Toh 211 — Teaching the Fundamental Exposition and Detailed Analysis of Dependent Arising

F.123.b Homage to the Three Jewels.^[1]

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.^[2]

Then the Bhagavān spoke to the monks: “Monks,^[3] I shall teach you the fundamental exposition and detailed analysis of dependent arising. Listen very well and bear this in mind as I explain. What is the fundamental exposition of dependent arising? It is thus: if this exists, that arises; by this having been produced, that is produced.

“It is thus: through the condition of ignorance, formations arise; through the condition of formations, consciousness arises; through the condition of consciousness, name-and-form arises; through the condition of name-and-form, the six sense sources arise; through the condition of the six sense sources, contact arises; through the condition of contact, feeling arises; through the condition of feeling, craving arises; through the condition of craving, grasping arises; through the condition of grasping, existence arises; through the condition of existence, birth arises; through the condition of birth, aging and death—as well as sorrow, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and strife—arise. In this way, this sole great heap of suffering arises. This is the fundamental exposition of dependent arising.

“What is the detailed analysis of dependent arising? What is ignorance in the statement, ‘Through the condition of ignorance, formations arise’? It is not knowing the past, not knowing the future, and not knowing either the past or the future. It is not knowing the inner, not knowing the outer, and not knowing either the inner or the outer. It is not knowing actions, not knowing their maturation, and not knowing either actions F.124.a or their maturation. It is not knowing the Buddha, not knowing the Dharma, not knowing the Saṅgha. It is not knowing suffering, origin, cessation, or the path. It is not knowing the causes and not knowing that phenomena arise from causes. It is not knowing virtue and nonvirtue. It is not knowing unseemliness and not knowing the absence of unseemliness. It is not knowing what to engage in and what not to engage in. It is not knowing what is bad, sublime, negative, or positive. It is not knowing the phenomena that dependently arise within such divisions. It is failing to understand the six sense sources of contact just as they are. It is not knowing what is and how it is. It is not seeing and not understanding. It is being confused, deluded, ignorant, and obscured. This is ignorance.

“What are formations in the statement, ‘Through the condition of ignorance, formations arise’? They are threefold. What are the three?^[4] They are the formations of the body, the formations of speech, and the formations of the mind.

“What is consciousness in the statement, ‘Through the condition of formations, consciousness arises’? It is the six collections of consciousness: the consciousnesses of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

“What is name in the statement, ‘Through the condition of consciousness, name-and-form arises’? It is the four formless aggregates. They are the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of formations, and the aggregate of consciousness.

“What is form? Whatever form there may be, it is all the four great elements and form derived from the four great elements. In this way, when both form and the aforementioned name are taken together, they are called name-and-form.^[5]

“What are the six sense sources in the statement, ‘Through the condition of name-and-form, the six sense sources arise’? There are six inner sense sources: the inner sense sources of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. F.124.b

“What is contact in the statement, ‘Through the condition of the six sense sources, contact arises’? There are six collections of contact: being conjoined with the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. This is contact.

“What is feeling in the statement, ‘Through the condition of contact, feeling arises’? There are three feelings: pleasure, pain, and neither pleasure nor pain.

“What is craving in the statement, ‘Through the condition of feeling, craving arises’? There are three cravings: the craving of the desire realm, the craving of the form realm, and the craving of the formless realm.

“What is grasping in the statement, ‘Through the condition of craving, grasping arises’? Grasping is of four types: grasping at desire, grasping at views, grasping at moral rules and vows and rites, and grasping at theories that assert the self.

“What is existence in the statement, ‘Through the condition of grasping, existence arises’? There are three existences: the existences of the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.

“What is birth in the statement, ‘Through the condition of existence, birth arises’? Birth refers to the way a being is born into a particular class of beings. It refers to conception, entrance, maturation, manifestation, obtaining aggregates, obtaining elements, obtaining sense sources, fully developing aggregates, and the manifestation of the life faculty.

“What is aging in the statement, ‘Through the condition of birth, aging and death arise’? Aging refers to becoming bald, white haired, wrinkled, worn out, slack, hunched like a cow drinking water, covered with liver spots, having drooping limbs, being afflicted with rheumatism, breathing heavily, walking hunched over, walking with a stick, feeling unwell and lethargic, being weakened, being exhausted, having impaired faculties, losing one’s memory, and becoming old and decrepit. This is called aging.

“What is death? F.125.aDeath is the departure or passing away of each and every being from their respective class of sentient beings; it is their disintegration, internal deterioration, loss of life, fading of bodily warmth, cessation of the life faculty, discarding of the aggregates, dying, and decease. Combining the two into one, death with the aforementioned aging, this is known as aging and death. This is the detailed analysis of dependent arising.

“O monks, I said that I would explain to you the fundamental exposition and detailed analysis of dependent arising, and they are as I have now described them.”^[6]