon feeling {vedand paccaya tanhd). Intense greed and error associated with the subsequent classes or immoral consciousness rooted in greed, which are dependent upon craving, are clinging {tanhd paccaya updddna). Upad^a implies two meanings, both as "fuel" and subjective "clinging". Upadana literally meant that (material) substratum by means of which an active process is kept alive or going.