Dependent origination and the Buddhist theory of relativity
Item and associated files
Author
Warnasuriya, Kottegoda S. See all items with this value
Date
2007
Volume
8
Pages
153-163
ISSN
1530-4108 See all items with this value
Abstract
Buddhist theory of Dependent Origination (Paticcasamuppāda or Pratītyasamutpāda) is one of the theories with regard to origination of phenomena. This is called the Theory of Causality in Buddhism. Some scholars named it the Chain of Causation. According to early Buddhist and later Buddhist schools, Dependent Origination is called the Middle Way (Majjhimāpaţipadā). Especially Nagarjuna founded his Central philosophy on the teaching of Dependent Origination. Main characteristic of the teaching of Dependent Origination is that it does not fall into any extreme. Buddha emphatically said that it is the truth of the world. And also he mentioned that whether the Buddhas are born or not this truth is always present in the world (Uppādā vā tathāgatānam anuppādā vā tathāgatānamţhitā vā sā dhātu dhammaţţhitatā dhammaniyāmatā idappacayatā paţiccasamuppādo).
Early Buddhist theory of Dependent Origination was presented as against some theories of origination already existing in India during the sixth century BCE. Pali Nikaya texts record many theories of origination advocated by recluses and Brahmanas during this period. In the Samyutta Nikaya Buddha has taken up four theories of origination out of these. In reply to a question raised by a Brahmana named Acelakasspa with regard to the origin of suffering Buddha expressed his own idea that suffering comes to be depending on causes and conditions (Paticcasamuppannam dukkham).
In early Buddhist texts we find two ways of explaining origination of phenomena. In the first place we have twelve-fold formula applied to human predicament of suffering (Dvādasānga paticcasamuppāda) in ascending order and descending order to explain the origin of suffering and its eradication. In the second place we have the theory of relativity regarding the origin of phenomena. For example, Buddha mentioned that a phenomenon comes to be in relation to another phenomenon. This theory was further elaborated by Nagarjuna and by his followers like Aryadeva, Chandrakirti and so forth. Another development of the Dependent Origination is the theory of paccayas. In the Patthānappakarana the fifth book of the Theravada Abhidharma, twenty four paccayas have been elaborated in a very technical way. Sarvāstivāda (later Vaibhāsika) school accepted only four conditions (Paccayas). Nagarjuna derived the doctrine of emptiness (Sūnyatā) by applying Dependent Origination to phenomena.
Early Buddhist theory of Dependent Origination was presented as against some theories of origination already existing in India during the sixth century BCE. Pali Nikaya texts record many theories of origination advocated by recluses and Brahmanas during this period. In the Samyutta Nikaya Buddha has taken up four theories of origination out of these. In reply to a question raised by a Brahmana named Acelakasspa with regard to the origin of suffering Buddha expressed his own idea that suffering comes to be depending on causes and conditions (Paticcasamuppannam dukkham).
In early Buddhist texts we find two ways of explaining origination of phenomena. In the first place we have twelve-fold formula applied to human predicament of suffering (Dvādasānga paticcasamuppāda) in ascending order and descending order to explain the origin of suffering and its eradication. In the second place we have the theory of relativity regarding the origin of phenomena. For example, Buddha mentioned that a phenomenon comes to be in relation to another phenomenon. This theory was further elaborated by Nagarjuna and by his followers like Aryadeva, Chandrakirti and so forth. Another development of the Dependent Origination is the theory of paccayas. In the Patthānappakarana the fifth book of the Theravada Abhidharma, twenty four paccayas have been elaborated in a very technical way. Sarvāstivāda (later Vaibhāsika) school accepted only four conditions (Paccayas). Nagarjuna derived the doctrine of emptiness (Sūnyatā) by applying Dependent Origination to phenomena.