INTRODUCTION Chapter I

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

I.l. TITLE AND CLARIFICATION OF THE TOPIC

Buddhism, as one of the oldest religions on earth, has giving much great contributions to man and life. At least, Buddhist doctrine provides the ethical basis as well as an analytic insight for human helping them get rid of all afflictions and sufferings.

Generally speaking, Buddhism aims to show the cause of suffering and the path leading to cessation of suffering, achieve the real happiness. That is why Buddhism is known as a doctrine on human life, a great religion for man’s sake.

I .I .l. PratTtya-Samutpada: A M eaning

The Buddhist theory of PratTtya-Samutpada or Dependent-

Origination (P. paticcasamuppdda) is the most fundamental doctrine on which other Buddhist doctrines based. It is the

Buddha's enlightened experience and the pivot o f his teachings. The

Buddha has often expressed His experience o f Enlightenment in one of two ways, either in terms of having understood the Four

Noble Truths, or in terms of having understood the nature of the dependent origination. However, more people have heard about the Four Noble Truths and can discuss it than the Law Dependent

Origination, which is just as important. Although the actual insight into dependent origination arise with spiritual maturity, it is still possible for us to understand the principle involved.

The term " Paticcasamuppada^ in Pali or '’Paratityasamutpdda'' in Sanskrit, when rendered into English such as ‘the theory of Causation’, ‘the Law of Cause and Effect’, ‘the

Law of Dependent Origination’, ‘Dependent Arising’, ‘the Law of

Interdependent Origination’, ‘the Law of Causal Genesis’, and ‘the

Law of Conditioned Genesis etc., is still limited in various senses.

Paticcasamuppdda is combined of patcca + Samma + uppdda. 'Paticca ’ means having depended upon the combination of the conditions; 'samma\ right; 'uppdda\ arising. Thus, Paticcasamuppdda lays emphasis on conditions and relations but not on origination. Concretely speaking, the meaning o f dependent origination is that life or the world is built on a set of relation, in which the arising and cessation of factors depend on some other factors. It is this sense of Pratitya-Samutpdda doctrine that determines how Buddhism is distinct from other religions and philosophical systems.

1.1.2. PratTtya-Samutpada in Buddhist Philosophy

The theory o f Pratitya-Samutpdda occupies the central position in the Buddhist philosophy. It is the most profound and important fundamental of all schools of Buddhism; HTnaydna and Mahayana. Unlike as systems of other philosophy or other philosophers that plunge the quest of the metaphysical matters or riddles o f the universe, Buddhist philosophy aims at showing the causes o f suffering and the path leading to the cessation of suffering. In Buddhist view, realizing the truth of dependent origination {PratTtya-Samutpdda) is to understand the truth of man and the world in which man lives. It is the exclusive way to man’s emancipation.

It may be said that the fundamental o f Buddhist teachings is established on the basis of Slla, Samddhi and Prajnd. In other words, all forms o f Buddhism comprise three spheres of learning: ethics, concentration methods, and analytical insight. These three spheres of learning support, enhance, and complete one another, and it is through their mutual interaction and development that

Buddhism aims to realize human potential. Corresponding to these three spheres o f learning, Buddhist literature includes three general types o f material: scriptures, precepts, and philosophical treaties, or in Buddhist terms Sutta, Vinaya and Abhidharma. Because of the interweaving of the three fields o f learning, scriptures and treaties include ethical material as well as meditational and analytical principles. Accordingly, the theory of PratTtya-Samutpdda is presented as the teaching emerging from the meditations o f the

Buddha.

