April Meetings Topic

paticcasamuppada - Dependent Origination

So you know the basics - the four noble truths, the eightfold path, and the five aggregates of a human being. These Buddhist teachings all focus on the "whats" of existence.

Q. What is the nature of the world?
A. Four noble truths.

Q. What is the appropriate response/method to eliminating distress and living more skillfully?
A. Noble eight-fold path.

Q. What is a human being?
A. Five Aggregates.


Paticcasamuppada or dependent origination moves into the realm of the "hows?"

Q. How does suffering arise?
A. Paticcasamuppada.

Q. How does joy arise?
A. Paticcasamuppada.

Q. How does anger arise?
A. Paticcasamuppada.

Q. How is any part of existence/experience made manifest?
A. Paticcasamuppada.

With the exception of the Four Noble Truths, no other teaching is as crucial to Buddhist thought as paticcasamuppada (dependent origination). Paticcasamuppada is the heart of Buddhist causality and all that it entails. In essence, it is the Buddhist functional definition of existence.

The April BIG meetings will focus on this key teaching.

As always, each meeting will begin with a thirty minute meditation session, followed by a presentation and group discussion. Normally, the first meeting of the month will draw on a primary text from Buddhist scripture and the second meeting will focus on a modern commentary, but in April we will reverse that order a bit. The first meeting will give an overview of paticcasamuppada and the second meeting will offer resources for reading about dependent origination in the Buddhist scriptures.

Both meetings will offer opportunity for discussion. Please look for individual posts for each meeting subtitled "paticcasamuppada / dependent origination - 2005AprMtg1" and "paticcasamuppada / dependent origination - 2005AprMtg2" for details on meeting leader, date, time, location, and online resources.

This is an information-only post and cannot accept comments. The posts for the individual meetings will accept and, hopefully, encourage discussions through the postings. . .

paticcasamuppada / dependent origination - 2005AprMtg1

paticcasamuppada
Dependent Origination

2005 April - Meeting 1

Leader: Graham Robertson
Date: Wednesday 04/13/2005
Location: BIG Meeting Room - Lewman Farm
Time: 7:30pm - 9:00pm
__________________________

Resources:
This meeting's resources will be available within this post (see after outline) and as printed handouts at the meeting. April's second monthly meeting will focus on primary text resources that cover paticcasamuppada (dependent origination) in the Buddhist scriptures. This meeting will provide an overall introduction to the concept of dependent origination.


Presentation Outline:

I. Introduction to paticcasamuppada / dependent origination.
A. Role in Buddhist philosophy/theory
B. Interaction with salayatana / sense bases - (see handout)
C. Eleven/Twelve steps (see diagram below and handout)
D. Conditional progression / regression


II. Prominence of paticcasamuppada to Buddhist practice
A. Link to thought / behavior
B. Use as tool during meditation to train the mind
C. Relationship to causality / intention / skillful behavior

III. Discussion - Debate: some guiding questions
A. Is this a functional framework or actual description of what happens in the mind?
B. Is the teaching of dependent origination really that central to Buddhism?

Diagram of paticcasamuppada - Dependent Origination:

Eleven/Twelve-fold steps of dependent origination.
(click image to enlarge)

paticcasamuppada / dependent origination - 2005AprMtg2

paticcasamuppada
Dependent Origination

2005 April - Meeting 2

Leader: Graham Robertson
Date: Wednesday 04/27/2005
Location: BIG Meeting Room - Lewman Farm
Time: 7:30pm - 9:00pm
__________________________

Overview:
Tonight's meeting will be a review and continuation of discussion from April's first meeting on dependent origination ( Click here for eariler meeting details ) followed by some suggested suttas for further reading about dependent origination in the Buddhist scriptures.


Links to Readings About paticcasamuppada in Pali Canon:
(click to read)

Maha-nidana Sutta
Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta
Chachakka Sutta (relationship of paticca-samuppada to six senses)