Welcome. This is the year-running course on the Nibbana Sermons 1-11 by Bhikkhu Katakur
on the Nyanananda, a course hosted by the Numerical Center for Body Studies at the University
of Hamburg in collaboration with the Paris Center for Body Studies in Massachusetts.
And today we are going to take a look at sermon number three. But before that, there
were a few points left over from the discussion of related to the previous talk. One thing
was a question to clarify my use of the distinction between prescriptive and descriptive. So I
was intending these as main patterns, not thereby wanting to say that there cannot be
descriptions at all in the suttas. And I would like to quote Hyo Cho, because I think he very
nicely put it to the point. He says about prescriptive versus descriptive. I find this
distinction quite helpful in the sense that the early discourses aim to give a general guideline
of prescription on practice, rather than analyze a complete description of phenomena as later
commentaries. The key difference here is the purpose. When we prescribe, the purpose is at
the forefront. But when we describe, we risk being flushed and carried away by our own weakness for
conceptual proliferation. I thought that really nicely captures the distinction that I was intending
to make. Then the imagery of the Whirlpool really touched, I think, all of us. And particularly
interesting, I found that Katrina, she shared her personal experience of actually being caught up in
a Whirlpool that made it very palatable. I found similar to regard to the first sermon, the
descriptions of those who had experience of wildfire. These personal experiences make it
help all of us to relate to this type of imagery. And then there was a comment by Robert. He says,
in fact, when Manananda was absolutely on the spot, that a Whirlpool is usually formed by two
opposing influences. For example, a specific kind of Whirlpool forms behind stirs of bridges. There,
the Whirlpools are formed by interplay of the fluid's momentum and static pressure in the
fluid behind the still. Due to friction, the fluid is slowed down. If it is too slow, the static
pressure of the main flow behind the still just pushes it back upstream. Interestingly, such
Whirlpools or eddies usually disconnect from their place of formation are then carried along with the
main flow. The rotating body of fluid has stored kinetic energy. Hence, the whirling continues
until all kinetic energy has been dissipated. I find it very helpful to have this physical
perspective also on the formation of a Whirlpool to make better sense of this imagery. Then I like
to quote Margaret Roman on the point that all the teachings point to Nibbana. And she says that it's
like clearing the fog when one gets lost in it. I speak for myself here. And she also speaks for
myself, I think. And, and Dylan made the comment that as Manuel Nyanananda lays out a map of
Nibbana, he's at the same time revealing what has been accomplished by noble ones,
which serves to point back to what still needs to be done. Then the core teachings of the Buddha
provide the how to do. Hadvij commented that she always felt it necessary to understand the entire
Paticca samos pada series, and now it seems more open for investigation. And I think this very well
captures what I understand the Venerable Nyanananda is trying to do in the last and also in the present
sermon. And I would relate it again to the inside knowledges. The second one, the Pachea Parikaha,
which builds on Namarupa Parichiddhanyana and concerns the clear understanding of conditionality.
And I understand that my understanding is that the Venerable Nyanananda is trying to
help us to see the moon instead of looking at the finger to use this simile. And first,
by showing that, and this was the chief topic of the second sermon, that the 12 links is not the
essence of Pachea Samo Pada, but the exemplification of it. And in the present
sermon number three, pointing out that the three life interpretation is not the only mode of
understanding the 12 links and that in particular, the entire series of 12 links can be experienced
here and now and one does not need to have past library collections in order to access the first
two links, which is a topic we will come to during the sermon. So that much for
what a very rich discussion on the forum brought up in relation to sermon number two.
And now we are ready for sermon number three.
This is peaceful. This is excellent. Namely, the stealing of all preparations,
the relinquishment of all assets, the destruction of craving, detachment, cessation, extinction,
with the permission of the most Venerable great preceptor and the assembly of the
Venerable meditative monks. Today we have before us the third sermon on Nibbana. The other day,
with the help of the simile of a whirlpool, we attempted an explanation of the terms
Sanxaro on the one hand and Nibbana on the other. That is to say in going round or Sanxarana
and going out or Nisarana. Comment, I think he's also a little bit playing here on the
name of the monastery in which they were all staying at the time these sermons were given,
which is Nisarana Vana here. End of comment. We also cited suttas to illustrate both the
arising Samudaya and cessation Nirodha aspects of the law of dependent arising. As regards this
whirlpool to show a parallel development with the links of the law of dependent arising by way of
a sustained simile, we may say that the ignorance in presuming that it is possible to go against
the mainstream of the three signata, impermanence, suffering and not-self, is the place of its origin.
That heap of preparations impelled by ignorance, which takes the current forward, may be regarded
as Sankhara's. And where the current in its progress clashes with the mainstream to become
a whirlpool, that pushing forward against the mainstream is vinyana or consciousness.
The outcome of the clash is namarupa or name and form with its formal name and nominal form.
That link in the formula of dependent arising called salayatana or six sense basis
could be regarded as the outgrowth of this name and form. We can understand that link too
in relation to the simile of the whirlpool. As the whirlpool goes on for a long time,
an abyss is formed, the functioning of which could be compared to the six sense basis.
As a matter of fact, bodily pains are comparable to an abyss.
In a certain sutta in the Samyatunikaya, the Buddha says,
monks abyss is a synonym for painful bodily feelings. Comment.
Here is the translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi, and I'm going also a little bit further to give more
background to the court given by Venerable Nyanananda. This Bhikkhus is rather a designation
for painful bodily feelings, that is a bottomless abyss. When the un-instructed whirling is
contacted by a painful bodily feeling, his sorrows, grieves and laments, he weeps and beats his
breast and becomes distraught. This is called an un-instructed whirling who has not risen up in
the bottomless abyss, one who has not gained a foothold. But Bhikkhus, when the instructed
noble disciple is contacted by a painful bodily feeling, he does not sorrow, grieve or lament,
he does not weep and beat his breast and become distraught. This is called an instructed noble
disciple who has risen up in the bottomless abyss, one who has gained a foothold.
And below I'm also giving the Chinese parallel which makes basically the same point. And I think
this highlight on painful bodily feelings as the abyss is very significant. It shows an important
dimension of the early Buddhist meditative attitude of dealing with disease and pain.
And the same also comes to the forefront in the Salasuta, which the Venerable Nyanananda in fact
will mention soon, where we have this simile of two darts or two arrows. One of these is bodily
pain, but the second one is the mental reaction. And so being hit or struck by one arrow or dart,
there is no need to get into getting hit or struck by the second one, the mental reactions.