The Buddha presents a rather simple statement of this theory in asserting that “If this is, that comes to be; from the arising of this, that arises. “This is not, that does not come to be; from the

stopping of this, that is stopped.” * “This” here refers to the cause that determines the existence of a thing, the chief cause, and “that”

is other aid conditions, the other cause. One thing can be both the

chief cause and other cause, i.e., the chief of “this” but the other cause o f “that”, or vice versa. In other words, everything that is

existing is both conditioned and conditioning. Thus shown in the above general formula is a universal principle of all existences: nothing can exist independently and every existing thing depends,

in some way or other, conditionally on one another. And in

Buddhist texts, the interrelationship of all existences is generally presented in the following manner:

"Conditioned by ignorance, activities come to pass;

conditioned by activities, consciousness comes to pass;

conditioned by consciousness, name - and - form come to

pass; conditioned by name - and - form, the six senses

come to pass; conditioned by six senses, touch comes to

pass; conditioned by touch, feeling comes to pass;

conditioned by feeling, craving comes to pass; conditioned

by craving, grasping comes to pass; conditioned by

grasping, becoming comes to pass; conditioned by

becoming, birth comes to pass; conditioned by birth, old

age and death, grief, lamentation, suffering, sorrow,

despair come to pass. Such is the uprising o f this entire

mass o f ill. This, brethren, is called "Causal happening".

' Etienne Lamotte, History of Indian Buddhism, p. 16. "But from utter fading away and ceasing of ignorance

[comes] ceasing of activities; from ceasing of activities

[comes] ceasing of consciousness; ...; from ceasing of

birth [com es] ceasing o f old age and death... despair. Such

is the ceasing o f this entire o f . *

("Avijjdpaccayd, bhikkhave, sankhdrd\ \ sankhdrapaccayd

vinndnam \ \ vinndnapaccayd ndmarupam \

ndmarupapaccayd saldyatanam \ \ saldyatanapaccayd

phassoW phassapaccayd vedand\ \ vedandpaccayd tanhd\\

tanhapaccayd updddnam\\ updddnapaccayd bhavo\

bhavapaccayd jdti\\jdtipaccaydjardmaranam soka -

parideva - dukkhadomanassupdyasd sambhavanti\

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti

I Ayam vuccati, bhikkhave, samuppddo\\ \

Avijjaya tveva asesavirdganirodhd

sankhdranirodhovinndnanirodho\\ vinndnan-irodhd

ndmarupanirodho\ \ ndmaruupanirodhd saldyatananirodho

I saldyatananirodhd phassanirodho\ \ phassanirodhd

vedandnirodho\ \ vedandnirodhd tanhdnirodho\\

tanhdnirodhd updddnanirodho\ \ updddnanirodhd

bhavanirodho\\ bhavanirodhajdtinirodho\\jdtinirodhd

jardmaranam soka - pari - deva - dukkha... nirujjhanti\

Evam-etassa kevalassa dukkh-akkhandhassa nirodho hotii

ti ")■

Mrs. Rhys Davids, The Book of Kindred Sayings, Vol. II, pp. 1- 2 . Samyulta-Nikaya, Vol. II, pp 1-2. From the above interpretation, we find that the Pratitya-

samutpada thus is further explained with respect to a causal

sequence involving twelve specific links, viz. ignorance, {avidyd),

mental constituents (samskdras), consciousness (vijndna), name

and form (ndmarupa), six sense organs {saddyatana), contact

(sparsa), feeling {vedand), craving {trsnd), grasping (updddna),

becoming (bhava), birth (jdti), and old age and death (jrdmaran).

The doctrine not only undermines the potential substantial of any

compounded entity, but also suggests which three links in the chain

might most readily be broken, thus ending the causal process, resulting in the attainment of Nirvdna: ignorance, carving, and

grasping.'

Moreover, the presentation of PratTtya-samutpdda which is in the form o f Twelve Elements obviously shows four important points as follows;

1. It puts a stress on human being, on the birth and death as

well as the suffering and happiness o f human being.

2. It brings out a description of mental processes operating

from ignorance (a vijjd ) to suffering (dukkha).

3. It introduces the way or the knowledge leading to the

extinction of suffering {dukkha nirodha).

