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Tidipa

Paccayasutta (The Discourse on Causes)

· 24 min read

12S2/1.2.10: the Bhagavā distinguishes dependent origination, the causal relation that remains whether or not Tathāgatas arise, from the dependently arisen phenomena, and says that a disciple who has seen both does not run to the questions of a self in the past, the future or the present.

Original text: 12S2/1.2.10 Paccayasutta 119–127 in the World Tipitaka Edition

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

The Bhagavā distinguishes dependent origination from the dependently arisen phenomena (12S2/1.2.10). Dependent origination is the causal relation itself, which remains whether or not Tathāgatas arise, specific causality, which the Tathāgata awakens to and makes clear. The dependently arisen phenomena are the twelve members themselves, each impermanent, constructed and subject to cessation. A disciple who has seen both as they really are does not run to the questions of what he was, will be or is.

Diagram

Section titled “Diagram”
flowchart TB
    T["two topics"] --> P["paṭiccasamuppāda (dependent origination)"]
    T --> D["paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā (dependently arisen phenomena)"]
    P --> P1["the chain, from birth and ageing and death back to ignorance"]
    P1 --> P2["that component remains whether or not Tathāgatas arise"]
    P2 --> P3["reality, not untrue, not otherwise: specific causality"]
    D --> D1["the twelve members, ageing and death to ignorance"]
    D1 --> D2["impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, subject to cessation"]
    P3 --> S["the disciple who has seen both"]
    D2 --> S
    S --> S1["no running to the past: was I?"]
    S --> S2["no running to the future: will I be?"]
    S --> S3["no doubt about the present: am I?"]

Text

Section titled “Text”

(20.)

119. [The Bhagavā] was dwelling at Sāvatthī. “I will teach you, Bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppāda (dependent origination) and the paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā (dependently arisen phenomena). Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.” “Yes, Bhante,” those bhikkhū replied to the Bhagavā. The Bhagavā said this:

120. “And what, Bhikkhave, is paṭiccasamuppādo (dependent origination)? With birth as cause, Bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇa (ageing and death) [arise]. Whether there is an arising of Tathāgatas or no arising of Tathāgatas, that dhātu (component) just remains: dhammaṭṭhitatā (the regularity of natural principles), dhammaniyāmatā (the invariance of natural principles), idappaccayatā (specific causality). That the Tathāgata fully awakens to and completely realises. Having fully awakened to it and completely realised it, he tells of it, teaches it, proclaims it, sets it forth, reveals it, analyses it, and makes it clear. And he says, ‘See!’ — ‘With birth as cause, Bhikkhave, ageing and death [arise]’.

121. With existence as cause, Bhikkhave, birth [arises] … and so on … with fuel as cause, Bhikkhave, existence [arises] … with craving as cause, Bhikkhave, fuel [arises] … with feeling as cause, Bhikkhave, craving [arises] … with contact as cause, Bhikkhave, feeling [arises] … with the six sense bases as cause, Bhikkhave, contact [arises] … with phenomenal objects as cause, Bhikkhave, the six sense bases [arise] … with consciousness as cause, Bhikkhave, phenomenal objects [arise] … with mental constructions as cause, Bhikkhave, consciousness [arises] … with ignorance as cause, Bhikkhave, mental constructions [arise]: whether there is an arising of Tathāgatas or no arising of Tathāgatas, that component just remains: the regularity of natural principles, the invariance of natural principles, specific causality. That the Tathāgata fully awakens to and completely realises. Having fully awakened to it and completely realised it, he tells of it, teaches it, proclaims it, sets it forth, reveals it, analyses it, and makes it clear. And he says, ‘See!’ — ‘With ignorance as cause, Bhikkhave, mental constructions [arise]’. Thus, Bhikkhave, whatever therein is tathatā (reality), avitathatā (not being untrue), anaññathatā (not being otherwise), specific causality — this, Bhikkhave, is called dependent origination.

122. And what, Bhikkhave, are the paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā (dependently arisen phenomena)? Ageing and death, Bhikkhave, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, subject to decay, subject to disappearance, subject to fading away, subject to cessation. Birth, Bhikkhave, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, subject to decay, subject to disappearance, subject to fading away, subject to cessation. Existence, Bhikkhave, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, subject to decay, subject to disappearance, subject to fading away, subject to cessation. Fuel, Bhikkhave, … and so on … craving, Bhikkhave, … feeling, Bhikkhave, … contact, Bhikkhave, … the six sense bases, Bhikkhave, … phenomenal objects, Bhikkhave, … consciousness, Bhikkhave, … mental constructions, Bhikkhave, … ignorance, Bhikkhave, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, subject to decay, subject to disappearance, subject to fading away, subject to cessation. These, Bhikkhave, are called the dependently arisen phenomena.

