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Dependent Origination
Veneiable Mals Saydaw
A Discourse on
Dependent Origination
Veneiable Mals Saydaw
Of Burma
Translated by
U Aye Maung
Edited by
Bhikkhu Pesala
First published by:
Buddlassana Nuggala Oiganization
March 1982
Online Edition January 2011
Published by:
Association for Insight Meditation
3 Clihon Way
Alperton
Middlesex HA0 4PQ
Copyright
Bhikkhu Pesala
The Association for Insight Meditation was set up in September 1995 for
tle uiose of oiganising insiglt meditation ieueats in tle Buimese uadition.
Tle Association also aims to ublisl bools and boollets on Satialna
Viassan meditation to iomote undeistanding of tle late Veneiable Mals
Saydaws s[le of teacling and iactice.
If you would like information about the Associations other publications
oi ieueats lease contact Blilllu Pesala via tle associations web site:
www.aimwell.org.
Editors Foreword
Tle late Veneiable Mals Saydaws discouise on Deendent Oiigination
was delivered in several sections to meditators practising intensively at his
meditation cenue in Rangoon. Tle taes weie meticulously uansciibed,
tlen uanslated into Englisl by U Aye Maung. His uanslation was ist
published in March 1982, and reprinted in Penang in 1989.
This new edition has been prepared with the aim of making it more
accessible by iemoving Pi woids wleievei ossible, and by simli(ing
the English. Although many changes have been made to the original
uanslation, tley aie mostly giammatical ones. Tle main content of tle
Veneiable Saydaws discouise las been caiefully ieseived, but it is now
mucl easiei to iead tlan it was. A lot of eoit las also gone into imioving
tle [eseuing and layout. I am indebted to Cliistine Fitzmauiice-Glendining
for her help with the grammar. U Hla Kyaing, Barry Durrant and Andrew
Crowe also made many helpful suggestions.
I lave added a few footnotes and illusuations to claii( tle text wleie I
thought it would be helpful. I have also added an index to help the reader
locate topics of particular interest more quickly.
This 2011 edition has been updated with bookmarks and cross-references
foi convenient ieading as a PDF le, wlile biowsing online. Some minoi
editions were made and some more footnotes were added.
As witl all tle Veneiable Saydaws discouises, tlis teacling is not just
for the sake of academic knowledge. Although some theoretical knowledge
is veiy lelful foi iogiess in meditation, tle Saydaw suessed tle
imoitance of gaining eisonal exeiience of tle uutls tauglt by tle Buddla
through the practice of insight meditation.
Only insiglt into tle uue natuie of ones own body and mind will ut
an end to tle cycle of sueiing, and insiglt can come about only tliougl
dee concenuation. Again, concenuation is deendent on constant and
uninteiiuted mindfulness, wlicl iequiies sustained eoit to obseive all
mental and physical phenomena. In short, one must practise insight
meditation systematically and aiduously until nibbna is ieacled, wlicl is
tle only way to ut an end to sueiing. Wisling oi loing is of liule use
when it comes to the arousing of insight. Intellectual knowledge gained by
reading books may be a help, but only if it inspires us to practise and gain
personal experience of the Dhamma. If our knowledge remains at the
intellectual level, and is not applied on the practical level, it will not lead to
vi Editors Foreword
insiglt. As tle Docuine of Deendent Oiigination teacles, if tle conditions
are not present, the results cannot arise.
In the words of the Buddha, What should be done by a teacher for his
disciles out of comassion las been done. Tleie aie ioots of uees and em[
places. Meditate, monks, do not be remorseful later.
Tleie aie many meditation cenues and monasteiies, ieueats, and
meditation classes. Find a place near you that is conducive to the develop-
ment of concenuation and insiglt. It could be anywleie it doesnt lave
to be a sacred place, just reasonably quiet and isolated. Learn the correct
metlod nom a meditation teaclei, oi nom bools if no suitable teaclei is
available. Tlen invest sucient time and eoit to get some iesults.
Bhikkhu Pesala
Seven Kings, London
January 2011
vii
Contents
Editors Foreword.........................................................................................v
Imoitance of tle Docuine...........................................................................1
Reections of tle Bodlisaua....................................................................1
Beyond Reasoning and Speculation.........................................................3
Dhamma is Only for the Wise..................................................................3
Dhamma is Profound...............................................................................4
What is Ignorance?....................................................................................6
Ignoiance of tle Oiigin of Sueiing...................................................8
Ignoiance of tle Cessation of Sueiing and tle Patl.........................9
Right View..............................................................................................10
From Ignorance, Mental Formations Arise.................................................12
Unwholesome Kamma...........................................................................13
Rejection of Good Kamma Means Bad Kamma.....................................16
Ignorance and Illusion............................................................................16
From Mental Formations, Consciousness Arises........................................21
How Mental Formations Lead to Rebirth..............................................22
Eternalism and Annihilationism............................................................23
Deathbed Visions....................................................................................26
Tle Stoiy of Maldlammila............................................................27
Fiom Consciousness, Mind and Mauei Aiises...........................................31
Spontaneous Rebirth..............................................................................33
Sasedaja Beings...................................................................................34
Active-consciousness..............................................................................34
Active-consciousness of the Mind-door............................................37
Follow-Up Active-consciousness......................................................38
Consciousness and Mental Properties...................................................38
Summary...........................................................................................39
Tle Stoiy of Veneiable Calllula..................................................43
The Elders Verdict.............................................................................44
Pure Thought and Happiness...........................................................45
Fiom Mind and Mauei, tle Six Sense-Bases Aiise......................................47
Mateiiali[ and Sense-bases...................................................................47
All Plenomena aie tle Eects of Causes...............................................48
The Buddhas High Regard for Practice.................................................51
Tle Absuuseness of tle Docuine...........................................................53
From the Six Sense-Bases, Contact Arises...................................................56
viii Contents
From Contact, Feeling Arises......................................................................59
Fieedom nom Doubt..............................................................................59
The Origin of Rebirth-consciousness......................................................61
Auditory Consciousness.........................................................................62
Neuual Feeling.......................................................................................64
Tactile Consciousness.............................................................................66
The Four Primary Elements....................................................................66
Mind-door and Consciousness...............................................................71
Review of the Anterior Life-Cycle..........................................................74
From Feeling, Craving Arises.....................................................................76
Craving and the Cycle of Existence........................................................77
The Extinction of Craving.......................................................................78
Tle Stoiy of Veneiable Maltissa......................................................79
The Story of a Parrot..........................................................................80
Contemplation and Extinction..........................................................80
Cuuing O at tle Foundation...........................................................81
Delements and Unmindfulness...........................................................82
Thoughts and Tactile Impressions.....................................................83
Three Kinds of Craving.....................................................................84
Fiom Ciaving, Auaclment Aiises..............................................................85
Auaclment to Sensual Pleasuies............................................................85
Auaclment to Wiong Views..................................................................86
Auaclment to Rituals.............................................................................91
Tle Stoiy of Koiallauiya..................................................................92
Auaclment to Belief in tle Soul.............................................................94
Fiom Auaclment, Becoming Aiises...........................................................96
Tle Stoiy of Meala........................................................................97
Pulaiaua Jtala............................................................................98
Right and Wrong Good Intentions....................................................98
From Becoming, Birth Arises....................................................................100
Four Kinds of Kamma..........................................................................100
Tle Stoiy of Ajtasauu.....................................................................101
Habitual and Death-Proximate Kammas........................................102
From Birth, Aging, Death, Grief, etc., Arise..............................................104
The Story of Subrahma....................................................................106
Excessive Auaclment......................................................................107
Auaclment to Views as tle Cause of Rebiitl...........................................108
Superstition and Unfavourable Rebirth...............................................108
Contents ix
Fanaticism oi Religious Auaclment....................................................111
Auaclment to Rituals...........................................................................112
Auaclment to Belief in tle Soul...........................................................112
The Story of the Householder Ugga................................................114
Insiglt Meditation and Auaclment.....................................................115
The Three Periods in the Cycle of Existence..............................................117
Distinction Between Mental Formations and Becoming......................117
Piesent Eects Due to Past Causes.......................................................118
Knowledge for Insight Practice............................................................119
Removing the Present Causes..............................................................120
The Arahants Outlook on Life.............................................................120
Not Annililation but Extinction of Sueiing.......................................121
The Story of Venerable Yamaka.......................................................121
Tle Famous Saying of Blilllu Vajii..........................................122
Other Aspects of Dependent Origination.................................................124
Three Cycles..........................................................................................124
Four Points to Bear in Mind.................................................................125
Tle Wiong View of Veneiable Sti..................................................125
Distinctive Character of Each Phenomenon....................................126
Absence of Suiving..........................................................................127
Relationsli of Cause to Eect........................................................127
Conclusion.................................................................................................129
Cuuing O tle Cycle of Delements...................................................130
Tle Auibutes of tle Buddla................................................................130
Tle Stoiy of Bala Bialm................................................................131
Sammsambuddla..........................................................................132
The Fame of the Buddha..................................................................133
The Four Noble Truths in Brief........................................................133
Sammsambuddla and Buddlalood.............................................134
Tle Veneiable Mals Saydaw................................................................136
Publications in English.........................................................................136
1
A Discourse on
Dependent Origination
Importance of the Docine
T
HE doctiine of Paiccasamuda oi Deendent Oiigination is
central to Buddhism. While the Bodhisatta was reflecting
deeply on the nature of existence, he realised the truth about
Dependent Origination, and attained enlightenment. Before he
became the Buddha in his final existence, he pondered aging and
death as did every other Bodhisatta. For it was only after he had
seen the misery of aging, disease, and death that he renounced the
world in search of the deathless.