4. It reveals a Buddhist point of view regarding to the truth of

human and world existence and their relationship.

' Charles S. Prebish, Historical Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 217. Since the essence o f existence, according to this theory of

Dependent Origination, is an uninterrupted flux of the manifold of physical and mental phenomena, hence, there is in the Twelve

Elements neither starting-point nor ending-point; each of them can be both the beginning and the ending. However, for the sake of convenience in the description of the Twelve Elements, a relative order of them in some way must be necessary. That is the reason why ignorance (avidya) is here and there found in different Buddhist literatures as the first source of life and the main stream of suffering. But above all, it should be bom in mind that it is conditioned, not the first cause o f life, as the Buddha usually emphasized:

Monks, the extreme point o f ignorance is not apparent, so

that one may say: "ignorance was not before; it has since

come to be". And this statement, monks, is made.

Nevertheless, this thing is apparent: ignorance is

conditioned by this o r that. *

(Purimd, bhikkhave, koti na pannayati avijjaya "ito pubbe

avijjd nahosi, atha pacchd sambhavi ti, evan c'etam,

bhikkhave vuccati. Atha ca pana pannayati "idappaccayd

avijjd'ti.) ^

Once ignorance {avidya) is viewed as the chief source of life and suffering, the operation o f the Twelve Elements can roughly be presented in the following manner: Ignorance is without a

' F. L. Woodward, The Book of Gradual Sayings, Vol. V, p. 78. 2 Angultara-Nikaya, Vol. V, p. 113. realization that everything is conditioned, and then supposing that

everything has its own self which is permanent. For ignorance, a

man comes to attach to that imaginary self and again producing

ignorance and nurturing it. From this wrong view and thought, he

then comes to seek for the everlastingness of his Self, and in search

of the first cause of the world. It is his self - thought which makes

his craving, ill - will and illusion at work.

When his self-thought is at work, consciousness must be there

and in operation. Such an operation requires the presence of the

subject o f cognition (meaning consciousness), the object of

cognition (meaning name - and - form, or sixfold sense sphere, or

the outer world). The meeting of that subject and object means the

presence o f Touch. At the moment of meeting. Feeling immediately

takes place. So, all the elements: ignorance, activities,

consciousness, name - and - form, six fold sense sphere, touch and

feeling co-exist in any process of mental operation. Feeling

includes the reactions of the mind which lead to the rise o f Craving.

The Craving itself implies Grasping or attaching to Self and

Things. The operation o f Grasping gives rise to the birth o f three

worlds or tribhava, life, and suffering.

In short, when a man's ignorance and self - thought operate, the Twelve Elements of Dependent Origination are all present.

These elements are selfless and impermanent in nature, so they lead

a man to unsatisfied feelings. In other words, a man is nothing but the interdependent operation o f those twelve elements which bring him sufferings, if his mind is dominated by self - thoughts. Contrary to the above situation, if ignorance is not present, the other o f the Twelve Elements which lead to suffering will not be established. In other words, if a man is completely without Self thought, but with the realization of Dependent Origination, he will no longer be controlled by Craving or Grasping. He then appears as the one of non - self regard to things, and o f happiness in the here and now.

It is true that the world we are living in, in general view, is made up and controlled by self - thoughts. It is the agent which produces a multitude of points of view on life, universe and human values, and which creates all values of things, gives evaluation to them, and opens the course of human beings' culture. However, it is also the source of all the individual and social crises. The possible solutions to these crises may be found in the operation of non - self thought coming from the wisdom regard of Dependent Origination which will be mentioned and discussed in the present work.

