THE DIAGRAM may be referred to in going through this chapter.

a. Right in the middle are Avijja and Tanha which are called the roots.

b. There are twofold Saccas - Samudaya and Dukkha. As this is the Vatta Desana the other two Saccas i.e., Magga and Niradha are shrouded in Ignorance (Avijja).

c. There are four sections -
(i) Past Causal continuum,
(ii) Present Causal Resultant,
(iii) Present Causal Continuum,
(iv) Future Causal Resultant.

d. There are twenty factors:

(i) Past causal Factors i.e., Avijja, Sankhara, Tanha, Upadana and Bhava.

(ii) Present Resultant Factors, i.e., Vinnana, Nama-rupa, Salayatana, Phassa and Vedana.

(iii) Present Causal Factors, i.e., Tanha, Upadana, Phava, Avijja and Sankhara.

(iv) Future Causal Resultant, i.e., Vinnanam, Nama-rupa, Salayatana, Phassa and Vedana.

e. There are twelve links i.e., Avijja, Sankhara, Vinnana, Nama-rupa, Salayatana, Phassa, Vedana, Tanha, Upadana, Bhava, Jati and Jara, Marana.

f. Three periods - Past, Present, future.

g. Three Vattas - Kelisa Vatta, Kamma Vatta, Vipa Vatta.

h. There are three cnnections: -

(i) Past Cause and present Resultant,
(ii) Present Cause and Future Resultant and
(iii) Present Cause and Future Resultant.

The Buddha taught Paticcasamuppada in accordance with Khandhas after observing the vanishing or disappearing of the same giving rise to another or in other words to the Law of causal Continuum with subsequent passing away or dissolution.

The late Maha Thera Mogok Sayadaw after careful observation of Khandhas drew this diagram as per attached. As such, the Yogi will be able to comprehend the Paticcasamuppada is nothing, but his own Khandhas and the Khnadhas are nothing, but the process of arising and passing away: and the process of arising and passing away is nothing but Dukkha Sacca. This is what khandhas intrinsically are, and which must be comprehended and cognised by insight knowledge. Only by comprehension and cognition of it, will the Sassata, Uccheda and Sakkaya Ditthi be eliminated. Therefore the Yogis are urged to try and comprehend what the Khandhas show, reveal, signify and indicate.

Below is the English rendering of Mara Thera Sayadawa's own verse:

Pivoted on Avijja and Tanha there arise nama-rupa, because of Upadana and Bhava,just like the seed from the tree and the tree from the seed, the same causal continuum goes on ad infinitum. Because of nama-rupa there arises Kamma, the true fact of this Causal Continuum may be understood and appreciated with wisdom that is not the work of the Creator-God or Great Brahma.

Another short verse:

Two in the Root, two in the sacca;
Four are the group;
Links numbering twelve well.
Threefold rounds and same in number connections
Three periods, consisting twelve factors.

Ananda Thera once said to be the Buddha that to him the Doctrine of Paticcasamuppada did not seem to be deep and profound. The Buddha replied that the Doctrine of Paticcasamuppada was deep indeed and deep as it appeared and for three times the Buddha forbade him to say so.

The Buddha said, "Ananda, it is due to the lack of through knowledge and wisdom of penetrating into this Doctrine that beings become entangled like a matted ball of tread, like munja grass and rushes, unable to pass beyond the woeful states of existence and Samsara, the cycle of rebirths."

Hence it is advised that this Doctrine be read and studied at all times when one is not occupied with other matters and completely at leisure. It can be said that the following benefits can be obtained by doing so.

1. When the Yogi fully comprehends the tenor of the Doctrine of paticcasamuppada, he will possess the penetrative knowledge of arising and disappearing. That is, when the process of arising of Khandhas is comprehended in accordance with the law of Causality, the (Uccheda) Annihilationist Wrong view can be eliminated, and when the process of passing away of old Khandhas and arising of new ones is fully comprehended in accordance with the Law of Causality the (Sassata) Externalist Wrong view can be eliminated.

When the intending Yogi fully comprehends and is cognisant of the phenomenon of the arising and perishing which is nothing but the process of the cause and effect in which there is neither being, men, women nor self, he can be said to be free from the shrouded veil of Atta or Sakkaya Ditthi (Egoism) for a time (Tadanga Pahana).

2. Paccaya Pariggaha nana (knowledge of Causal law) can be gained when he comprehends the process of arising and perishing as the result of the Causal Law.

3. Having full comprehended and being cognisant the depending on or because of Avijja and Tanha and Sankhara there come into being the Pancakhandha (5 aggregates or components) the Yogi can dispel the wrong view of Issaranimmana Ditthi, Akiriya Ditthi and Ahetuka Ditthi.

Issaranimmana Ditthi - wrong view of the universe is created by a Supreme being;

Akiriya Ditthi - wrong view that the meritorious deeds and demeritorious deeds will bring about neither merit nor demerit;

Ahetuka Ditthi - wrong view that there is no cause to an effect. All things happen without a cause. Causeless wrng view.

4. Right understanding of the Doctrine of Paticcasamuppada will enable the Yogi to realise that Khandhas are nothing but cumulative aggregation of the ceaseless process of the arising and perishing of physical and mental phenomena, i.e., Rupa, Vedana, Sanna, Sankhara, Vinnana. Ultimately the Yogi may attain the penetrative insight that after all, Paticcasamuppada is no other than the great mass of sorrow and suffering.

When the four above points are fully comprehended by the Yogi of Tadangapahana (temporarily) he will be free from the danger of falling into the Apayagati (woeful existence in the next existence).

Intending Yogis are advised the this Doctrine should be fully understood, before they enter into actual meditation so that they may reap the benefits of the first noble, second, the third and the fourth noble stages according to their Saddha (confidence), Panna (wisdom) and Viriya (effort).

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CHAPTER 3

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