All living beings want to avoid these misfortunes but they cannot escape.
Tlese misfoitunes uisue tlem ielentlessly nom one existence to tle next in
a perpetual process of birth, aging, and death. For example, the fate of
chickens and ducks is terrible. Some are eaten while still in the eggs. Even if
they hatch, they live for just a few weeks, and are killed as soon as they put
on sucient weiglt. Tley aie boin only to be lilled foi luman consumtion.
If it is the fate of living beings to be repeatedly killed like this, then it is a very
gloomy and nigltful iosect. Neveitleless, cliclens and ducls seem content
with their lot in life. They apparently enjoy life quacking, crowing, eating,
and glting witl one anotlei. Tley may tlinl tlat tley lave len[ of time
to enjoy life, though in fact they may live for just a few days or months.
Tle san of luman life is not veiy long eitlei. Foi someone in tleii hies
oi sixties tleii youtl may seem as iecent as yesteiday. Six[ oi seven[ yeais
on earth is a day in the life of a deva. The life of a deva is also very brief in
tle eyes of a Bialm, wlo may live foi tle duiation of tle woild system.
Howevei, even tle lifesan of a Bialm, wlo outlives lundieds of woilds,
is insignicant comaied to eteini[. Celestial beings, too, eventually lave
to die. Altlougl tley aie not subject to disease and mailed senili[, age tells
on them imperceptibly in due course.
Reections of the Bodhisaa
Reecting on tle cause of aging, tle Bodlisaua uaced bacl tle clain
of Deendent Oiigination nom tle end to tle beginning. He found tlat
2 Importance of the Docine
aging (jar) and death (maraa) have their origin in birth (jti), which in
turn is due to becoming (bhava). Becoming stems nom auaclment (updna),
which is caused by craving (tah). Ciaving aiises nom tle feeling (vedan)
produced by contact (phassa), which in turn depends on the six sense-bases
(sayatana) such as the eye and visual form. Sense-bases are the product
of mind and mauei (nmarpa), which depend on consciousness (via).
Consciousness is, in tuin, deendent on mind and mauei (nmarpa). The
full Pi texts on Deendent Oiigination auibute consciousness to mental
formations (sakhr), and mental formations to ignorance (avijj). However,
tle Bodlisauas ieection was conned to tle inteideendence of mind
and mauei. In otlei woids, le ieected on tle coiielation between
consciousness and mind and mauei, leaving out of account tle foimeis
relationship to past existence. We may assume, therefore, that for
meditatois, ieection on tle iesent life will suce foi tle successful
development of insight.
Conceining tle coiielation between consciousness, and mind and mauei,
tle Bodlisaua ieasoned, Tlis consciousness las no cause otlei tlan mind
and mauei. Mind and mauei ioduce consciousness, and consciousness
aiises nom mind and mauei. So, nom tle coiielation between consciousness,
and mind and mauei, biitl, aging, and deatl aiise tleie may be successive
biitls oi successive deatls. Moieovei, consciousness causes mind and mauei,
and mind and mauei give iise to tle six sense-bases. Deendent on tle
sense-bases contact arises, contact leads to feeling, feeling gives rise to craving,
wlicl develos into auaclment, and auaclment iesults in iebiitl. Tlis, in
tuin, leads to aging, deatl, anxie[, giief, and otlei linds of mental and
lysical sueiing.
Tlen tle Bodlisaua ieected on tle ieveise oidei of Deendent Oiigina-
tion. Witlout consciousness, mind and mauei could not aiise, witlout mind
and mauei, tle sense-bases could not aiise, and so on. Biealing tle ist linl
in tle clain of causation eiadicates tle sueiing tlat las constantly beset
us tliouglout sasia. Ahei tlis ieection on Deendent Oiigination in
its foiwaid and ieveise oideis, tle Bodlisaua contemlated tle natuie of
tle aggiegates of auaclment. Tlen le auained tle successive insiglts and
nuition on tle Noble Patl, and nally became a fully enligltened Buddla.
Eveiy Bodlisaua auains suieme enligltenment ahei sucl contemlation.
They are not taught how to practise, but because of their perfections (pram)
accumulated through innumerable lifetimes, they can contemplate in this
way and so auain enligltenment.
Dhamma is Only for the Wise 3
Beyond Reasoning and Speculation
Wlen tle Buddla was ist consideiing wletlei oi not to teacl, le tlouglt,
Tlis uutl tlat I lave iealised is veiy iofound. Tlougl it is sublime and
conducive to inner peace, it is hard to understand. Since it is subtle and not
accessible to mere intellect and logic, it can be realised only by the wise.
Gieat tlinleis nom all cultuies lave tlouglt deely about needom nom
tle miseiy of aging, disease, and deatl, but sucl needom would mean
nibbna, wlicl is beyond tle scoe of ieason and intellect. It can be iealised
only by practising the right method of insight meditation. Most great thinkers
have relied on intellect and logical reasoning to conceive various principles
foi tle well-being of lumani[. As tlese iinciles aie based on seculations,
tley do not lel anyone to auain insiglt, let alone tle suieme goal of
nibbna. Even tle lowest stage of insiglt, namely, analytical lnowledge of
mind and mauei (nmarpa-pariccheda-a), cannot be realised intellectually.
This insight dawns only when one observes the mental and physical process
using the systematic method of mindfulness (satipahna), and when, with
tle develoment of concenuation, one distinguisles between mental and
physical phenomena for example, between the desire to bend the hand
and the bent hand, or between the sound and the hearing. Such knowledge
is not vague and speculative, but vivid and empirical.
Tle Pi texts say tlat mind and mauei aie constantly clanging, and tlat
we should observe their arising and passing away. However, for the beginner
in meditation, tlis is easiei said tlan done. One las to exeit suenuous eoit
to overcome mental hindrances (nvaraa). Even needom nom sucl lin-
diances only lels one to distinguisl between mind and mauei, it does not
ensure insight into the process of their arising and passing away. This insight
is auained only on tle basis of suong concenuation and leen eicetion
developed through the practice of mindfulness. Constant mindfulness of
the arising and passing away of phenomena leads to insight into their
characteristics of impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and
not-self (ana). However, this is merely a lower stage of insight, which is
still fai nom tle Patl and its Fiuition. So, tle Dlamma is desciibed as
something beyond logic and intellect.
Dhamma is Only for the Wise
The Dhamma is subtle (nipuo) and can be realised only by the wise
(paitavedanyo). Here the wise refers to those who have wisdom relating
to insiglt, tle Patl, and nibbna. Tle Dlamma las notling to do witl tle
4 Importance of the Docine
secular knowledge possessed by world philosophers, religious leaders,
writers or great scientists. However, anyone can realise it if they contemplate
mental and physical phenomena at the moment they arise. If they pass
iogiessively tliougl tle stages of insiglt, tley will auain tle Noble Patl
and its Fruition.
When the Buddha considered the nature of living beings, he found that
most were immersed in sensual pleasures. Of course, there were a few
excetions lile lis ve foimei comanions in tle foiest ieueat, oi tle two
brahmins who were later to become the chief disciples of the Buddha. Most
people, however, regard the enjoyment of pleasure as the supreme goal in
life. Ordinary men and devas esteem such pleasure because they have no
sense of tle liglei values, sucl as dee concenuation, insiglt, and nibbna.
They are like children who delight in playing with their toys the whole day.
Sensual pleasures do not appeal to Buddhas and Arahants. A person who
deliglts in sensuali[ may be comaied to villageis living in a iemote iuial
aiea. To ci[-dwelleis tlese laces seem totally destitute, witl ooi food,
coarse clothing, primitive dwellings, and muddy footpaths, but the villagers
are happy, and never think of leaving. Similarly, pleasure-seekers are so
enamouied witl tleii families, niends, and ossessions tlat tley cannot
think of anything more noble and feel ill at ease without the stimulus of
sense objects. It is laid foi tlem to aieciate tle subtle, iofound docuine
of Deendent Oiigination, and nibbna.
Dhamma is Profound
Tle Buddlas teacling las liule auaction foi tle majoii[ since it is
diameuically oosed to sensuali[. Even an oidinaiy seimon, let alone a
discouise on nibbna, is unoulai if it las no sensual aeal. Peole do
not seem to be interested in our teaching, and no wonder, for it lacks
melodious iecitation, anecdotes, joles, and similai auactions. It is accetable
only to those who have practised meditation or who are earnestly seeking
siiitual eace and needom nom tle delements. It is a mistale to deiecate
tle suuas by confusing tlem witl talls containing stoiies and joles.
Discourses such as the Anaualalllaa Suua and the Satialna Suua
diei nom oulai seimons in tlat tley aie iofound. Tle docuine of
Dependent Origination belongs to the Suua Piala, but it can be classied
as Ablidlamma because it is exlained in tle analytical way [ical of tle
Ablidlamma Piala. Since this teaching also uses the analytical method,
some people confuse it with the Abhidhamma and cannot follow it, much
Dhamma is Profound 5
less auain tle Patl and nibbna, wlicl it emlasises. Deendent Oiigination
is hard to comprehend because it concerns the correlation between causes
and eects. Befoie tle Buddla ioclaimed tlis teacling, it was dicult to
understand that no self exists independently of the law of causation.
Tle commentaiies also oint out tle absuuse claiactei of tle docuine.
According to them, four subjects are very profound: the Four Noble Truths,
the nature of a living being, the nature of rebirth, and Dependent Origination.