Although the PratTya-samutpada is utilized as part of the doctrinal basis of early Buddhist school, it is also understood thoroughly in Mahay ana literature. As we have known, the doctrine of ‘emptiness’ or ‘‘sunyata’ is stressed in many Mahdydna scriptures beginning with the Prajndparamitd Sutra, starting that even dharmas, the momentary building blocks o f experiential reality, have no ontological existence in their own right. It underscores precisely what it means by the notion of emptiness isunyatd) that stresses the relational aspect of existence, a proper understanding of the PratTya-samutpada theory. 10

As we could know, together with the theory of anatman

(selflessness), the doctrine of pratitya-samutpada (dependent- origination or causal law) forms a core of Buddhist philosophy, and

gives Buddhist ideology a unique feature distinct from other

religious and philosophical systems. That is to say, all the other

Buddhist theories of morality and psychology and philosophy are,

in fact, nothing but the corollaries derived from these two central doctrines. Whereas the teaching o f anatman or selflessness proceeds analytically by splitting existential world up into the absolute constituent particles into mere empty and unsubstantial elements, the doctrine of pratitya-samutpada or dependent- origination, on the other hand, proceeds synthetically by showing that all existing things, including psychological and physical ones, are in some way or other related with each other. Thus, ontologically Buddhism has the doctrine of anatman, which is deeply expanded in the Mahdprajndparamita literature and by the Indian Madhyamika School; and phenomenologically it has the doctrine o f pratTtya-samutpdda, which is completely elucidated in the Avatamsaka Sutra, and by the Chinese Avatamsaka School called Hua-Yen school. In short, the andtman doctrine and the pratTtya-samutpdda are the two philosophical wings of Buddhism. Therefore, lacking o f the insight of one o f the two, the right approach to Buddhism, on of the greatest religions of humankind is impossible. 11

1.1.3. Pratltya-Samutpdda in the H u a -yen Philosophy

Although there are a great many scriptures, the major schools of Buddhism which arose in China and spread throughout East Asia usually concentrated on one or more as basic texts. Similarly,

Avatamsaka Sutra in Sanskrit or the’‘Flower Ornament Sutra in English is Mahdydna text which formed the basis o f the Chinese Hua-yen and Japanese Kegon schools of Buddhism. Derived from the Avatamsaka Sutra or Hua-yen Ching in Chinese, the Hua-yen school of Buddhism in China was founded by Tu-shun (557-640) and organized by Fa-tsang (643-712).

As already observed, if the doctrine o f andtman or selflessness, which is another central teaching o f Buddhism, is elevated at the highest level of philosophy in the

MahdPrajndpdramitd literature of Mahdydna Buddhism, the teaching of pratXya-samutpdda or dependent-origination is profoundly developed in the Avatamsaka-Sutra or Hua-yen Ching. This sutra in fact, as remarked by Junjiro Takakusu in his “The

Essentials of Buddhist Philosophy”, is the peak o f Philosophical development o fpratTya-samutpdda doctrine.*

The Hua-yen doctrine emphasizes the causation theoiy by Dharmadhdtu also its essential philosophy of Totality. According to Thomas Cleary’s remarks, the Hua-yen doctrine shows the entire cosmos as one single nexus of conditions in which everything simultaneously depends on, and is depended on by, everything else.

Junjiro Takakusu, The Essentials of Buddhist Philosophy, p. 118. 12

Seen in this light, then, everything affects and is affected by, more or less immediately or remotely, everything else; just as this is true of every system of relationships, so is it true o f the totality of existence. In seeking to understand individuals and groups, therefore, Hua-yen thought considers the manifold as an integral part of the unit and the unit as an integral part o f the manifold; one individual is considered in terms of relationships to other individuals as well as to the whole nexus, while the whole nexus is considered in term of its relation to each individual as well as to all individuals. The accord of this view with the experience of modem science is obvious, and it seems to be an appropriate basis upon which the question o f the relation of science and bioethics - an issue of contemporary concern - maybe resolved.

