Buddhism
Dependent Origination: Paṭicca-samuppāda
· 8 min read
A guide to the doctrine of Dependent Origination and the 12 links.
Dependent Origination
Paṭicca-samuppāda is the doctrine of dependent origination. It is one of the deepest teachings of the Buddha: phenomena arise in dependence on other phenomena.
The 12 Links
12 links of conditioned existence: ignorance, formations, consciousness, name-form, six bases, contact, sensation, desire, clinging, becoming, birth, aging-death.
The 3 Cycles
The 12 links are understood in 3 cycles: past, present, future.
Liberation
Liberation is achieved by breaking the cycle.
The Middle View
Nagarjuna taught that the 12 links are not fixed entities, but conditional processes.
Sources
- The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
- Bhikkhu Bodhi: A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma
- The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism
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