Fiist, it is laid to accet tle uutls about sueiing, its cause, its cessation,
and tle way to its cessation. Aieciating tlese uutls is laid enougl, it is
still harder to teach them to other people. Secondly, it is hard to understand
that a living being is just a psychophysical process without any abiding self,
and that this process is subject to the law of kamma, which determines ones
future according to ones actions. Thirdly, it is hard to see how rebirth takes
lace because of delements and lamma, witlout tle uansfei of mind and
mauei nom a ievious life. Lastly, Deendent Oiigination is laid to
comielend fully, because it embiaces tle above tliee absuuse teaclings.
Its foiwaid oidei conceins tle ist two noble uutls, tle natuie of a living
being and iebiitl, wlile its ieveise oidei encomasses tle otlei two uutls.
So tle docuine is veiy dicult to gias oi to teacl. Exlaining it to one wlo
las auained tle Patl and nibbna, oi to one wlo las studied tle Tiiala,
may be easy. However, it will not mean much to someone who has neither
insight nor scriptural knowledge.
Tle wiitei of tle commentaiy on Deendent Oiigination was qualied
to exlain it because le lad eilas auained tle lowei stages of tle Patl.
At least, le must lave lad a tloiougl lnowledge of tle Tiiala. He iobably
suessed its iofundi[ so tlat it miglt be studied moie seiiously, comaiing
lis dicul[ in exlaining it to tle liglt of a man wlo las jumed into tle
ocean and cannot toucl tle bouom. He says tlat le wiote tle exegesis based
on tle Tiiala and tle old commentaiies landed down by oial uadition.
Tle same may be said of my teacling. Since tle docuine is laid to exlain,
one slould ay secial auention to it. If one follows tle teacling sueicially,
one will understand nothing, and without a reasonable knowledge of the
docuine one is bound to suei in many existences.
The substance of the teaching is as follows: Dependent on ignorance
(avijj) mental formations (sakhr) arise. From mental-formations rebirth-
consciousness (via) aiises. Consciousness gives iise to mind and mauei
(nmarpa). Fiom mind and mauei, tle six sense-bases (sayatana) arise.
From the six sense-bases, contact (phassa) arises. Contact causes feeling
6 Importance of the Docine
(vedan), feeling leads to craving (tah), and nom ciaving, auaclment
(updna) iesults. Auaclment ioduces becoming (bhava), and nom becoming
birth (jti) arises. Finally, birth leads to aging (jar), death (maraa), grief
(soka), lamentation (parideva), pain (dukkha), sorrow(domanassa), and despair
(upysa). In tlis way tle wlole mass of sueiing aiises.
What is Ignorance?
According to the Buddha, avijj is ignorance of the Four Noble Truths: the
uutls about sueiing, its cause, its cessation and tle way to its cessation. In
a positive sense avijj implies misconception or illusion. It makes us take
wlat is false and illusoiy as uue and ieal. We aie led asuay, and so avijj is
sometimes called ignorance regarding the way of practice. In this sense it
dieis nom oidinaiy ignoiance. If someone does not lnow tle name of a
man or a village, it does not necessarily mean that they are deluded, whereas
being ignorant of Dependent Origination means more than merely not
knowing. Avijj is more like the delusion of a person who has lost all sense
of direction and so thinks that east is west or that north is south. The person
wlo does not undeistand tle uutl of sueiing las an otimistic view of life,
although life is full of pain and sorrow(dukkha).
Tle following section, wlicl deals witl tle minute analysis of mauei, abounds
with technical terms. Kalpa = material groups of ten (decad) or of nine material
qualities (nonad). Rpas = material phenomena. Bhva = sex. Kya = body. Vahu =
heart-base. Kammaja = kamma-originated. Similarly, ciaja = consciousness-originated,
utuja = temperature-originated, hraja = nuuiment-oiiginated. (Editois note).
32 From Consciousness, Mind and Maer Arises
In the time of the Buddha, Soreyya, the son of a merchant, instantly became
a woman for having unwholesome thoughts about Venerable Mallaccyana.
All his masculine features disappeared and gave way to those of a woman.
Soreyya even married and gave birth to two children. It was only when he
begged foi foigiveness nom tle eldei tlat le again became a man. Latei, le
joined tle Sagla and became an Aialant. It is comaiable to tle case of a
man wlo develos iabies ahei laving been biuen by a iabid dog.
A person who is neither a male nor a female has no sex decad. He has only
a body decad and heart-base decad (vahu-rpa). The heart-base is the physical
basis of all [es of consciousness excet foi tle vefold sense-consciousness.
So at the moment of conception the physical basis for rebirth-consciousness
alieady exists. Tle tliee decads, oi tlii[ mateiial lenomena, foim tle embiyo
(kalala), which, according to ancient Buddhist books, marks the beginning of life.
Tlis embiyonic mateiiali[ is tle size of a tiny dio of buuei-oil scum on a
ne woollen tliead. It is so small tlat it is invisible to tle naled eye. We slould
assume tlat it aiises nom tle fusion of tle semen(sukka) and the ovum
(sonita)
of the parents. If we reject this view, explaining the childs physical resemblance
to its aients will be dicult. It is also said in tle Suua Piala that the physical
body is the product of the four primary elements and the parents gametes.
Moieovei, tle Suuas seci( tliee conditions necessaiy foi concetion: tle
parents intercourse, the mothers season, and the existence of a karmic cause
to produce an embryo. Thus, according to the scriptures, the embryo clearly
has its origin in the fusion of the parents semen and ovum.
Tle semen and ovum dissociated nom tle aients aie temeiatuie-oiiginated
mateiiali[ but it is quite ossible foi tlis to assimilate lamma-oiiginated
mateiiali[. Suigeons cut out scai tissue nom tle luman body and ielace it
witl lealtly tissue. Tle giah is temeiatuie-oiiginated mateiiali[ wlen ist
giahed but, as it becomes integiated witl tle natuial tissues, body-sensitivi[
oi lamma-oiiginated mateiiali[ aeais. Cases can also be cited of uanslanting
a heart, a liver, a kidney, or a cornea in place of diseased organs. No doubt these
uanslants develo lamma-oiiginated mateiiali[ as body-sensitivi[. Lilewise,
we should assume that the three kamma-originated material phenomena are
fused witl temeiatuie-oiiginated mateiiali[ nom tle aients.
On going foi lis batl, Soieyya saw tle Eldei Mallaccyana adjusting lis iobes.
Seeing the golden complexion of the elders body, Soreyya thought, How I wish
the elder were my wife, or my wifes complexion was like his. (Editors note. See
Dhammapada commentary to verse 43).
while
matter refers to the four primary elements, the six sense-
bases, vitality, and nutriment.
Deendent uon mind and mauei tle six sense-bases aiise: eye-, eai, nose,
tongue, body, and mind-base. These sense-bases are the doors through which
the processes of consciousness occur. In the immaterial realm, every unit of
consciousness throughout life is born of associated mental properties.
However, for most people this will remain academic knowledge as it can be
understood empirically only by Noble Ones in the immaterial realm.
Furthermore, in any existence such as a human life, which comprises both
mentali[ and mateiiali[, eveiy iesultant consciousness nom tle moment
of conception arises conditioned by its associated mental properties.
Resultant consciousness here means the kind of consciousness that simply
sees, hears, etc., the pleasant or unpleasant objects.
Visual-consciousness, for example, cannot arise by itself, for it presupposes
auention, wlicl consideis tle object, contact, wlicl imacts on tle object,
and volition, wlicl suives to see tle object. Consciousness can aiise only
when these mental properties arise concurrently. This rule of conascence
condition is called sahajta-paccaya. A load that can be raised by four men
working together cannot be moved by the foreman on his own. Similarly,
altlougl consciousness is tle basis of mental life, it counts foi liule by itself
and can function only in association with other mental properties.
Moieovei, tlese associated mental ioeities conuibute to tle ve senses
by conascence at rebirth. Of course, immediately before conception, only
mateiiali[ exists. Howevei, in tle case of sontaneous iebiitl, tle ve senses
may exist nom tle veiy beginning. Tle conditioning of tle sense-bases by
consciousness and mental ioeities at concetion is dicult to undeistand.
Neveitleless, we lave to accet it on tle autloii[ of tle Buddla. At otlei
times, resultant and non-resultant consciousness helps to maintain the six senses.
Tlis is undeistandable since, witlout mind, it is imossible foi mauei to exist.
Materiali and Sense-bases
Rebiitl-consciousness aiises nom tle leait-base. Tle mind sense deends
on tle otlei ve senses. Tlouglt and consciousness also lave tle leait as
their physical basis. All the secondary physical phenomena, such as the eye
This means whether he knows they are is parents or not. The intention to kill them
must also be present. (Editors note)
The Story of Ajtasau 101
The Story of Ajtasau
Ajtasauu was the son of King Bimbisia of Mgadla, a devoted followei
of the Buddha. Before the birth of the prince, the queen had a craving to
diinl blood nom tle lings iiglt aim. Wlen tle ling leaint of tlis, le lad
tle blood talen out to full lei wisl. Tle asuologeis iedicted tlat tle
unborn child would become the kings enemy. So he was given the name
Ajtasauu, wlicl means tle unboin enemy. Tle queen uied to aboit tle
child but as the kings kamma and the childs kamma were powerful she
did not succeed. Tleieahei, tle ling oideied tle queen to be sueivised
closely until the child was born. When the young prince came of age, he was
appointed heir-apparent. Then he fell into the clutches of the evil-minded
Devadaua, wlo misused lis syclic owei to maniulate Ajtasauu.
Turning himself into a boy with a snake coiled around his waist, he appeared
befoie Ajtasauu and tlen slowed limself as a blilllu. Tle iince was
deeply impressed, which is not surprising, for people are very interested in
miracles and have blind faith in anyone who can perform them.
Tle iince leld Devadaua in ligl esteem and became lis devoted followei.