And I personally found this very interesting. A few years ago I was invited to give research and
talk on the topic of healing in early Buddhism at a conference in the UK. And when I started to
research, I found that all the majority of the publications that I could find on this topic
had all been focusing mainly on Vinaya passages, where we have the Jivaka, the famous doctor,
and his various cures. And now Jivaka was of course himself a Buddhist and he also looked after
the Buddha and his monks. But his cures, he learned them when he was living at his study period in
Takasila. So his actual cures are not specifically Buddhist in a sense, they were just ancient Indian
Ayurvedic knowledge. And so I came out with the finding that actually what this discourse here
describes, the ability of the instructed noble disciple to handle bodily feeling without
sorrowing, grieving, or lamenting, is a major aspect of the early Buddhist attitude towards
healing. And that a particularly important tool here is mindfulness, the ability to bear pain with
mindfulness, which makes a world of difference from the actual experience of pain and also the
subsequent healing. And so in a way we could say that there is a very clear precedence in early
Buddhist thought for the modern day clinical usage of mindfulness by practices such as
mindfulness-based stress reduction. End of comment. When one comes to think about that statement,
it would appear that the thirst of craving arises in beams in various forms of existence
because of painful feeling. The Salat Tena Sutta adds to this by stating that the
uninstructed whirling on being touched by painful feeling delights in sense pleasures
because he knows no way out of painful feeling other than the sense pleasures.
In the light of that statement, it seems that the abyss is the endless barrage of painful feelings.
The force of attraction that arises from the abyss is like the thirst to quell those painful
feelings. The grasping that follows is the functioning of the same force of attraction.
It attracts all the flotsam and jetsam around it, as things organically appropriated upadina
to put up a show of existence or bhava, that is a spot that can be pointed out with the help of
things thus grasped by the whirlpool. So this whirlpool or vortex simile gives us some idea of
the law of dependent arising. Comment. Now I just want to stress again the powerful aspect of
relating this simile of the whirlpool to the abyss of painful feelings and to the degree
to which much of our activities are actually motivated by avoiding painful feelings.
Think of eating and drinking to avoid the pain of hunger and thirst.
Think of closing, eating, building houses to avoid the pain of the body being at the mercy of outside temperature, etc, etc, etc.
End of comment.
The insight into the basic principle of dependent arising is in fact regarded as the arising of the eye of Dhamma.
About the stream winner, it is said that the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma has arisen in him.
The following phrase, which sums up the significance of that Dhamma eye, comes up quite often in the discourses.
Whatever is of a nature to arise, all that is of a nature to seize.
Sometimes it is briefly alluded to with a couple of terms samodhaya and nirodha as samodhayo, samodhayo and nirodho, nirodho.
It is as if the experience of that insight has found expression as an exclamation arising, arising, seizing, seizing.
The above phrase only connects up the two aspects of that experience.
It seems then that what is called the Dhamma eye is the ability to see the nirvanic solution in the very vortex of the samsaric problem.
That way of analysis, which puts samsara and nirvana far apart into two watertight compartments, as it were,
gives rise to interminable problems.
But here we see that just as much as one could realize nirvana by discovering the cause of suffering and following the path to its cessation,
which in effect is the understanding of the four noble truths,
one could also put an end to this vortex by understanding its cause and applying the correct means for its cessation.
In the previous sermon, we happened to quote some canonical verses, which declared that the vortex does not exist for an arahant.
Now, as regards to condition after the cessation of the vortex,
if someone asks where the vortex or the whirlpool has gone, what sort of answer can we give?
It is the same difficulty that comes up in answering the question, where has the fire gone after it has gone out?
Because here, too, what we call the whirlpool is that current of water which went against the mainstream.
It also consists of water, like the body of water outside it.
So we cannot say that they're united, nor can we say that it went and hid somewhere.
Here we find ourselves in a queer situation.
All we can say in fairness to truth is that there has been, there had been a certain form of activity.
A certain state of unrest due to certain causes and conditions.
Because of that activity that was going on there, it was possible to designate it, to give it a name.
By worldly convention, one could refer to it as that place or this place.
The entire field of activity was called the whirlpool by worldly convention.
But now, the so-called whirlpool is no more.
The worldly convention is no more applicable as in the case of an extinguished fire.
The word fire was introduced, the concept of fire was created, to designate a certain
state of affairs that arose due to causes and conditions due to grasping.
So from this also, we can see that it is in concepts that ignorance finds a camouflage.
Being unaware of it, the world goes on amassing concepts and even expects to see them in nip bhana.
There are some who fondly hope to get a vision of their lists of concepts when they realize nip bhana.
But that wisdom penetrates through even the concepts.
And that is why it is called Udayatta Garmini, Panya Arya, Nip Bhedika.
The Aryan penetrative wisdom that sees the rise and fall.
The idea of penetration is already implicit in the phrase
Yankinji samodaya dhammang sa bhanktang nirod dhammang.
Whatever is of a nature to arise, all that is of a nature to seize.
If anything has the nature to arise, by that very nature it is bound to come to its end.
And that is why the wandering ascetic Upatissa, who was to become Venavasari putta later,
attained the fruit of a stream winner, even on hearing the first two lines of the verse uttered
by the Venavasati, ye dhamma he tu pabh bhava teisam he tung tathavatu aha,
of things that arise from a cause, the cause that the tathavata has told.
When a Moai's man hears that something has arisen due to causes and conditions,
he made me understand that it could be made to seize by the removal of those conditions,
even without further explanation. It is the dustless, stainless dhamma I
that enables one to see the nimbanic solution in the very structure of the samsaric program.
In our quotation from the Mahanidhana Sutta, it was said that all pathways for verbal expression,
terminology and designation exist, so long as the vortex of samsara is kept going.
The implication, therefore, is that they have no existence beyond it. This is the significance
of the word et tavata in sofa only. Et tavata, jaya tava, jiya tava, miya tavata,
jaya tava, jiya tava, miya tava, jaya tava, opa paanyet tava. In sofa only can one be born
or grow old or die or pass away or reappear. So the concepts of birth, decay and death,
passing away and reappearing are meaningful only in the context of the samsaric vortex between
consciousness and name and form. If samo or other, this interrelation could be broken,
this samsaric vortex, the whirlpool, could be stopped. Then, after that, nothing remains
to be said, nothing remains to be predicated. And as it is said in the opa siva sutta of the sutta
nipata, ye nalangvat nyung tantasana dhi, that by which they would speak of him, that for him
exists not. Comment, translation Mabhikabodhi, there is no means by which they might speak of him.
