Dependent Origination in Theravada Buddhism for Understanding of Cause-and-Effect Nature

Abstract

The doctrine of paticcasamuppāda or Dependent Origination is one of the most important teachings of Buddhism. It is because of the mystery of birth, old age and death that Buddha arise in the world. There is no realm of existence in which these realities do not exist, and it is the sole purpose of the Buddha’s enlightenment to penetrate into their root causes. Perhaps the most profound part of the Buddha’s teaching is the description of how this wheel of life, death and rebirth continues rolling on. The doctrine of Paṭiccassamuppāda decrices twelve causes and effects viz., (1) ignorance (2) kamma formations, (3) consciousness, (4) mind and body, (6) six senses, (7) feeling, (8) craving, (9) clinging, (10) becoming (11) birth, (12) old age and death. According to the doctrine, ignorance and craving are the two main sources of suffering. There are two life cycles, the anterior lifecycle and the posterior life cycle. The anterior life cycle begins with ignorance as its main source and ends with feeling, while the posterior life cycle begins with craving and ends with death. In the former life cycle ignorance and kamma formations in the past life leads to rebirth while in the latter life cycle craving and clinging cause rebirth in future. The two life-cycle shows how a man’s lifetimes are kinked with one another through cause and effect.