Tlen Devadaua made anotlei move foi tle success of lis wicled scleme.
He told the prince that since people did not live long, he (the prince) should
kill his father and become king while still in the prime of his life. He
(Devadaa), on his part, would kill the Buddha. The prince failed in his
auemt on tle life of tle ling, but wlen Bimbisia leaint of lis sons ambition,
le landed ovei lis lingdom. Tle uansfei of owei neveitleless fell sloit
of Devadauas scleme. On lis advice, Ajtasauu imiisoned lis fatlei and
starved him. The queen was the only person who was allowed to visit the
king. She secretly brought food by various means until she was forbidden
to visit the prison. From that day, the king got nothing to eat, but managed
to lee limself lealtly by acing to and no. Tlen, on Ajtasauus oidei,
the barbers caused such injury to his fathers feet as to make it impossible
for him to walk. According to the commentary, he was thus injured because
in a previous life he walked with footwear on the platform of a pagoda and
uod witl unwasled feet on a mat meant foi tle blilllus.
King Bimbisia iobably died at tle age of 67. His son Ajtasauu was
not evil-minded at heart. His good nature was evident in his devotion to the
Buddla ahei le lad lilled lis fatlei, lis adoiation and ensliinement of tle
Buddha relics, and the wholehearted support that he gave to the First Council.
It was lis association witl a coiiut teaclei tlat led lim asuay to tle oint
of aiiicide. His life aoids us a lesson tlat we slould caiefully beai in mind.
102 From Becoming, Birth Arises
On the very day of his fathers death, his wife gave birth to a son. On
leaiing tle news, le became oveiwlelmed witl gieat aection foi tle clild.
This reminded him of his father and he ordered the imprisoned kings release,
but it was too late. Wlen le latei leaint nom lis motlei low mucl le was
loved and cared for by his father in his childhood, he was seized with remorse.
His life became wretched and miserable. He could not sleep at night, being
launted by visions of lell and smiuen by lis conscience foi tle ciime against
his father, who was a devout disciple of the Buddha.
So, led by the physician Jvala, he went to see the Buddha. At that time
the Lord was surrounded by more than a thousand bhikkhus. However,
since they were deep in meditation, there was absolute silence. Deeply
impressed, the king said, May my son Udayabhadda be blessed with the
lind of seieni[ tlat tlese blilllus ossess! Peilas le feaied tlat lis son
would leain low le lad seized owei and would uy to do tle same. His
feai latei became a ieali[, foi iiglt down to lis gieat giandson, eacl son
ascended tle tlione ahei lilling lis fatlei. King Ajtasauu asled tle Buddla
about tle immediate benets of life in tle Sagla. Tle Loid enlaiged on tle
benets acciuing nom tle loly life: tle ieveience and suoit of tle lay
communi[, moial uii[, tle ist jhna and other higher states of conscious-
ness in tle mundane sleie, syclic oweis, extinction of delements and
tle auainments of tle Noble Patl. Ahei leaiing tle discouise, Ajtasauu
formally declared himself a disciple of the Buddha. If not for his parricide,
le would lave auained tle ist stage on tle Patl. Neveitleless, nom tlat
time on le lad eace of mind, and ahei lis deatl, le was saied tle teiiois
of the deepest hell (Avci) that would have been in store for him had he not
met the Buddha.
Tle otlei tliee weigl[ lammas lilling an Aialant, causing injuiy to
tle Buddla and wilfully causing a sclism in tle Sagla aie also bound
to diag tle oendei to lell.
Habitual and Death-Proximate Kammas
Anotlei [e of lamma is labitual lamma. Immoiali[ may become
labitual, and will lave unleasant eects in a futuie life, if no ste is talen
to clange it. So lay Buddlists slould live by tle ve iecets. If tley fail,
tley slould ieaim tleii will to guaid tleii moial life moie vigilantly. Moial
uii[ is equally vital foi a blilllu. Failuie to male amends foi any violation
of a Vinaya rule, whether deliberate or unintentional, will create habitual
lamma. So tle blilllu slould iegain moial uii[ tliougl confession and
Habitual and Death-Proximate Kammas 103
ieaim lis will to ieseive it. Good labits lile iegulai almsgiving, ieveience
for parents and teachers, contemplation of the Buddha, meditation, etc., are
also labitual lammas tlat can beai immediate nuits.
In the absence of any decisive habitual kamma, some action done near
the end of life determines rebirth. In one Abhidhamma book, death-
proximate kamma is described as more potent than habitual kamma, but
perhaps that is so only in exceptional cases. As the commentaries say, habitual
lamma iobably tales iecedence in beaiing nuit. Neveitleless, in tle liglt
of stoiies in ancient Buddlist liteiatuie we can condently iely on deatl-
ioximate lamma. A dying man wlo lad been an executionei foi ovei
yeais was ieboin in Tusita leaven ahei oeiing food to Veneiable Siiuua
and leaiing lis discouise. Tlis stoiy nds an eclo in tle case of a Sinlalese
sleiman wlo was ieboin in tle celestial iealm ahei lis encountei witl an
elder just before his death.
Unwholesome death-proximate kamma is just as potent. A Sinhalese
layman who practised meditation for many years was disappointed because
he had never seen any lights. He then concluded that the Buddhas teaching
was not the way to liberation. Because of this wrong view he became a hungry
glost ahei lis deatl. Failuie to encountei liglts, etc., in tle iactice of
meditation may be due to a wiong metlod, insucient eoit oi tle lacl of
basic otential. Similaily, tle monl Sunalllaua, mentioned befoie, auained
the divine-eye but not the divine-ear because he did not have the potential
foi it, and was imeded by lis obsuuctive lamma. So one slould not be
disleaitened if tle meditation iactice does not ioduce tle desiied eect.
Mostly, practice along the right path leads to unusual experiences. With
uanquilli[ and uii[ of mind, tle object of contemlation and tle
contemplating consciousness become clearly distinct. So too, do their causal
relations and their constant, rapid arising and dissolution. At that stage, one
may see liglt, oi at least one exeiiences joy, ecstasy, uanquilli[, equanimi[,
etc., which are the factors of enlightenment (bojjhaga), so vital to the
development of insight. Provided there is no impediment, contemplation of
mind and mauei will lead to tlese liglei states of consciousness if tle
metlod is iiglt, and tle eoit is sucient.
In the absence of habitual or death-proximate kamma, residual kamma,
which means a kamma that one has done once in this or the previous lives,
will give its eect instead.
104
From Birth, Aging, Death, Grief, etc., Arise
K
AMMAS ROLE in the chain of causation is emphasised in the
teaching, Dependent on mental formations, rebirth
consciousness arises, which we have already explained in
detail. Since the dying person is attached to the signs and visions
relating to kamma, kamma-based material phenomena arise after
death with rebirth-consciousness conditioned by deathbed
attachment. Contact with sense-objects leads to feeling, which in turn
produces craving. It does not matter whether the feeling is pleasant or
unpleasant. Pleasant feeling creates desire for pleasant objects while
unpleasant feeling also makes us crave for pleasant ones. When the
desire becomes strong and develops into attachment, it leads us to
make efforts for its fulfilment. People do wholesome or unwholesome
deeds, which they hope will help to satisfy their needs and desires. It
is this kammabhava rooted in craving that causes rebirth. Rebirth is
accompanied by suffering wherever it takes place.
It is unnecessaiy to dwell on tle sueiings in tle animal and otlei lowei
iealms. Foi luman beings, too, sueiing is inescaable. One las to woil
hard to make a living. One may be harassed by employers or landlords. Even
if one avoids most of tle sueiing inleient in tle suuggle foi suivival, one
will nally lave to face aging, disease, and deatl. Sueiing begins in tle
womb, nom tle time of concetion, one is leading inexoiably towaids aging,
disease, and deatl. Tlougl one may live an aaiently caienee, lay life,
both body and mind are constantly aging and decaying.
An Indian fable illusuates tle inevitabili[ of aging, disease, and deatl.
One man, being anaid of aging, iose into tle aii witl tle elixii of life in lis
mouth and hid in the sky. Another man hid under the sea to escape disease
and a third hid in a cave in the Himalayas to avoid death. When their sons
seaicled foi tlem tley found tlat tle ist man lad become old and decieit,
the second man was terminally ill, and the third man was already dead.
Everyone is subject to aging, disease, and death. Once one is reborn, nothing
will iotect one nom tlese misfoitunes. As tle Buddla says in tle
Dhammapada, There is no place in the sky, on land, or in the ocean where
one can escae nom deatl.
Aging, disease, and death are inevitable as long as rebirth takes place.
Rebiitl also leads to giief, anxie[, lamentation, and desaii. We giieve wlen
a member of our family dies. The grief is overwhelming when we lose our
From Birth, Aging, Death, Grief, etc., Arise 105
parents or someone on whom we depend, or a son or a daughter whom we
love dearly. Another cause for grief is the loss of material possessions through
coiiut ocials, tlieves, ies, oods, stoims oi unwoitly leiis. Giief also
iesults nom disease and decline of lealtl. Some atients aie so deiessed
that their mental state becomes a hindrance to their recovery. For scrupulous
monls and laymen, any defect in tleii moiali[ causes iemoise. Tlus tle
leimit Isisiga sueied teiiible anguisl wlen le was seduced by a goddess.
Anxie[ and iemoise also toiment tlose wlo iealise tley lave been following
wiong views due to tle inuence of a misguided teaclei. Many otlei
misfortunes such as accidents, robbery, unemployment, and so forth, also
cause giief, anxie[, and desaii.