End of comment. There are a number of canonical passages that show us the relevance of this
vortex inali to the understanding of the doctrine of paticca samopada. In the Mahapadana sutta of the
niyunikaya, we find a lengthy description of the manner in which the bodhisattva vipasi got an
insight into paticca samopada. We are told that his mode of approach was one of radical reflection
or unisomana sikara, literally attention by way of the matrix. One might as well say that it is an
attention by way of the vortex. It is as if a man with keen vision sitting under a tree by a river
were to watch how a fallen leaf gets carried away by the water current only to get whirled up and
disappear in a vortex. It is clearly stated that in the case of vipasi bodhisattva,
that his understanding through wisdom came as a result of radical reflection.
So his insight into paticca samopada was definitely not due to recollection of past lives.
Yoni means the matrix or the place of origin. So in unisomana sikara,
always the attention has to turn towards the place of origin.
So, true to this method, we find the bodhisattva vipasi starting his reasoning from the very end of
the paticca samopada formula. King hinoko sati jara-maranam hoti, king pachaya jara-maranam.
Given what does decay and death come to be? From which condition comes decay and death?
And to this question, the following answer occurred to him.
Given birth, does decay and death come to be? From birth as condition comes decay and death.
In the same manner, taking pair by pair, he went on reasoning progressively. For instance,
his next question was, king yinoko sati jara-thi hoti, king pachaya jara-thi. Given what does
birth come to be? From which condition comes birth? And the answer to it was, bhave kosati
jara-thi hoti, bhava pachaya jara-thi. Given becoming, birth comes to be. From becoming
as condition comes birth. He went on reasoning like this up to and including name and form.
But when he came to consciousness, he had to turn back. When he searched for the condition
of consciousness, he found that name and form itself is the condition whereby he understood
their interdependence. And then he gave expression to the significance of his discovery in the
following words.
Tanha pachaya upadaanan, upadaana pachaya bhavo, bhava pachaya jara-thi, jara-thi pachaya
jara-marnal, soka paririva, duknka dumana supa yasa sam bhavanti, eva metas ke walas, duknka khandas samudayo hoti.
By means of radical reflection, the body satavi pasi understood that all concepts of birth,
decay and death converge on the relationship between consciousness and name and form.
This consciousness turns back from name and form. It does not go beyond. In so far, can one be born
or grow old or die or pass away or reappear? In so far as this is, namely, consciousness is dependent
on name and form and name and form on consciousness. Dependent on name and form the six sense basis.
Dependent on the six sense basis, contact. Dependent on contact, feeling. Dependent on feeling,
craving. Dependent on craving, grasping. Dependent on grasping, becoming. Dependent on becoming birth
and dependent on birth, decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair come to be.
Thus is the arising of this entire mass of suffering. Comment. The Chinese parallel in the
nirga-agama, also reporting on the awakening of the former Buddha Vipasi, only presents his tracing
the links in rising and cessation mode and then immediately turns to his awakening. So it does
not explicitly mention the reciprocal conditioning between name and form. It also does not refer to
Vipasi's contemplation of the five aggregates after having investigated Paticca samuppada.
However, we have a parallel in Sanskrit fragments, and this does have the reciprocal conditioning of
consciousness and name and form, and it also mentions that he contemplated the impermanent
nature of the five aggregates. In addition, the Sanskrit version also mentions that he cultivated
the set of mental qualities conducive to awakening. Asya darshanam chod panam sambodapakshigeshu
dharmeshu kshiname jatiru sittan brahmacharyam krittankaranyam napanangasma bhavankaranyanami.
So alongside some variations, all versions agree that the Buddha Vipasi reached awakening,
discovered the all of the 12 links of dependent rising without having cultivated
recollection of past lives. And so this underscores the point made by the Venerable Nyanananda
that even the one who discovered the 12 link formulation of dependent rising, leave alone
those who want to follow that discovery, did not have to rely on going back into a past life in
order to see the first two links of ignorance and formations. End of comment.
The fact that this understanding of patricius samuppala signified the rising of the Dhamma
i in Vipasi bodhisattva is stated in the following words, samodayo samodiyo tikko bhikkave vipasi
bodhisattva, pumbayan anu suttesu dhammesu chattankum udapadi, yan udapadi, panya udapadi,
vijja udapadi, a local udapadi. Rising rising thus or once in regard to things unheard of before
the rose in the bodhisattva vipasi, the eye, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science and the light.
Comment. Yeah, I just like to briefly mention personal translation preferences in the context
like the above. I would personally prefer to translate aloka as clarity, which is also
in my understanding the implication the term carries as an antidote to the hindrance of slot
and topper, where aloka sanya I don't think could be meant perception of light, but much more clarity
of perception. And along the same line of light related terminology, I also find it preferable to
translate bodhi as awakening rather than as enlightenment. And for anybody interested in
other scholars who share also this preference and several arguments,
I've given here the reference in my comparative study of the Majmani Kaya.
End of comment. In the same way it is said that the bodhisattva clarified for himself
the cessation aspect through radical reflection.
In the absence of what will decay and death not be? With the cessation of what is the cessation
of decay and death? And as the answer to it, the following thought occurred to him.
In the absence of birth, there is no decay and death. With the cessation of birth is the
cessation of decay and death. Likewise, he went on reflecting progressively until he reached the
link between name and form and consciousness. And then it occurred to him.
From the cessation of name and form comes the cessation of consciousness.
From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name and form.
Once this vital link is broken, that is when consciousness seizes with the cessation of name and form,
and name and form seizes with the cessation of consciousness,
then all the other links following name and form, such as the six sense basis, contact and feeling,
come to seize immediately. The Mahapadana Sutta goes on to say that the bodhisattva vipasi
continue to dwell, seeing the rising and passing away of the five grasping groups.
And that before long his mind was fully emancipated from the influxes,
and that he attained to full enlightenment. It is also said in the sutta in this connection
that the bodhisattva followed this mode of reflection because he understood that it is
the way of insight leading to awakening. I have found this path of insight to awakening,
to enlightenment. And as we saw above, the most important point, the pivotal point,
in this path of insight, is the relationship between name and form and consciousness.
