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)