Because of lis intelligence, man also sueis anguisl wlenevei le is in
contact witl unleasant sense-objects. Since le las to suei mentally as well,
it is like adding insult to injury. This does not apply to the Arahant or the
Non-ietuinei, since, being nee nom ill-will, tley iemain uneituibed in tle
face of lysical sueiing. It is similai foi tle mindful meditatoi wlo is nee
nom ego-illusion, wlicl is inclined to inciease feelings of self-i[. Hence,
the importance of the Buddhas teaching that we should be aware of
unleasant feeling wlenevei we suei nom it.
Peole aie unlay wlen tley tlinl of tle nusuations and misfoitunes
that beset them in the past and the present or that may beset them in future.
Tley feel biuei and disaointed wlen tley nd tlemselves in dicul[
and buidened witl misfoitunes. All tlese sueiings aie iooted in biitl. Life
is unsatisfactory and impersonal, and would lack any lasting enjoyment
even if a self did exist to enjoy it. Accoiding to tle docuine of Deendent
Origination, the only thing that links one existence with another is cause and
eect. Fiom ciaving, laimic eoit, etc., based on ignoiance in one existence,
ve eects aiise: consciousness, body and mind, sense-oigans, contact, and
feeling. Tlese eects begin witl biitl and end in deatl witl aging, anxie[,
and otlei [es of sueiing in between.
This teaching of the Buddha does not appeal to ordinary people who
laiboui illusions of lainess and selflood. Howevei, imeisonali[ and
sueiing aie undeniable even beings in tle celestial iealms aie not exemt
nom it. Some eaitl-bound devas lave to suuggle laid foi suivival and aie
moie miseiable tlan luman beings. Tley aie called Vinitila devas, and
comprise ghosts, goblins, etc., who belong to the lowest order of devas. Some
devas in tle celestial iealms aie dissatised because tley do not lave
magnicent mansions and enougl auendants. Even Salla, tle ling of tle
106 From Birth, Aging, Death, Grief, etc., Arise
devas, admiued to Veneiable Mallassaa tlat le was not so luminous,
since lis auainment of tle celestial iealm was due to wlolesome lamma
done long before the propagation of the Buddhas teaching. He said that he
had to hide when he saw those devas who outshone him because they had
done wholesome kamma in the time of the Buddha. Thus Sakka was not
always lay, noi weie lis female auendants. Tley told Veneiable
Mallassaa tlat tley weie wietcled and miseiable since tley counted foi
liule among tle ligl-ianling queen-goddesses.
Some devas become unhappy on the approach of death, which is heralded
by tle witleiing of tleii owei gailands, sweating nom tleii aimits and
other signs of aging. Other devas die suddenly while indulging in celestial
leasuie just lile a man wlose life is cut sloit by a suole. Deatl may tale
only a second, lile tle snung of a candle. Tlis is boine out by tle stoiy of
Subrahma Deva.
The Story of Subrahma
Subrahma Deva was enjoying life wlen lis auendant goddesses, wlo
weie singing and lucling oweis, died suddenly and landed in lell, wleie
le could see tlem sueiing. He also iealised tlat le too would die in a few
days and share the same fate. Greatly alarmed, he went to the Buddha and
asked the Lord to show him where he could live without fear. The Lord
replied that the only way was by cultivating the factors of enlightenment,
by ascetic practices (dhutaga) and right exertion (sammappadhna) that
eiadicate delements, sense-iesuaint (indriya-savara-sla) tlat waids o
delements, and nibbna, wlicl means tle ienunciation of eveiytling. On
leaiing tlis, tle deva and lis auendants auained Sueam-winning.
Here, what we should note is the sudden death of the goddesses. The
fate of those who die suddenly while engaged in the pursuit of pleasure is
terrible since they are likely to be born in hell because of unwholesome
karmic impulses. If any sign appears that heralds the approach of death, it
cieates feai and adds to tleii sueiing. Sueiing tlat stems nom auaclment
to leasuie is not conned to tle sensual iealm, foi it is also tle lot of tle
Bialms in tle immateiial iealms. In tle Bialm iealm, tleie is no sexual
leasuie oi sensuali[. Tle objects tlat Bialms can see, leai oi tlinl of
have no sexual overtones. However, as the Visuddhimagga says, some people
ciave foi tle leasuies of tle Bialm iealm because tley believe, eitlei
through hearsay or speculation, that such pleasures are superior to those of
the human and celestial realms. It is nothing other than their sensual craving
Excessive Aachment 107
tlat leads to tle auainment of rpa-jhna or arpa-jhna and nally tales
tlem to tle ne-mateiial oi immateiial iealms. It is not suiiising tlat some
eole tlinl oi seal of tle sensuali[ in tle Bialm iealm. Tlose wlo
lnow tle uue teacling of tle Buddla will ieject tle idea but it iobably
aeals to ignoiant eole. Tle Indian ieligious bools oiuay Bialm witl
lis wife, and some eole even iegaid nibbna as a leavenly iealm witl
celestial mansions wleie one can dwell witl ones family and auendants.
Excessive Aachment
Kmupdna means not only excessive auaclment to sensual leasuies,
it also means ciaving foi tle ne-mateiial and immateiial iealms. Tleiefoie,
according to the Visuddhimagga, one can eradicate this insatiable craving
only at tle nal stage of tle Patl, and it is tlis ciaving tlat undeilies eveiy
eoit to auain rpa- or arpa-jhna. For ordinary people, such jhna means
laimic eoit based on sensual ciaving, wlicl leads to iebiitls in tle
ne-mateiial oi immateiial iealms of Bialms. Tle incessant aging of mind
and mauei begins nom tle moment of iebiitl. Tle aging of a Bialm is not
apparent as it is for human beings, but when his life-span ends he cannot
avoid deatl. Being nee nom laued, a Bialm is not subject to giief and
anxie[. Lacl of a body ensuies needom nom lysical ain. Howevei, a
Bialm cannot escae aging and deatl, wlicl aie inleient in eveiy lind of
existence. So escae nom aging and deatl iesuoses tle end of iebiitl.
To avoid iebiitl, we must suive to avoid unwlolesome lamma and even
wlolesome lamma. Negation of laimic existence calls foi tle eacement
of auaclment and ciaving. Foi tlis uiose, tle mental iocess must end
at feeling and stop short of developing the desire for anything. This avoidance
of craving through contemplating impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and
not-self in all phenomena is the only way to avoid rebirth and the other links
in the sequence that leads to aging and death. This means the temporary
extinction of sueiing wlicl one can nally oveicome wlen one develos
insight on the Noble Path.
108
Aachment to Views as the Cause of Rebirth
D
IHUPDNA means tle attaclment to tle view tlat
denies future life and kamma. So, the annihilationist view
(ucchedadihi), which asserts the annihilation of a being after
death, is attachment to views. People who hold such views will have
no reason to do good or to avoid wrong-doing. They will do nothing
for their well-being in the afterlife and will seek to enjoy life as much
as possible. As they have no scruples, most of their acts will be
unwholesome kammas that create deathbed visions leading to the
lower realms. This is evident in the story of the peta Nandaka.
Nandala was a geneial in tle time of King Pigala wlo iuled tle counuy
of Suiaula (wlicl lay to tle noitl of tle iesent iovince of Bombay). He
leld tlat giving alms and otlei good deeds aie useless. Ahei lis deatl le
became a lungiy glost in a banyan uee. Howevei, wlen lis daugltei oeied
food to a monk and shared her merit with him, he received an unlimited
suly of celestial food. He tlen iealised tle uutl of tle laimic law and
ieented of lis wiong views. One day, le led King Pigala to lis uee and
entertained the king and his followers to a celestial feast. The king was greatly
surprised, and in response to his inquiry, the ghost gave an account of his
rebirth as a peta. He said it was due to lis wiong views, immoiali[, and
opposition to almsgiving. He then told of the sudden change in his fortunes
ahei lis daugltei slaied lei meiit witl lim. He also desciibed tle sueiing
tlat le would lave to undeigo ahei deatl, tle toiment in lell tlat le would
slaie witl otleis wlo leld wiong views and vilied monls. So, auaclment
to wrong views leads to immoral acts and rebirth in the lower realms.
Kamma may also be motivated by eternalism, the belief that upholds the
illusion of eisonali[. Tlose wlo lold it believe in a eimanent self tlat
will bear the consequences of present deeds in a future life. So they devote
themselves to what they regard as noble deeds, though some of those deeds
may be ignoble. Eitlei way, all deeds iooted in eteini[ belief lead to iebiitl,
and so to sueiing.
Superstition and Unfavourable Rebirth
Another basis of kamma is superstition. There are many superstitions,
for example, that seeing a man of low caste is a bad omen, that a beehive or
an iguana in a louse is a suie sign of ovei[, etc. Undei tle inuence of
sucl beliefs, a eison may do wiong, sucl as misueating an outcaste oi
Superstition and Unfavourable Rebirth 109
killing bees. This is borne out by the Ciuasamblta Jtala. In tlat Jtala tle
Bodlisaua was a low caste man called Ciua. Veneiable nanda was tlen
lis cousin, named Samblta. Tley made tleii living by dancing witl
bamboos. One day, the daughter of a merchant and the daughter of a
high-caste brahmin, who were both very superstitious, went for a picnic
witl tleii auendants. At tle siglt of tle two danceis, wlicl tley consideied
a bad omen, they returned home. Their irate followers then beat the two
men for denying them the pleasure of the picnic.