The commentary raises the question why the bodhisattva vipasi makes no mention of the first
two links, Avijja and Sankara, and gives the explanation that he could not see them as they
belong to the past. But this is not the reason. The very ignorance regarding the relationship
between name and form and consciousness is Avijja or ignorance. And what accounts for the
continuity of this relationship is Sankara, comment formations, end of comment. It is because
of these preparations that the vertical interplay between consciousness and name and form is kept
going. Simply because the first two links are not mentioned in the sutta, the commentators give the
explanation that they belong to the past. But it should be clear that the bodhisattva vipasi could
not have aroused the nama'i without those two links. Why they are not specially mentioned here
is because they are in the background. It is true that there is a mode of exposition in which Avijja
or ignorance takes precedence. But what we have here is a different mode of exposition,
according to which one has to stop short at the interrelation between consciousness and
name and form. As to the cause of this mutual relationship, we have to go back to the vortex
simile. Usually the progress of a current of water is visible at some distance away from the vortex.
In this case, the current of water forgets its own impermanent suffering and not-self nature
and goes ahead in search of a permanent pleasurable and self-nature,
and this itself is Avijja or ignorance. This very tendency of the narrow water current to push on
against the main body of water is itself what is called consciousness. Similarly, in the context of
the samsaric individual, what forms the background for the interplay between consciousness and name
and form is the non-understanding that the net result of the interplay is suffering,
that it only leads to suffering. In other words, it is the tendency to go ahead in search of a
state of permanence, pleasure and self, ignoring the three characteristics of impermanence,
suffering and not-self. The heap of preparations or efforts rising out of that tendency are the
sankaras. It is on these very preparations or efforts that consciousness depends,
and then we have name and form existing in relation to it. On the side of name and form,
or beyond it, we have all the other links of the paticca samuppada. So in this way we can form a
mental picture of the formula of paticca samuppada by some sort of pictorial explanation. It seems
then that this discourse is further proof of the statements found in the Mahanidhana Sutta.
There is yet another discourse, one preached by Venerable Sariputta, which supports our
conclusions. It is found in the Nidhana Samyutta of the Samyutta Nikaya. There, Venerable Sariputta
brings out a simile that is even simpler than the vortex simile. He compares consciousness
and name and form to two bundles of weeds. When two bundles of weeds stand, one supporting the
other, if one of those is drawn out, the other would fall down, and if the latter is drawn out,
the former will fall down. Ekang akadheya ekapapateya, aparanchya akadheya aparapapateya.
The mutual interrelation between consciousness and name and form is like that of two bundles of
weeds, mutually supporting each other. Having given this simile, Venerable Sariputta goes on
to mention the other links of the paticca samuppada formula, as in the case of the bodhisattva vipassas
insight. It runs dependent on name and form, the sixth sense basis. Dependent on the sixth sense
basis, contact, dependent on content, feelings, and so on. And then the cessation aspect of these
links is also given. By way of illustration, let us suppose that the consciousness bundle of weeds
is standing on the left side, and the name and form bundle is on the right. Then we have a number
of other bundles, such as the sixth sense basis, contact and feeling, all leaning on to the name
and form bundle of weeds. These are all dependent on the name and form bundle. Now as soon as the
consciousness bundle is drawn out, all the others on the right side fall down immediately. There is
no interval. True to the qualities of the dhamma summed up in the terms sandhicca, kalika, and
apasika, that is to be seen here now, not involving time and inviting one to come and see,
the entire mass of samsaric suffering ceases immediately. So this discourse is further proof
of the fact that we have here quite a different state of affairs than what is commonly believed
to be the significance of the particular samuppada formula. That is why we have pointed out that the
concepts of birth, decay, and death are of the nature of fading away. That is also why decay and
death have been described as impermanent, made up, dependently risen, of a nature to wither away,
pass away, fade away, and cease. When one comes to think of it, one may find it difficult to
understand why decay and death are called impermanent and withering or decaying.
But the reason is that all concepts insofar as they are leaning onto the name and form bundle
have to fall down when the opposite bundle of weeds is drawn out. That is to say that the entire
mass of samsaric suffering ceases immediately and the whirlpool of samsara comes to an end.
This then seems to be the most plausible conclusion. According to the interpretation
we have adopted, in the Maha-hatthi-pudupama-sutta of the Manjima Nikaya, Venerable Sariputta brings
out as a quotation a certain statement of the Buddha on patichesamuppada. It runs,
yu patichesamuppada-ampasati sudhamma-ampasati, yu dhamma-ampasati sudhatichesamuppada-ampasati.
He who sees the law of dependent arising, sees the dhamma. He who sees the dhamma,
sees the law of dependent arising. Comment. I have just added the Chinese power which makes
the same statement. End of comment. This shows that the quintessence of the dhamma is in fact
the law of dependent arising itself. Now there are these six qualities of the dhamma summed up in
the well-known formula which every Buddhist believes in. This dhamma is well-preached,
Svartankhato. It can be seen here and now as analytical. That is, one can see it by oneself
here in this merry world. It is timeless, aghaliko. It invites one to come and see, ehi passiko.
It leads one on, upanayiko. It can be realized by the wise, each one by himself,
patchaktam vidhita bhuvinnuhi. Though we all have faith in these qualities of the dhamma,
let us see whether the traditionally accepted interpretation of patcaktasamupada is faithful
to these qualities, particularly to the two qualities sanditiko and aghaliko.
According to that accepted interpretation presented by the venerable author of the
Avisuddhan Himanga, the first two links of the formula belong to the past and the last
two links belong to the future. The remaining eight links in the middle are taken to represent
the present. That means we have here the three periods of time, so it is not timeless.
And that is why they explained that the bodhisattva vipasi did not see the first two links.
Perhaps the presumption is that since these two links belong to the past,
they can be seen only by the knowledge of the recollection of past lives.
But on the other hand, the suttas tell us that even the stream winner has a clear understanding
of patcaktasamupada. Adiyo chasen yaya pan yaya sudito huotisuktotivit do. By him, the noble
norm is well seen and well penetrated through with wisdom. The noble norm is none other than
the law of dependent arising, and the stream winner has seen it well, penetrated into it well
with wisdom. The prefix su implies the clarity of that vision. The question then is how a stream
winner, who has no knowledge of the recollection of past lives, can get this insight. Whatever it
may be, the accepted interpretation, as already mentioned, puts the first two links into the past.
That is to say, ignorance and preparations are referred to the past. Birth, decay and death are
referred to the future. The eight links in between are explained with reference to the present.
