Dependent Co-arising

All things arise, exists and cease through dependent co-origination. 

The Buddha explained this in his sermon that came to be known as the Mahanidhana Sutta (The Great Discourse on Causation). It explains the causal relationships between psychophysical phenomena that sustain unsatisfactoriness (or suffering as some would call it). 

I have made an attempt to map out the discourse in a diagram that maybe easily understood by those who are already familiar with the doctrine, an analysis of dependent co-arising dependent both on Ignorance (Avijja) and Clear Understanding (Viddya), which is given below the explanation of conditions from the Samayutta Nikaya. 

I have found in the Samayutta Nikaya II 2(2) a succinct explanation of  conditions, which I have extracted and shown below.

Existence - There are three kinds 
  • Sense-sphere existence
  • Form-sphere existence
  • Formless-sphere exstence
Clinging - There are four kinds. Clinging to
  • Sensual pleasures
  • Views
  • Rules and vows
  • Doctrine of self
Craving - There are six classes. Craving for
  • Forms
  • Sounds
  • Odours
  • Tastes
  • Tactile Objects
  • Mental Phenomena 
Feelings - There are six classes. Feelings born of
  • Eye-contact
  • Ear-contact
  • Nose-contact
  • Tongue-contact
  • Body-contact
  • Mind-contact
Contact - There are six classes of contact
  • Eye-contact
  • Ear-contact
  • Nose-contact
  • Tongue-contact
  • Body-contact
  • Mind-contact
Six Sense Bases - There are six sense bases
  • Eye base
  • Ear base
  • Nose base
  • Tongue base
  • Body base
  • Mind base
Name and Form -
  • Name - Feeling, perception, contact, attention is called name
  • Form - The four great elements (earth,fire,water, wind) and the form derived from the four great elements
Consciousness - There are six classes
  • Eye-consciousness
  • Ear-consciousness
  • Nose-consciousness
  • Tongue-consciousness
  • Body-consciousness
  • Mind-consciousness
Volitional Formations (Kamma Formations) - There are three kinds
  • Bodily volitional formations
  • Verbal volitional formations
  • Mental volitional formations
Ignorance -
  • Not knowing suffering
  • Not knowing the origin of suffering
  • Not knowing the cessation of suffering
  • Not knowing the way leading to the cessation of sufefring

With ignorance as condition, volitional formations come to be, with volitional formations as condition consciousness comes to be...

With remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations, with the cessation of volitional formations the cessation of consciousness....

"When that exists, this comes to be; on the arising of that, this arises. When that does not exist, this does not come to be, on the cessation of that, this ceases" Imasmim sati idam hoti, imassa uppada idam upajjati. Imasmim asati idam na hoti, imassa nirodha idam nirujjhati.






End. 

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