The ethic o f Hua-yen teaching is based on this fundamental theme o f universal interdependence; while the so-called bodhisattva, the person devoted to enlightenment, constantly nourishes aspiration and will going beyond the world, nevertheless the striving for completion and perfection, the development o f ever greater awareness, knowledge, freedom, and capability is continually reinvested, as it were, in the world, dedicated to the liberation and enlightenment o f all beings. The awakening and unfolding o f the complete human potential leads to realms beyond that of conventional experience, yet the bodhisattva never maligns the ordinary and does not forsake it, instead translating appropriate aspects of higher knowledge into insights and actions conducive to the common weal. 13

It is a general characteristic of Mahdydna or universalistic Buddhism that the mundane welfare o f beings is considered a

legitimate, if not ultimate, aim of bodhisattva activity, and many aspects o f the ethical and practical life of bodhisattvas may be seen in this light. While psychological and physical well-being is not considered the ultimate goal, it might appropriately be thought of as an elementary stage in the realization of humanity, a removal of conflicts and anxieties to free more energy for higher development.

It is axiomatic, based on the world view o f Buddhism that since all people and indeed all creatures share in each other’s existence, there is no true benefit for one group alone that is won at the cost of another. It is said to be characteristic o f Buddhas, enlightened people, that they look upon all creatures as equal in essence (though not the same in term of characteristic); although the needs of individuals may differ in detail, they are all equal in far as they are dependent beings interrelated to one another. Bodhisattvas therefore strive to benefit all equally, without losing sight of the diversity and complexity of the means necessary to accomplish this end.'

Generally speaking, Pratiya-samutpdda Dharmadhdtu or

Causation by the universal principle that encouraged by Hua-yen

Ching embraces and conveys a vide range o f the Buddhist philosophy such as:

Thomas Cleary, Entry into the Inconceivable, An Introduction to Hua-Yen Buddhism, pp. 2-3. 14

- Dharmadhdtu: the “Realm of all things”: it is regarded as “the conclusion of the theory of Pratlya-samutpdda, as it is the universal causation and is already within the theory

of universal immanence, pansophism, cosmostheism, or

whatever it may be called.

- Tathagata-garbha: the “Matrix o f thus-come” : it is the storehouse where contains all kinds of impure things; the

manifestation of all kinds of the Buddha’s activity is as the

natural outflow of the cosmic body caused by the great

compassion to wards living beings.

- Citamdtraka: the “Outcome o f the M ind”: it is a sort of idealism that all universes are nothing but the

manifestations of the mind.

- The whole universe and one individual are unimpeded

interconnected in such a way that the altruistic spirit of

benevolence or compassion should be the fundamental

principle of Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattva ideal.

Thus, by establishing that nothing in the world happens by

accident, as it were, but rather that all occurrences are causally

conditioned, the doctrine of Pratiya-samutpdda helps man realize the real characteristic o f all things in the phenomenal world. It

seems to have gone one step further; Causation by universal principle of Hua-yen states all things in the universe arose simultaneously, all things in it depending upon one another, the

influence o f each mutually permeating and thereby making a 15 universe symphony of harmonious totality. This idea is emphasis on the interpenetration of all phenomena. In other words, a world in which according to Buddhist view actual life attains an ideal harmony as exemplified through the Hua-yen teaching of PmtJtyasamutpdda Dharmadhdtu or Causation by universal principle. The PratTtyasamutpdda Dharmadhdtu in its profound and significant sense formed the core o f Hua-yen philosophy in particular and Buddhist philosophy in general. It is the basis of any one who wants to study Buddhist philosophy.