So the two dancers went to Taxila disguised as brahmins and devoted
tlemselves to leaining. Ciua became tle students leadei by viitue of lis
intelligence. One day, their teacher sent them to a place where they had to
recite the brahmanical parias. When he burned his mouth by unmindfully
diinling lot mill, Samblta uueied, Khalu, Khalu in lis dialect and Ciua
absent-mindedly said, niggala, niggala (spit it out). These slips of the
tongue led to their undoing, for their high caste brahmin students discovered
tleii seciet. So, tley weie beaten and exelled nom tle sclool. On tle advice
of tleii teaclei tley became leimits. Ahei tley died tley assed on to tle
animal iealm, ist as two deei, tlen as two eagles. In lis next existence, Ciua
became the son of the chief brahmin and remembered his three previous
lives. He led tle life of a leimit and auained jhna with psychic powers.
Samblta became a ling, wlo iemembeied lis low caste life and sent lis
time in tle uisuit of sensuali[.
By means of lis syclic owei, Ciua lnew lis biotleis siiitual
immatuii[. Ahei waiting foi yeais, le came to tle lings gaiden. Tle
king recognized the hermit as his brother in a previous life and was prepared
to share his royal pleasures with him. However, being aware of the karmic
eects of wlolesome and unwlolesome deeds, tle Bodlisaua lad ledged
limself to a life of self-iesuaint, ienunciation, and detaclment. He ieminded
the king of their close associations in their previous lives as low-caste men,
as deer, and as birds. His aim was to point out the erratic course of kamma
and to urge the king to become a hermit for further spiritual progress.
Howevei, it was laid foi Samblta to give u leasuie, so tle Bodlisaua
ietuined to tle Himalayas. Tle ling nally became disenclanted and went
to the Himalayas where he was welcomed by the hermit. As a hermit he
devoted limself to siiitual exeicises and auained jhna and psychic powers.
Ciua and Samblta weie blameless, but tleii oonents made unwlole-
some kamma due to their superstitious prejudice. The story of Koka, the
hunter also shows the evil consequences of superstition.
110 Aachment to Views as the Cause of Rebirth
In the time of the Buddha, a hunter named Koka lived in a certain
village. One day he set out with his dogs to hunt in the forest. On the way
he met a monk, who was on his alms round. The hunter considered this
encounter to be a bad omen. As luck would have it, he did not catch any
prey the whole day. On his return he again met the monk. Now blind with
fury, he set his dogs on the monk. The monk had to run and climb up a
uee wleie le could only sit on a low biancl. Tle luntei iicled tle
monls feet witl an aiiow, so tlat le lad to lih lis feet, one ahei tle otlei.
Eventually, his robe worked loose and slipped down, falling onto the
hunter. Seeing him wrapped up in the robe, the dogs mistook him for the
monl and auacled lim. Tlus le was lilled by lis own dogs. Realising
that they had killed their master, the dogs ran away. The monk got down
nom tle uee and ieoited tle mauei to tle Buddla. Tlen, tle Loid
uueied tle following veise.
If a fool harms one who is pure and blameless, his ignoble deed
recoils on him like dust thrown against the wind. (Dhp. v 125)
Heie, tle lunteis giuesome deatl and lis iebiitl in lell iesulted nom
an ignoble deed rooted in superstition.
Some eole get alaimed if an asuologei says tlat tle osition of tle
lanets wains of misfoitune. So tley oei oweis and candles to tle Buddla
image, give alms to the monks, listen to discourses, and practise meditation.
Some lave tle aiiuas iecited to waid o dangei tlat tley associate witl
unpleasant dreams. Their meritorious deeds lead to favourable rebirths but,
lile tle iebiitls tlat stem nom demeiitoiious deeds, tley also lead to sueiing.
Some ignoiant eole will do wiong to waid o misfoitunes tlat tley
aie in feai of. Tle Jtalas mention tle animal saciice of some lings tlat
involved the killing of four goats, four horses, four men, and so forth as
ioitiatoiy oeiings to gods. Once, tlis lind of iite was lanned by King
Kosala in the time of the Buddha.
The king took a fancy to a married woman, so he sent her husband on
an eiiand to a distant lace. Slould le fail to accomlisl tle tasl enuusted
to him and return to the capital on the same day, he was to be punished.
The man carried out the kings order and returned before sunset. However,
tle ci[ gate was closed, so being unable to entei tle ci[, le sent tle
night at Jetavana Monastery. Overwhelmed with lust and evil desires, the
ling could not slee. He leaid tle voices of foui men wlo weie sueiing
in lell foi laving commiued adulteiy in tleii ievious lives. It was
perhaps by virtue of the Buddhas psychic power that the king heard these
Fanaticism or Religious Aachment 111
voices nom lell. Tle ling so was alaimed tlat, in tle moining, le souglt
the advice of his brahmin counsellor. The brahmin said that the voices
wained of imminent misfoitune. To waid it o, tle ling slould saciice
a hundred elephants, horses, etc. So the king made preparations for the
saciice. How ciuel luman natuie is, tlat one can saciice a tlousand
lives to save ones own.
Human beings were also among the potential victims. Hearing their cries,
Queen Mallil asled tle ling to seel tle Buddlas advice. Tle Buddla told
the king that the voices were those of four young men who, having seduced
maiiied women in tle time of Kassaa Buddla, weie now sueiing in
Lolalumbl lell. Tley weie now ieentant and belatedly uying to exiess
tleii desiie to do good ahei tleii ielease nom lell. Tle ling was veiy
nigltened and vowed nevei to lust ahei anotlei mans wife. He told tle
Buddha how the previous night had seemed very long because he could not
sleep. The man who had fetched what the king wanted, said that he had
uavelled a long jouiney tle ievious day.
Tlen, tle Buddla uueied tle veise:
Long is the night to the sleepless, long is the journey to the weary,
long is the cycle of existence for the foolish who do not know
tle sublime uutl. (Dhp. v 60)
Ahei leaiing tlis veise, many eole auained Sueam-winning and otlei
stages on the Noble Path. The king ordered the release of all the living beings
tlat weie to be saciiced. If not foi tle Buddlas teacling, le would lave
commiued leavy unwlolesome lamma, so tlis stoiy also slows tlat
superstition leads to demeritorious deeds.
Fanaticism or Religious Aachment
Wlolesome oi unwlolesome lammas aie also boin of auaclment to
ieligion. Peole usually believe tlat tleiis is tle only uue ieligion, tlat all
otleis aie wiong. So tley uy to siead tleii ieligion, conveit otlei eole
by force or persecute non-believers. All these injustices have their origins in
ieligious auaclment. Kamma may also stem nom auaclment to olitical
views or ideologies. Some people seek to impose their opinions on others
by every means in their power. They propagate it in various ways and
disciedit, slandei, oi undeimine tle uni[ of tlose wlo do not agiee witl
tlem. All tlese eoits and activities aie becoming, wlicl is due to fanaticism.
In brief, all obsession with practices, and with beliefs other than the ego-belief,
means auaclment to views tlat leads to lamma.
112 Aachment to Views as the Cause of Rebirth
Aachment to Rituals
Some eole believe tley can auain salvation tliougl iactices tlat lave
nothing to do with the Noble Eightfold Path. Such a belief is called
slabbatupdna. It is auaclment to iituals to woisli animals, to adot an
animals way of life, oi to eifoim iites in tle loe of auaining salvation.
According to the Visuddhimagga, some people rely on these practices as the
way to salvation and do karmic deeds that lead to rebirth in the human,
celestial, ne-mateiial, and immateiial iealms. Tle Visuddlimagga iefeis
only to kammas leading to the human, and other higher realms; it does not
mention kammas leading to lower realms. However, it does not follow that
auaclment to iituals does not cause unwlolesome lamma. Tle commentaiy
does not mention this only because it is so obvious.
In the Kulluiavatila Suua and elsewhere the Buddha says that one is
reborn as an ox or a dog if one lives exactly like those animals in deed, word,
and thought. If one accepts the wrong view but does not practise it fully, one
is ieboin in lell oi tle animal woild. Of couise, maling animal saciices to
gods leads to tle lowei iealms. So do otlei misdeeds iesulting nom
auaclment to ceitain foims of woisli, iites, and ceiemonies. In sloit, eveiy
belief in tle ecacy of iituals as an antidote to misfoitune is auaclment to
rituals.
Accoiding to tle commentaiies on tle Visuddlimagga it is also auaclment
to iituals to iely entiiely on conventional moiali[ and mundane jhna as
the way to liberation. The immaterial jhnas auained by ia and Uddala
oiiginated in tlis auaclment and so do tle common ieligious iactices tlat
aie based on faitl in God. All tlese auaclments lead to iebiitl and tleiefoie
to sueiing.
Aachment to Belief in the Soul
Aavdupdna is auaclment to belief in a soul. It is a suong conviction
that a permanent self is the agent of every deed, speech, and thought. Few
eole aie nee nom tlis auaclment. Tle aveiage eison imly believes in
illusions such as, I see, I hear or I did it. These illusions are the basis
of self-love and concern about ones own well-being. The pervasiveness and
owei of self-love aie illusuated by Queen Mallils iely to King Kosala.
Mallil was tle daugltei of a owei vendoi. One day sle met tle Buddla
and oeied lei food to lim. Ahei eating tle food, tle Loid told Veneiable
nanda tlat tle young woman would become tle queen of King Kosala.
On tlat veiy day, King Kosala, wlo was defeated in baule, ed on loisebacl.
Aachment to Belief in the Soul 113
Uueily exlausted and dejected, tle ling iested in a owei-gaiden wleie le
was tendeily caied foi by Mallil. Enclanted by lei, tle ling tool lei to
tle alace and made lei lis clief queen. Tle Buddlas iolecy came uue
because of her recent wholesome kamma and her meritorious deed in the
ast existence. Howevei, Mallil was not as beautiful as tle otlei queens.