Thus, the formula is divided into three periods. Not only that, in the attempt to interpret the
formula as referring to three stages in the Sanskrit journal of an individual,
additional links had to be interposed to prop up the interpretation. Ignorance, preparations,
craving, grasping and becoming are regarded as the past causes. Depending on these past causes,
consciousness, name and form, sixth sense basis, content and feeling are said to arise as results
in the present. And again, with ignorance, preparations, craving, grasping and becoming as
present causes, consciousness, name and form, sixth sense basis, content and feeling arise as
results in the future. This kind of interpretation is also advanced. But this interpretation in terms
of pentas violates the interrelatedness between the twelve links in the formula. We have already
drawn attention to the fact of interrelation between the two links in each pair. In fact,
that itself has to be taken as the law of dependent arising. That is, the basic principle
itself. Because of one, the other arises. With its cessation, the other ceases. There is this
mode of analysis, but then it is disrupted by the attempt to smuggle in additional links into the
formula. Furthermore, according to this accepted commentary exegesis,
even the term bhava or becoming is given a two-fold interpretation, as kama process becoming and
rebirth process becoming. In the context Upadaana Pachaya Bhavo, dependent on grasping is becoming,
it is explained as rebirth process becoming. While in the context, case of the other context,
Bhava Pachaya Jayati, dependent on becoming is birth, it is taken to mean kama process becoming.
So, the same term is explained in two ways. Similarly, the term jati, which generally means
birth, is said to imply rebirth in the context of the formula of dependent arising. There are many
such weak points in the accepted interpretation. Quite a number of authoritative modern scholars
have pointed this out. Now, all these shortcomings could be sidetracked if we grant the fact,
as already mentioned, that the secret of the entire samsaric vortex is traceable to the two
links, consciousness and name and form. As a matter of fact, the purpose of the formula of
dependent arising is to show the way of arising and cessation of the entire mass of suffering,
and not to illustrate three stages in the samsaric journey of an individual.
The distinctive feature of this law of dependent arising is its demonstrability in the present,
as suggested by the terms to be seen here now and timeless, even as the bodhisattva vipasi
discovered it through radical reflection itself. The salient characteristic of the teaching of
the Buddha is its visibility here now and timelessness. This fact is well revealed by
the Himakasutta of the suttani parta. The brahmin youth Himaka sings praise of the Buddha in the
following verses.
Those who explained to me before outside the dispensation of Gautama, all of them said,
so it was and so it will be, but all this is that is so and so talk, all that is productive of
logic. I did not delight therein, but now to me your sage proclaim your dharma that is destructive
of craving. By knowing which and mindfully faring along, more might get beyond the world's viscosity.
Comment here is the translation by Pekubodi. Those who in the past explained things to me
said the Venerable Himaka prior to meeting Gautama's teaching, saying such it was, such it
will be, all that was hearsay, all that was an increase of thought. I did not delight therein.
Declare to me the dharma or money, the destruction of craving, having understood which, living
mindfully, one can cross attachment to the world and of God. Now to paraphrase, whatever teachers
explained to me their teachings outside your dispensations, used to bring in the past and the
future in the explanations, saying so it was and so it will be. That is, they were always referring
to a past and a future, but all that can be summed up as so and so talk. By the way, the term etr
had already become a technical term for hearsay among the ascetics. Such teachings based on
hearsay were productive of logic, as for instance, testified by the subbhasavasudra of the Manjimanikaya.
Was I in the past? Was I not in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been
what? What did I become in the past? Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be in the future? What
shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? Having been what? What shall I become in
the future? And so on. Comment. I just like to point out that this passage is sometimes being
seen as a refutation of the idea of rebirth, or concern with past lives and future lives,
and this is not correct. In fact, as whenever Nenon and I clearly point out, it's on the same line of
logic or speculation or even conceiving that is being questioned here, and the present passage
from the subbhasavasudra needs to be read in conjunction with the recurrent reference to
recollection of past lives as an actual experience, which in fact is one of the
knowledges and insights the Buddha is on record for having cultivated in the night of his awakening.
So the point is only that what is discouraged in the subbhasavasudra is endless speculation and
conceiving rather than having direct experience. End of comment.
But I was not pleased with such teachings, says Himoka. It is only you or sage who teaches the
dhamma that destroys the craving in the present, understanding which and mindfully following it
accordingly, one could go beyond the sticky craving in the world. Himoka's praise of the
Buddha was inspired by this most distinctive feature in the dhamma. We have already stated
that by dhamma is meant the law of dependent arriving. This is further proof that the basic
principle underlying the formula of dependent arising could be traced to the constant relationship
between consciousness and name and form, already present in one's mental continuum, without running
into the past or leaping towards the future. We know that in order to ascertain whether a banana
trunk is pitless, it is not necessary to go on removing its bark layer after layer from top to
bottom. We only have to take a sharp sword and cut the trunk in the middle, so that the cross
section will reveal to us its pitless nature. Similarly, if we cut in the middle the banana
trunk of preparations with a sharp sword of wisdom, its internal structure, as revealed by
the cross section, will convince us of the essenceless nature of the group of preparations.
Whatever existence there was in the past, that too had the same essenceless nature,
and whatever existence there will be in the future, that will have the same essenceless.
And I see it now, in my own mental continuum, as something visible here and now, not involving
time. It is with such a conviction that the noble disciple utters the words, arising, rising,
cessation, cessation. That is how he arrives at the realisation summed up in the phrase,
whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease.
All this goes to show that the accepted interpretation has certain shortcomings.
To take up another simile, we have already alluded to the fact that the Buddha has been
compared to a physician. Though this might well sound a modernism, we may say that a specialist
doctor today needs only a drop of blood or blood tissue for a full diagnosis of a patient's
disease. When seen under the microscope, that blood tissue reveals the pathological condition
of the patient. Even the patient himself could be invited to see for himself the result of the blood
test. But once the disease has been cured, the doctor could invite the patient again to undergo
a blood test if he likes to assure himself of the fact that the disease has been effectively
treated. The Buddha's teaching has a similar here, now and timeless quality.
What is noteworthy is that this quality is found in the law of dependent arising.
Then there's another question that crops up out of this traditional interpretation of the formula
of dependent arising. That is, the reason why the two links, ignorance and preparations,
are referred to the past. In some discourses like the Mahani-Dhana Sutta, there's a discussion about
a descent of consciousness into a mother's womb. Simply because there is such a discussion, we
might think that the law of dependent arising has reference to a period beyond one's conception in
a mother's womb. But if we carefully examine the trend of this discussion and analyze its purpose,
such a conclusion will appear to be groundless. The point which the Buddha was trying to drive
home into Venerable Ananda by his catechism is that the constant interrelation that exists between
consciousness and name and form is present even during one's life in the mother's womb.