However, unfortunately the Avatamsaka sutra has somehow not been paid attention to rightly as its important position in

Buddhist literature by modern scholars. In Japan, Vietnam, and some other Asian Buddhist countries, the study of the Avatamsaka doctrine is still pursued in the centers of Buddhist learning. There is no a scholastic study of the teaching o f pratlya-samutpdda with regard to its philosophical and ethical developments in the

Avatamsaka-sutra. As aspired from this thinking, the writer has come to a decision to a research work with the proposed topic titled: “THE DOCTRINE OF PRATITYA-SAMUTPADA AS

DEVELOPED IN THE AVATAMSAKA SUTRA: AN

A N A LY T IC A L STUDY” in order to aim at filling up to a certain extent the gap in the study of the Avatamsaka-sutra, one o f the Buddhist scripture of great importance in various cultural areas of the world. It is also intended towards a global ideology for a divided world in modem time. 16 II.2. SCOPE OF THE TOPIC

As revealed in the above proposed topic, the question of what

PratTtya samutpdda is and how it develops in the Avatamsaka sutra will be the central contents of discussion in this research work. The work will be done under the form o f a critical and analytical research.

We have known that the entire body of the Avatamsaka-sutra has not wholly been preserved in Sanskrit, but several Sanskrit sections o f it are extant. The Dasabhiimika {Dasabhumisvard) and the Gandavyuha which have been thought as parts o f the text have been published. Moreover, it is also known that the scripture was translated into Chinese a number of times, for instance, by

Budhabhadra in around 420 C.E. in 60 volumes, and by Sikshdnanda in 695-699 C.E. in 80 volumes. Although the whole text o f the Avatamsaka-sutra is still intact in Chinese, commonly known as Hua-Yen-Ching, the Chinese versions of it are, nevertheless, not literal translations faithful to the Sanskrit original

- the betrayal modifications or twisted interpretations were somehow put into the text by the Chinese translators so that they would be acceptable to the common people of ancient China. For these reasons, the Sanskrit sections o f the Avatamsaka-sutra as well as their corresponding English translations, which are available in

t* printing, will be the main materials of quotations and studies.

However, the Chinese versions of the text as well as documents. 17 textbooks and other research works related to the topic will also often be used for reference.

By an analytical study, it is meant that this research work will

follow what is called the longitudinal sectioned method. In this method, the researcher first picks out all the principal ideas with regard to the topic contained in the text concerned. Then, each of the picked-out principal ideas is analyzed and discussed through all the sutra as the whole. This method was adopted by D. T. Suzuki in doing his book “Studies in the Lankdvatdra Sutra”.

The PratTtya-samutpdda, a very profound and vast, essential and important doctrine of generally Buddhist thought, can be written into many volumes in relation to other subjects of

Buddhism. But, within the limits of the presented work ‘The

Praiitya-samutpdda as developed in the Avatamsaka Sutra\ the writer has concentrated only the following primarily subject matters.

- A brief account of historical Development of PratTtya-

samutpdda Doctrine in the Buddha’s time and after his death.

- A concise description of the origin of Avatamsaka Sutra

{Hua-yen Ching in Chinese) and its developmental peak of PratTtya-samutpdda theory, an emphasizing on the

interpenetration o f all phenomena or Dharmadhdtu.

- The Hua-yen concept of interdependent origination {PratTtya-samutpdda) of Dharmadhdtu 18

- An analytical study o f the Totalistic philosophy of

Avantamsaka School

- A critical survey of the PratTtya-samutpdda Dharmadhatu

of Avatamsaka sutra in Philosophical and Social Perspectives o f Modern Times

In short, the writer only refers to the doctrine of PratTtya- samutpdda (Dependent Origination), and specially examines the theory o f causation by the universal principle {PratTtya-samutpdda

Dharmadhatu) also the concept o f the interpenetration of all phenomena as the basis on which the Hua-yen philosophy is formed. The writer’s attempt in this work is to illustrate in what manner Buddhist philosophy help people realize the true nature of all things thereby to destroy completely all notions o f attachment of dtman and dhrama. The writer’s purpose also is to introduce to philosophy and ethics of Hua-yen Buddhism as the basis o f a world in which actual life attains an ideal harmony. In such a way of thinking, the writer actually hopes that if his research work is accepted, it would be an interesting and useful contribution for the study of Buddhism, one of the world ideologies being actively playing as peace-maker in the modem world o f rampant violence and competition.