Moieovei, as a woman nom a ooi family, sle felt awlwaid among tle
courtiers. So to reassure her, the king one day asked her whom she loved
most. The answer he expected was, I love you the most. He would then
tell her that he, on his part, loved her more than anyone else. This expression
of his love would, he thought, increase their intimacy and make her more
at ease in the palace.
However, as an intelligent woman who had the courage of conviction,
Mallil ielied nanlly tlat tleie was no-one wlom sle loved moie tlan
herself. She asked the king whom he loved most. The king had to admit that
he too loved himself more than anyone else. He reported this exchange to
the Buddha. Then the Lord said, No-one in this world loves anyone more
tlan tlemselves. So eveiyone slould lave symatly and avoid ill-ueating
others.
In this saying of the Buddha, the word self (aa) does not mean tle aua
of the ego-belief. It refers only to self in its conventional sense, i.e. the self
tlat one seals of to distinguisl oneself nom otleis. Ego-belief is also a
source of self-love. The more powerful the belief is, the greater is the love of
oneself. One loves ones wife, husband or child only as a helpmate,
comanion oi suoit. Maiital oi aiental love is not fundamentally dieient
nom love of iecious jewelleiy. So if anyone says tlat tley love someone
else more than themselves they should not be taken too seriously.
Because of this self-love based on ego-belief, people will resort to any
means to secure their own well-being or that of their family. They do not
hesitate to do wrong to serve their own interests. The belief in a permanent
self can also lead to wholesome kamma. It motivates some people to practise
claii[, moiali[ oi meditation foi tleii well-being in futuie lives. As a iesult
tley auain tle celestial iealms, but tley still lave to face aging, deatl, and
other misfortunes.
Eveiy eoit to seel well-being in tle iesent life oi ahei deatl is iooted
in ego-belief. Sucl laimic eoit dieis nom tlat aiising nom sensual
auaclment only in its basis being obsession witl eisonal identi[ instead
of ciaving leasuie. Neveitleless, in tlose wlo aie auacled to ego-belief,
egoism is closely linked to sensual desire. The Noble Ones, who are wholly
114 Aachment to Views as the Cause of Rebirth
nee nom ego-belief, aie motivated only by sensual auaclment wlen tley
do good. Tlus tle claii[, moiali[, and meditation of Antlaiila,
Visll, Malnma, and otleis, stemmed nom tleii desiie foi beuei lives
in tle luman and celestial iealms, oi foi auainment of liglei stages on tle
Path.
The Story of the Householder Ugga
Non-returners do good presumably because of their desire for bliss in
ne-mateiial and immateiial iealms, and foi Aialantsli. It is, of couise,
the path of Arahantship that can remove all craving. The desire for
Arahantship as the motivation for the Non-returner to do good is evident in
the story of Ugga. Tle Buddla sole of tle eiglt wondeiful auibutes
ossessed by Ugga, wlo was a louseloldei in Vesl. A monl asled Ugga
about tle Loids iefeience to lis auibutes, Ugga ielied tlat le did not
know what qualities the Lord had referred to, but said that he did have eight
distinctive qualities as follows.
1) Wlen le saw tle Buddla foi tle ist time, le concluded decisively
tlat Gotama was tle uue, fully enligltened Buddla. 2)He auained insiglt
into the Four Noble Truths to the stage of the Non-returner when he heard
tle Buddlas discouise. Ahei tlat le obseived tle ve iecets including
abstinence nom sexual inteicouise. 3) Having foui young wives, le told
tlem about lis sexual abstinence and eimiued tlem to ietuin to tleii
parents homes or to marry the men of their own choice. At the request of
his eldest wife, he gave her away to the man she loved and performed the
wedding ceremony himself. 4)He had resolved to spend all his wealth on
giving alms to wise men of high moral character. 5) He approached the
bhikkhus respectfully. 6)He heard the bhikkhus discourses respectfully, and
if the bhikkhus did not give a discourse, he gave one himself. 7)The devas
came to lim and said, Tle docuine of tle Buddla is sueib. He ielied
that the Dhamma was superb whether or not they said so. He did not feel
conceited because of his conversation with the devas. 8)He found himself
nee nom tle ve feueis tlat lead to tle lowei, sensual iealms.
One day, Ugga oeied lis favouiite food and iobes to tle Buddla. Tle
Loid commented on tle natuie of claii[ as follows: One wlo oeis
something that he cherishes greatly gets something that he adores. One who
oeis alms to a Noble One of ligl moial claiactei is doing an act of claii[
that it is hard for ordinary people to do. Therefore he gets what he wants
most. Some years later, Ugga died and passed on to the Suddlvsa Bialm
Insight Meditation and Aachment 115
realm. Before long he came and paid respect to the Buddha. He said that he
lad auained Aialantsli, wlicl was tle object of lis asiiation wlen le
oeied lis favouiite food to tle Loid in lis ievious existence. Tle Buddla
again commented on tle laimic benets of almsgiving. He said tlat tle
givei got wlat le caied foi most if le oeied lis iized ossessions, tlat
le auained a iaie object if le oeied iaie tlings, and tlat le auained an
exalted stage if le oeied exalted objects.
Tle moial of tlis stoiy is tlat one may even auain Aialantsli, tle liglest
goal of the spiritual life, as the result of giving away ones most cherished
possessions. Uggas almsgiving was motivated by the desire for Arahantship,
and it was sensual auaclment tlat foimed lis motivation. Some may object
to maling sensual auaclment synonymous witl tle desiie foi Aialantsli,
and would rather call it wholesome desire (kusalachanda). However, they
slould tlen exlain wlat lind of auaclment it is tlat leads to meiitoiious
acts of a Sueam-winnei oi Once-ietuinei sucl as claii[ oi moiali[.
Insight Meditation and Aachment
Tle iactice of insiglt, too, slould be auibuted to tle sensual auaclment
of one wlo seels nal ielease nom tle cycle of existence. Oidinaiy eole
lave to meditate to be nee nom all foui auaclments wlile Sueam-winneis
and Once-ietuineis lave to oveicome sensual auaclment. So, insiglt iactice
imlies tle conquest of auaclment. Accoiding to tle Visuddlimagga and tle
Sammolavinodan,
Buddlagloa`s commentaiy on tle Viblaga, tle second bool of tle Ablidlaima Piala.
116 Aachment to Views as the Cause of Rebirth
Howevei, meditation can ensuie needom nom sasia tliougl insiglt
into the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not-self characteristics of all
sense-objects, an insiglt tlat waids o sensual ciaving. Tle non-aiising of
craving means the non-arising of kamma and rebirth. Thus insight helps to
oset lamma and its consequences by momentaiy abandoning of delements
(tadaga-pahna). Moreover, through inference, one realises the three
claiacteiistics of otlei lenomena. Tlus one waids o tle delements and
their karmic potential by suppression (vikkhambhana-pahna). The insight
on tle Noble Patl follows, wlicl ioots out tle delements. Tle emeigence
of tlis insiglt may be lilened to tle signing of an ocial leuei by tle lead
of a goveinment deaitment. Tle act of tle ocei-in-claige gives tle nal
toucl to all tle woil done by tle sta. We cannot ignoie tle majoi
conuibution of insiglt iactice in tle uisuit of enligltenment any moie
tlan we can ignoie tle woil of tle oce sta in ioducing tle leuei. Similaily,
it is tle ieliminaiy use of a saw tlat males it ossible to fell a uee witl a
nal blow of an axe. As tle subcommentaiy on tle Visuddlimagga says,
Tianscendent insiglt on tle Patl uioots only tle delements tlat one las
suiven to oveicome tliougl mundane insiglt. Non-meditatois laboui
under the illusion of happiness and selfhood. This illusion leads to craving,
becoming, iebiitl and all tle sueiing inleient in life.
117
The Three Periods in the Cycle of Existence
D
EPENDENT ORIGINATION
encompasses two life-cycles,
the anterior life-cycle and
the posterior life-cycle. The
anterior cycle begins with
ignorance as its main source and
ends with feeling, while the
posterior cycle begins with
craving and ends with aging and
death. In the anterior cycle,
ignorance and mental formations
in the past life lead to rebirth, while in
the posterior cycle, craving, attachment,
and becoming cause rebirth in the future.
The two cycles show how a persons lives are linked through cause and
eect. Again, if tle docuine of Deendent Oiigination is desciibed on tlis
time scale, ignorance and mental formations are two links in the past life,
tle linls nom consciousness to becoming concein tle iesent life, wlile
biitl, aging, and deatl aie tle linls in tle futuie. Tlus tle docuine iefeis
to three periods.
Distinction Between Mental Formations and Becoming
Tle docuine desciibes tle ast cause as only ignoiance and mental
foimations, but ignoiance is invaiiably followed by ciaving and auaclment.
Mental formations, too, always lead to becoming. So the Paisamblid-
magga comments on tle docuine as follows. Avijj is ignorance that
dominates us while doing a karmic deed. Sakhr means composing and
exeiting eoit. Tah is the craving for the results of an action in the present
life and ahei deatl. Updna is the obsession with action and its result.
Kammabhava is volition. Tlese ve factois in tle ast male u tle causes
of tle iesent iebiitl. Tlus we lave to considei all tlese ve linls
ignoiance, ciaving, auaclment, mental foimations, and becoming if we
are to fully describe the past causes. Of these, ignorance, craving, and
auaclment aie called tle cycle of delements. Mental foimations and
becoming are called the cycle of kamma. The commentary makes a
distinction between mental foimations and becoming. It desciibes tle eoit,
118 The Three Periods in the Cycle of Existence
planning, etc., before an act as mental formations and the volition while
doing the act as becoming. So seeking money, buying things, etc., before
an act of claii[ aie mental foimations wlile tle state of consciousness at
tle time of oeiing is becoming. Plouing a muidei is mental foimations,
and volition while killing is becoming.