This catechism can be analyzed into four parts. The first question is
In Venerable Ananda's answer is
Comment. Here's the translation by Bhikkhu Boli.
If consciousness were not to descend into the mother's womb, would name and form take shape in
the womb? End of comment. The Buddha is asking whether name and form can persist in remaining
inside the mother's womb. If consciousness refuses to descend into it, so to say. The word
Samudjic sutta presents a difficulty as regards etymology, but it is quite likely that it has
to do with the idea of remaining, as it has an affinity to the word utjikta, leftover remnant.
So the point raised here is that in the event of a non-descent of consciousness into the mother's
womb, name and form will not be left remaining there. Name and form has to have the support of
consciousness. However, in this interrelation, it is consciousness that decides the issue.
If consciousness does not descend, name and form will not remain there. So even if, at the moment
of death, one has a thought of some mother's womb, if consciousness does not descend in the proper
manner, name and form cannot stay there. Name and form has always to be understood in relation to
consciousness. It is not something that is to be found in trees and rocks. It always goes hand in
hand with consciousness. So the upshot of the above discussion is that name and form will not
remain there without the support of consciousness. When Vaananda's response to the first question then
is, that indeed is not the case, O Lord. Then the Buddha asks, vinyanan vahi ananda
matu kut jisming okum kamitva vokum kamit seta, abhinuko nama rupang itta tai abhinip bhattis seta.
If ananda, consciousness, having descended into the mother's womb, were to slip out of it,
would name and form the born into this state of existence. When her ananda's reply to it is again,
that indeed is not the case, O Lord. Comment, translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi. If, after descending
into the womb, consciousness were to depart, would name and form be generated into this state
of being? End of comment. Now the question is, ananda, if for some reason or other, consciousness,
having descended into the mother's womb, slips out of it, will name and form secure birth as a
thisness or itta ta. We have mentioned above that itta ta is a term with some special significance.
That is how a there becomes a here, when a person takes birth in a particular form of existence.
In short, what it implies is that the person comes to be born.
In other words, if consciousness, having descended into the mother's womb, slips out of it,
that name and form will not mature into a thisness and be born into a thisness.
There is no possibility of the thisness coming into being. For there to be a thisness,
both consciousness and name and form must be there. We can understand then why a
venerable ananda replied in the negative. The next question the Buddha puts is this.
If ananda, the consciousness of a boy or a girl, were cut off, when he or she is still young,
will name and form come to growth and maturity? To that question too, when ananda replies,
that indeed is not the caseload. Comment, translation by Bhikumboli. If the consciousness
of a young boy or girl were to be cut off, would name and form grow up, develop and reach maturity?
End of comment. Now the preliminary questions have been correctly answered.
The Buddha then comes out with the following conclusion, since the necessary premises are
complete.
Therefore, ananda, this itself is the cause. This is the reason, origin and condition for name and
form, namely consciousness. Comment, translation by Bhikumboli. Therefore, ananda, this is the cause,
source, origin and condition for name and form, namely consciousness. End of comment.
What is emphasized here is the importance of consciousness. Out of the two, namely consciousness
and name and form, what carries more weight with it is consciousness, even if there be a trace of
name and form. What the above questionnaire makes clear is that name and form arises in a mother's
womb because of consciousness. But that name and form will not remain there if consciousness does
not properly descend into the womb. Also, if consciousness after its descent were to slip out,
name and form will not reach the state of a business. So much so that even after one's
birth as a boy or girl, if consciousness gets cut off in some way or other, name and form will
not reach growth and maturity. So from all this, it is clear that consciousness is an essential
condition for there to be name and form. Then the Buddha introduces the fourth step.
If ananda, consciousness were not to find a footing or get established in name and form,
would there be an arising or origin of birth, decay, death and suffering in the future?
Know indeed, Lord says when you run under. Comment, translation by Vikabhuri.
If consciousness were not to get a footing in name and form,
would an origination of the mass of suffering or future birth, aging and death be discerned?
End of comment. Now this fourth point is extremely important. What it implies is that though the
aforesaid is the normal state of affairs in samsara, if for some reason or other, consciousness does
not get established on name and form, if at all such a contrivance were possible, there will not
be any samsaric suffering again, and disposition to vulnerable ananda grants. So from this discussion
too, it is obvious that simply because there is a reference to a mother's womb in it, we cannot
conclude that ignorance and preparations are past causes. It only highlights the mutual relationship
between consciousness and name and form. Now the question that comes up next is, how does
consciousness not get established on name and form? In what respects does it not get established
and how? The consciousness of a samsaric individual is always an established consciousness.
It is in the nature of this consciousness to find a footing on name and form.
These two go together. That is why in the samsara, the Niyasutta of the Deegalikaya,
it is mentioned in the discussion on the attainments to vision, dasana-samaapati,
that the person with such an attainment sees a man's stream of consciousness that is not cut off
on either side, established in this world and in the next. Puri sasa-ccha vinyana-sautam-pajanati
ubhayato-abhmur-chindna-idhalo-ghepatekti-tanjha-paralo-ghepatekti-tanjha. What is
implied here is the established nature of consciousness. The consciousness of a samsara
individual is established both in this world and in the next. Another attainment of vision mentioned
in the sutta concerns the seeing of a man's stream of consciousness not cut off on either side and
not established in this world or in the next. And that is a reference to the consciousness of an
arahant. So an arahant's consciousness is an unestablished consciousness, whereas the consciousness
of the samsara individual is an established consciousness. That is precisely why in the
sagata-kavaga of the samyutta-nikaya and in the sara-tapakasini where the episode of Venamangodika's
suicide is mentioned, it is said that though he cut his own neck intending to commit suicide,
he was able to attain parinip-bhana as an arahant by radically attending to the deadly pain.
But mother took him to be an ordinary person and hovered around in search of his consciousness
in vain. The Buddha on the other hand declared that Venamangodika passed away with an
unestablished consciousness. Amongst their clans, Venamangodika passed away with an
unestablished consciousness. Comment, translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi. However, because with consciousness
unestablished, the clans, Venamangodika has attained final nip-bhana. End of comment.
The consciousness of an ordinary samsara individual is always established. The above
mentioned relationship is always there. Because of this, we can say that there is always a knot
in the consciousness of the samsara individual. For him, this world and the next world are tied
together in a knot. In this case, what is needed is only the untying of the knot. There is no need
of a fresh tying up as the knot is only there. But the term patissandi vinyana or rebirth-linking
consciousness is now so widely used that we cannot help making use of it even in relating a jataka
story. The idea is that after the death consciousness, there occurs a rebirth-linking consciousness.