123. When, Bhikkhave, ‘this dependent origination and these dependently arisen phenomena’ have been well seen as they really are with correct understanding by a disciple of the liberated, that he will indeed run back to the past — ‘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 was I in the past?’; or run towards the future — ‘Will I be in the future? Will I not be in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? Having been what, what will I be in the future?’; or now, in the present time, be inwardly in doubt — ‘Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? This being, where has it come from? Where will it go?’ — this is not possible. For what reason? Because, Bhikkhave, this dependent origination and these dependently arisen phenomena have been well seen as they really are with correct understanding by the disciple of the liberated.”

124. The tenth [discourse of the chapter].

125. The Āhāravagga (Chapter on Food), the second.

126. Its summary:

127. Āhāra and Phagguna,
And the two Samaṇabrāhmaṇa;
Kaccānagotta, Dhammakathika,
Acela and Timbaruka;
And Bālapaṇḍita,
And the tenth, Paccaya.

Commentary

Section titled “Commentary”
  • Dependent origination is distinguished from the dependently arisen phenomena: the relation (“with birth as cause, ageing and death”) is what remains whether or not Tathāgatas arise; the twelve members are what is impermanent and subject to cessation.
  • idappaccayatā is “specific causality” (the glossary); dhammaṭṭhitatā and dhammaniyāmatā take the DPD’s “regularity of natural principles” and “invariance of natural principles”; tathatā, avitathatā, anaññathatā are “reality, not being untrue, not being otherwise”; dhātu is “component”.
  • The seven verbs of teaching (ācikkhati deseti paññāpeti paṭṭhapeti vivarati vibhajati uttānīkaroti) are “tells of, teaches, proclaims, sets forth, reveals, analyses, makes clear”.
  • The sixteen questions about a self in the three times are answered by the not-self teaching, which buddhavacana’s textbook treats in chapter 7.
  • The sutta closes the Āhāravagga; its uddāna (summary verse) lists the vagga’s ten suttas by name, kept as names here.

Parallels

Section titled “Parallels”

The frame and the sequence are the same: the Buddha announces that he will teach the law of causation and the dependently arisen phenomena (我今當說因緣法及緣生法, p. 84b), defines the first by the chain, states that whether a Buddha arises or not this principle stands constant and the Tathāgata awakens to it himself, attains perfect awakening and expounds, opens and reveals it to people (若佛出世，若未出世，此法常住，法住法界，彼如來自所覺知，成等正覺，為人演說，開示顯發, p. 84b), defines the dependently arisen phenomena, and ends with the learned disciple of the liberated (多聞聖弟子) who, knowing and seeing both, does not seek the past, does not seek the future and is not inwardly perplexed about the present (不求前際 … 不求後際 … 內不猶豫, pp. 84b–c), with the same questions, “did I exist in the past or not, what was I, how was I; will I exist in the future or not; what is this, where did this being come from, where will it go” (p. 84c). The differences, read in CBETA’s text:

  • Setting. The Chinese places the sutta at Rājagaha, in the Kalandaka bamboo grove (王舍城迦蘭陀竹園, p. 84b); the Pāḷi at Sāvatthī.
  • Where the constancy passage stands. The Pāḷi states “whether there is an arising of Tathāgatas or no arising of Tathāgatas, that component just remains” under dependent origination, for each of the twelve links; the Chinese defines the law of causation briefly, by the abstract formula and the chain (此有故彼有，謂緣無明行，緣行識，乃至如是如是純大苦聚集, p. 84b), and puts the constancy passage under the dependently arisen phenomena, stating it twice, for “with ignorance as cause, mental constructions, up to with birth as cause, ageing and death” and again for “with birth as cause, ageing, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, distress and suffering” (p. 84b).
  • The qualities of the principle. The Chinese expands the Pāḷi’s “reality, not being untrue, not being otherwise, specific causality” into “stability of principle, emptiness of principle, suchness of principle, thusness, not apart from suchness, not different from suchness, truly real, not inverted” (法住、法空、法如、法爾，法不離如，法不異如，審諦真實、不顛倒, p. 84b).
  • The dependently arisen phenomena. The Chinese merely lists them, “ignorance, mental constructions, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, fuel, existence, birth, ageing, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, distress and suffering” (p. 84b), adding illness; the Pāḷi declares each of the twelve impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, subject to decay, disappearance, fading away and cessation (paragraph 122).
  • The disciple. The Chinese adds that for such a disciple the worldly views that wanderers and brahmins arise with, views of a self, of beings, of a life and of taboo and auspice (我見所繫、說眾生見所繫、說壽命見所繫、忌諱吉慶見所繫), are all cut off at the root like the crown of a palmyra tree, not to arise in the future (p. 84c); the Pāḷi has only the sixteen questions and “this is not possible”.
  • The ending. The Chinese closes with the bhikkhus’ delight (佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行, p. 84c); the Pāḷi has no closing formula, the colophon of the Āhāravagga and its summary verse following instead.

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