Another distinction between mental formations and becoming is based
on the moments of impulsion. All acts of murder or almsgiving involve seven
imulse-moments. Tle ist six imulse-moments aie called mental foima-
tions while the last is termed becoming.
A third way of distinguishing the two is to describe volition as becoming
and other mental states associated with volition as mental formations. The
tliid metlod of classication is lelful wlen we seal of meiitoiious deeds
in tle ne-mateiial and immateiial iealms. All tle tliee distinctions aly
to wlolesome oi unwlolesome acts in tle sensual iealm, but tle ist
distinction is very illuminating for those who are not well informed.
Alteinatively, tle Visuddlimagga auibutes iebiitl to tle visions tlat
lold a dying eisons auention at tle last moment of life. So accoiding to
tlis commentaiy, becoming may be dened as tle volition tlat motivated
wholesome or unwholesome acts in the past, and mental formations may
be dened as tle mental state conditioned by deatlbed exeiiences.
Present Eects Due to Past Causes
Tlus, owing to tle cycles of delements and lamma comiising tle
ve causes in tle ast, iebiitl-consciousness aiises togetlei witl mind
and mauei, six senses, contact, and feeling. Tlese ve eects aie collectively
called the cycle of resultants. Because of their ignorance, ordinary people
have the illusion of pleasure regarding sense-objects and mind-objects.
They develop craving, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle of cause and
eect tlat males u tleii iound of sueiing. Consciousness, tle six
sense-bases, etc., aiise as tle iesult of ast lammas. It is a mauei of cause
and eect, just lile all otlei lenomena. Tlis leaves no ioom foi a self,
God oi Piime Movei. Tle only dieience lies in tle moial law goveining
this relationship, the nature of feeling, whether pleasant or unpleasant,
being dependent on wholesome or unwholesome mental formations in the
ast. In ieali[ no eison las leasant oi unleasant feeling, and no being
causes one to have such an experience. Life is only the continuum of
consciousness, contact, feeling, etc., as conditioned by ignorance, craving,
auaclment, and so foitl.
Knowledge for Insight Practice 119
Knowledge for Insight Practice
Those who have some knowledge of Dependent Origination or Abhi-
dhamma say that it is impossible to practise meditation without such knowl-
edge. However, one who practises meditation under the guidance of a learned
teacher need not bother about higher Buddhist philosophy. One can follow the
teacleis insuuctions if one lnows only tlat life is a syclolysical iocess
characterised by impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. The adequacy
of this simple knowledge to meet the intellectual needs of one who is intent on
Arahantship is borne out by the Catalsallaya Suua, where the Buddha
talls about insiglt iactice. Tle meditatois undeistanding of mind and mauei
is termed abhijnti, which the commentary explains as full comprehension.
It refers toanalytical lnowledge of mind and mauei (nmarpa-pariccheda-a)
and lnowledge by disceining conditionali[(paccaya-pariggaha-a). Through
contemplation, one knows all phenomena analytically (parijnti) as imperma-
nent, unsatisfactory, and not-self. Here, parijnti refers to knowledge by
comprehension (sammasana-a) and other insights.
Knowledge of tle conditionali[ and cause-eect ielationsli tlat denies
a soul or self is enough for the practice of insight. It is not necessary to know
tloiouglly tle twelve linls, oi tle twen[ main oints of tle docuine. If tle
practice of insight presupposed such comprehensive knowledge, a man of
low intelligence like Venerable Caalala would be unable to practice it.
The elders memory was so poor that he could not even memorise a few
veises, tlougl le lad studied tlem foi foui montls, yet le auained
Aialantsli in a few louis wlen le meditated as insuucted by tle Buddla.
A laywoman, Mtilamt by name, auained tle stageof Non-ietuining befoie
some bhikkhus who were her meditation teachers. She did not know much about
Abhidhamma or Dependent Origination. Many others were also like this woman
and Veneiable Caalala. So altlougl one may not lave studied tle
Ablidlamma tloiouglly one can auain tle Noble Patl if one meditates eainestly.
To oveilool tle uue natuie of feelings is ignoiance. It is ciaving to lile a
sense-object and auaclment to cling to it. To do noble oi ignoble deeds nom
desiie foi ones lainess in tle iesent life oi ahei deatl means mental
foimations and becoming. Tlese ve factois aie iesent causes and lead to
iebiitl ahei deatl. Deendent Oiigination mentions only tliee causes:
feeling, ciaving, and auaclment. Howevei, tlese tliee factois imly two
others: ignorance and mental formations, since these two are the basis of
ciaving and becoming iesectively. So tle Paisamblidmagga desciibes all
tlese ve factois as causes of iebiitl in futuie.
120 The Three Periods in the Cycle of Existence
Removing the Present Causes
Every wholesome or unwholesome act means the conjunction of these
ve iesent causes, wlicl may laen many tlousands of times in a single
lifetime. Under favourable circumstances these causes may lead to rebirth
ahei deatl, oi to two oi tliee iebiitls in succession. Eveiy existence is
accomanied by aging, giief, and deatl, so to avoid tlis sueiing, we slould
remove the causes. Thus we should note all phenomena the moment they
occui. Witl tle develoment of concenuation, we will notice tleii instant
passing away and so realise their impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and
unieliabili[. Tlis iealisation lels us to oveicome tle ignoiance and illusion
tlat fuel ciaving, auaclment, and laimic eoit. Tlus we iendei tle ve
iesent causes inactive, foiestalling iebiitl and consequent sueiing.
This is called tadagapahna, partial, or momentary abandoning of
delements. By tlis metlod, one auains tadaganibbuti, partial or momentary,
extinction of delements. Latei, insiglt on tle Noble Patl aiises, wlicl means
tle extinction of all mental foimations and tle iealisation of nibbna, wlicl is
extinction tliougl cuuing o. Tle delements and lammas aie tlen eiadicated.
Sueam-winneis oveicome tle delements and lammas tlat lead to tle lowei
realms, and those that may cause more than seven rebirths. Once-returners
oveicome delements tlat may cause moie tlan one iebiitl, wlile Non-
returners remove those that lead to rebirths in sensual realms. Finally, the
Aialant eiadicates tle iemaining delements and lamma and becomes a Noble
One wlo is woitly of lonoui because le is wlolly nee nom delements.
The Arahants Outlook on Life
Arahants have no illusions about the nature of sense-objects. They are
awaie of tleii unsatisfactoiiness, wlicl means tley fully iealise tle uutl
of sueiing because tley aie nee nom delusion. So tley lave no ciaving foi
anytling. Inevitably, tley lave to full tle biological needs of tle body sucl
as eating, sleeing, etc., but tley iegaid tlis as conditioned sueiing and
nd notling agieeable. Tle question aiises wletlei tley slould long foi a
seedy deatl to end sucl sueiing. Neveitleless, tle desiie foi eaily deatl
or dissolution of the physical body is aversion, which the Arahant has also
removed. In the Tleiagtl, the Elders Verses, an Arahant says that he
neither wishes to die nor to live. The Arahant does not wish to live a long
life, foi life means a buiden of sueiing inleient in tle aggiegates. Altlougl
tle aggiegates need constant caie and auention, tley aie not ieliable in tle
least. To many middle-aged oi old eole, life oeis liule moie tlan
The Story of Venerable Yamaka 121
nusuation, disaointment, and biueiness. Living conditions deteiioiate,
lysical lealtl declines and only disabili[ and deatl await tlem. Yet,
because of ignoiance and auaclment, many eole tale deliglt in existence.
Howevei, tle Aialants aie disillusioned, so tley nd life unauactive.
Yet the Arahants dont desire death either, since they have conquered
ill-will. Tley equanimously anticiate tleii aiinibbna, an exectation tlat
is analogous to a workers expectation of wages. A worker does not like to
face hardships and privations to make a living, but does not want to be
unemployed either. A worker wants only money and expects payment.
Likewise, the Arahants await death, so when they think of their lifespan, they
wonder how long they must bear the burden of the body. Because of their
total disillusionment, tleii life-sueam ceases comletely ahei aiinibbna,
so it is called cessation without any remainder (anupdisesanibbna).
Not Annihilation but Extinction of Suering
Tlose wlo believe in tle soul deiecate nibbna as tle annililation of a
living being. In fact, it is tle extinction of sueiing due to tle non-aiising of
lenomena witl tleii causes, i.e. lamma and delements. Tle Buddla ointed
out tle cessation of auaclment witl tle cessation of ciaving, tle cessation of
becoming witl tle cessation of auaclment, and so on. Witl tle non-aiising
of rebirth, there is the complete cessation of aging, death, and other kinds of
sueiing. Tle oulai view is tlat biitl, aging, and deatl aie misfoitunes
aicting living beings. Howevei, tlese misfoitunes claiacteiise only tle
psychophysical process and have nothing to do with a living being. Since there
is no soul, it makes no sense to speak of the annihilation of a being with the
cessation of iebiitl. So tlose wlo iegaid nibbna as annililation aie not nee
nom tle illusion of selflood. To tle intelligent Buddlist, nibbna means only
extinction of sueiing. Tlis is evident in tle stoiy of Veneiable Yamala.
The Story of Venerable Yamaka
Venerable Yamaka
Tle Jtalas led Veneiable Sti to lold tlis view. Tle Buddla
identied limself witl tle leading claiacteis in tlese biitl stoiies, so le
ieasoned tlus: Tle lysical body of tle Bodlisaua disintegiated ahei lis
deatl and no ait assed on to lis nal existence. It was only consciousness
tlat suivived deatl and foimed tle coie of tle Bodlisauas eisonali[ in