However, some scholars even raised the question why a term considered so important is not to be
found in the discourses. On many an occasion, the Buddha speaks about the descent into a womb,
but apart from using such terms as akkanti, descent, gabhasa akkanti, descent into a womb,
and upati arising, it does not seem to have used the term patissandi. What is meant by this term
patissandi? It seems to imply a tying up of two existences. After death, there is a re-linking.
We have mentioned above in connection with the simile of the bundles of reeds that
when the consciousness bundle of reeds is drawn, the name informed bundle of reeds falls.
And when the name informed bundle of reeds is drawn, the consciousness bundle of reeds falls,
and that there is a relationship of mutuality condition between them. The question then is
why a tying up is brought in, while granting the relationship by mutuality condition.
Because going by the same simile, it would be tantamount to saying that rebirth-linking
consciousness straightens up when death consciousness falls, as if when one bundle
of reeds is drawn, the other straightens up. This contradicts the nature of mutuality condition.
There is no timelessness here. Therefore patissandi is a term that needs critical scrutiny.
The mental continuum of a samsaric being is always knotted with a tangle within and a tangle without,
and it is already implicit in the relationship between consciousness and name informed.
What happens at the dying moment is usually posed as a deep problem,
but if we carefully examine the situation in the light of canonical discourses,
we could see here an illustration of the law of dependent arising itself.
Now as far as this established consciousness and the unestablished consciousness are concerned,
we have already drawn attention to the relationship between a here and a there.
We came across the term itta-ta, otherwise called itta-bhava. As a rendering for it,
we have used the term thisness. And then we have already pointed out that this itta-bhava or
thisness goes hand in hand with anya-ta-bhava or otherwiseness. That is to say, wherever a
thisness arises, wherever a concept of a something arises, as a rule that itself is the setting in
of transformation or change. Thisness and otherwiseness are therefore to be found in a
pairwise combination. Wherever there is a thisness, there itself is an otherwiseness.
So in this way, because of the fact that, due to this thisness itself, wherever thisness arises,
otherwiseness arises, together with it, wherever there is a there, there is always a here. This
then is how the consciousness of the samsaric being functions. As for one's own everyday life
is concerned, what is called the conscious body is the body with consciousness. Generally, we regard
this body as something really our own. Not only that, we can also objectify things outside us,
beyond our range of vision, things that are objects of thought or are imagined. That is
what is meant by the canonical phrase.
There are no latencies to concede by way of eye-making and mind-making regarding this conscious
body and or outside science. Here is an alternative translation by Nyanamoli. In regard to this body
with its consciousness and all external signs, there is no eye-making, mind-making or underlying
tendency to concede. End of comment. What it implies is that one can have latencies to concede
by way of eye-making and mind-making regarding this conscious body as well as outside science.
Now, if we consider the deeper implications of this statement, we can get at some new perspective
for understanding the nature of the relationship between consciousness and name and form.
If someone deeply attached to a person who is not near him but living somewhere far, far away
is heavily immersed in some deep thought, then even if there is some painful contact,
such as the prick of a fly or the bite of a mosquito, or even if another comes and shakes
him by the shoulder, he might not feel it because he is so immersed in the thought.
Now, why is that? Normally, the rightful place for consciousness is this body.
But what has happened now is that it has gone away temporarily and united with the name and
form outside with that object far away. But it can be awakened. This is the way the mind travels.
It is due to a lack of clear understanding about the journey of the mind that the concept of a
relinking consciousness was found to be necessary. The way the mind travels is quite different from
the way the body travels. The journey of the body is a case of leaving one place to go to another,
but the mind's journey is not like that. It is a sort of whirling or turning round,
as in the case of a whirlpool or a vortex. That is to say, just as in the case of a rubber band,
which could be stretched lengthwise or crosswise, there is a certain whirling round going on between
consciousness and name and form. It is because of that whirling motion, which could either be
circular or oval shaped, that consciousness and name and form could either get drawn apart or
drawn in, as they go round and round in a kind of vertical interplay. So in a situation like the
one mentioned above, for that person the distance has become near. At the start, when you felt
your thinking, it was there for him. Then it became a here, and the here became a there.
This brings out, in a subtle way, the relevance of these concepts to the question of understanding
such teachings as the law of dependent arising. Concepts of a here and a there are, in a way,
relative. They presuppose each other. Ita bhava, thisness and anyatta bhava, otherwiseness,
refer to above, mean the same thing. Ita bhava goes hand in hand with anyatta bhava. They are
bound in a pairwise combination. When you drag in one, the other follows of necessity. It is the
same in the case of the relationship between birth on the one hand and decay and death on the other,
as already mentioned. Also, consciousness and name and form always move in an orbit.
It is not something like the journey of the body. Thought goes, but it rests on consciousness. It
gravitates towards consciousness. It is because consciousness also has gone there, that we say
someone is immersed or engrossed in some thought. It is consciousness that carries more weight.
This is sufficiently clear even from the Dhamma discussion of the Buddha quoted above.
If consciousness does not descend into a mother's womb, name and form will not remain there.
If consciousness does not join in to provide the opportunity, it will not grow. This is the nature
of the relationship between them. Though not well authenticated, cases have been reported of persons
on the verge of death, going through such unusual experiences as visualizing their own body from some
outside standpoint. Taking into consideration the above mentioned relationship, this is quite
understandable. That external standpoint might not be a place which has the ability to sustain that
consciousness, or which is capable of creating a new body out of the four primary elements. All the
same, it temporarily escapes and goes there, and is now wavering to decide whether or not to come
back to the body as it were. It is on such occasions that one visualizes one's own body from outside.
Comment. I'd just like to mention that since the time of
Benjamin Yananda, originally giving this sermon until now, these cases have been much better
authenticated. There is a whole society dedicated to this. There's the Irons International Association
of Near-Death Studies, and they also published a regular journal, the Journal of Near-Death Studies.
