#buddhism #buddhismexplained
Dependent origination, also known as "Pratītyasamutpāda" in Sanskrit, is a fundamental concept in Buddhist philosophy. It describes the interconnectedness and interdependence of all phenomena. According to this principle, nothing exists in isolation; everything is the result of a web of causes and conditions.The concept is often illustrated through a chain of twelve links, showing how ignorance leads to a series of conditions that ultimately result in suffering, the cycle of rebirth (samsara), and the perpetuation of existence. These twelve links are:
Ignorance (Avidyā): Lack of understanding of the nature of reality.
Formations (Saṅkhāra): Volitional actions or karmic formations.
Consciousness (Viññāṇa): The stream of consciousness that continues from one life to the next.
Mind and Body (Nāmarūpa): The combination of mental and physical forms.
The Six Senses (Ṣaḍāyatana): The five physical senses plus the mind as a sense organ.
Contact (Sparśa): Sensory experience.Feeling (Vedanā): The experience of pleasure, pain, or neutrality.
Craving (Tṛṣṇā): Desire for what is pleasurable.Clinging (Upādāna): Attachment to desires.
Becoming (Bhava): The process of becoming, leading to new existence.Birth (Jāti): Physical birth and the beginning of a new life.
Aging and Death (Jarāmaraṇa): The inevitable aging and death that follow birth.
Understanding and breaking free from this cycle is central to the Buddhist path towards enlightenment and the cessation of suffering (nirvana). The teaching emphasizes that by understanding the nature of these interdependent links, one can disrupt the cycle and attain liberation.