These out-of-body experiences during near-death experience are by now fairly well
reported, and several also appear to involve theoretical perceptions. A survey of research
on near-death experience can be found in this book by Holden, 2009, and what I found particularly
interesting is also another book by Ring and Cooper called Mindsight, Near-Death
Out-of-Body Experience in the Blind. They document cases of people who have been
congenitally blind, but during a near-death experience were actually able to see
and to put in something a little bit more related to Buddhist canonical descriptions
in a paper that I will make available on the forum entitled Levitation Early Buddhism. I have
argued that the same leaving of the mind of the body and then being able to experience with the
mind-made body would also be at the origin of the idea of levitation, and I argue that the idea that
levitation actually involves the physical body might be a later development based on this
mental travel, but so much just for additional information and in the hope of not taking us
too far away from the main topic of this sermon. End of comment. So here we have the norm of the
mind's behavior. Seen this way there is no need for fresh tying up or relinking because it is
the same vortex that is going on all the time. In the context of this samsaric vortex the there
becomes a here and the here becomes a there. The distant becomes a near and the near becomes a
distant. It is owing to this state of affairs that the consciousness of the samsaric individual is
said to be always established. There is a certain twin character about it. Whenever consciousness
leaves this body for good it goes and rests on a name and form object which it had already taken
up. In other words this is why the Buddha did not find it necessary to coin a new term to express
the idea of conception in some mother's womb. Consciousness has as its object name and form.
It is precisely because of consciousness that one can speak of it as a name and form. It is like
the shadow that falls on consciousness. Name and form is like an image. Now in taking a photograph
there's a similar turn of events even if one does not pose for the photograph with so much makeup.
Even if one turns one's back to the camera at least the shade of his shape will be photographed
as an image if not his form. Similarly in the case of the samsaric individual even if it does not
entertain an intention or thought construct if he has at least the latency anusaya that is enough
for him to be reborn in some form of existence or other. That is why the Buddha has preached such an
important discourse as the chitana sutta of the nidana samyutendasamyutani kaya it runs
the aramanangitamodibhinyana satyaktya. Aramanisati patikta vinyana sahoti tasmi patikta vinyana virulhe
nama rupa savakanti hoti. Nama rupa patnchaya salayatanam salayatanapatnchaya prasu.
Hasa patjaya vidana vidana patjaya tanha. Tanha patjaya upadhanam upadhanapatjaya bhavo.
Bhavapatjaya jati. Jati patjaya jaraamaranam sunkaparideva dokunkadomana supayasasam bhavanti.
Iva metas kevalasa dokunkandhas samyutai hoti. Amongst whatever one intends whatever one mentally
constructs whatever lies latent that becomes an object for the stationing of consciousness.
There being an object there comes to be an establishment of consciousness.
When that consciousness is established and grown there is the descent of name and form.
Depending on name and form the six sense spaces come to be. Depending on the six sense spaces
arises contact. Depending on contact arises feeling. Depending on feeling craving.
Dependent on craving grasping. Dependent on grasping becoming. Dependent on becoming
birth. Dependent on birth decay and death sorrow lamentation pain grief and despair come to be.
Such is the rising of this entire mass of suffering. Then comes the second instance.
Common just offered the alternative translation by Vikabodi.
Because what one intends and what one plans and what everyone has a tendency towards.
This becomes a basis for the maintenance of consciousness. When there's a basis there's a
support for the establishing of consciousness. When consciousness is established and has come to grow
there's a descent of name and form. With name and form as condition the six sense spaces come to be.
With the six sense basis as condition contact. With contact as condition feeling craving clinging
existence birth. With birth as a condition aging and death sorrow lamentation pain displeasure and
despair come to be. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. End of comment.
Amongst even if one does not intend to construct mentally but has a latency. That becomes an object
for the stationing of consciousness. There being an object that comes to be the establishment of
consciousness. When that consciousness is established and grown there's the descent of name and form.
Dependent on name and form the six sense spaces come to be. Dependent on the six sense spaces
arises contact and dependent on contact feeling. Dependent on feeling craving. Dependent on craving
grasping. Dependent on grasping becoming. Dependent on becoming birth. Dependent on birth decay and death
sorrow lamentation pain grief and despair come to be. Such is the rising of this entire mass of
suffering. Comment a translation by Vikram Bali. If because one does not intend and one does not plan
but one still has a tendency towards something this becomes a basis for the maintenance of
consciousness. When there's a basis there's a support for the establishing of consciousness.
When consciousness is established and has come to grow there's a descent of name and form.
With name and form as condition the six sense spaces come to be. Such is the origin of this
whole mass of suffering. End of comment. The significance of this second paragraph
is that it speaks of a person who at the time of death has no intentions or thought constructs as
such but he has the latency. This itself is sufficient as an object for the stationing of
consciousness. It is as if he has turned his back to the camera but got photographed all the same
due to his very presence there. Now comes the third instance.
In the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of
the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph of the second paragraph and one paragraph of the second paragraph of the next paragraph.
established and not grown up, there's no descent of nim and form.
And with the cessation of nim and form, there comes to be the cessation of the sixth sense basis.
With the cessation of the sixth sense basis, the cessation of contact.
With the cessation of contact, the cessation of feeling.
With the cessation of feeling, the cessation of craving.
With the cessation of craving, the cessation of grasping.
With the cessation of grasping, the cessation of becoming.
With the cessation of becoming, the cessation of birth.
With the cessation of birth, the cessation of decay, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair come to seize.
This is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.
Common translation might become boring.
But because when one does not intend and one does not plan and one does not have a tendency towards anything,
no basis exists for the maintenance of consciousness.
When there's no basis, there's no support for the establishing of consciousness.
When consciousness is unestablished and does not come to grow, there's no descent of nim and form.
With the cessation of nim and form comes cessation of the sixth sense basis.
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
This third instance is the most significant.
In the first instance, there were the intentions, thought constructs and latency.
In the second instance, that person had no intentions or thought constructs, but only latency was there.
In this third instance, there is neither an intention, nor a thought construct and not even a latency.
It is then that there comes to be no object for the stationing of consciousness.
There being no object, there's no establishment of consciousness.
When consciousness is unestablished and not grown, there's no descent of nim and form.
When there's no descent of nim and form, there at last comes to be that cessation of nim and form with which the sixth sense basis and all the rest of it,
down to the entire mass of some psychic suffering, cease altogether then and there.
Comment?
Again, difficult to summarize this very rich presentation, but a point that strikes me in particular is the significance of rebirth in relation to dependent arising.
And I understand the main point to be that the entire understanding of dependent arising does not rely on the ability of recollecting past lives.
At the same time, this crucial passage from the Mahanidana Sutta illustrates how rebirth takes place as a way of showing the interrelationship of consciousness and nim and form.
And this at the same time implies that the early Buddhist doctrine of rebirth does not involve a simple mind-body duality.
Thank you for your attention.