Translating The Term Paticcasamuppada Into English

Transcript

  The Problem of Translating the Term  Paticcasamuppāda into English The central teaching of Buddhism as accepted by the Madyamaka tradition is thePaticcasamuppāda while in the Theravada tradition it is the Four Noble Truth. However,in present day society, the Theravada scholars accept that the Four Noble Truth is basedon Paţiccasamuppāda. The canon says that Paţiccasamuppāda is called the “middle path”(Majjhimā pat padā,). 1 The English term, which has come to be commonly used bytranslators to designate, specially, the Buddhist concept of causation (Paţccasamuppāda),is usually referred to in Buddhist scriptures by the term Paticcasamuppāda (Pali) andPratītyasamutpāda (Skt). 2 Prof. K. N. Jayathilake states “Causation as understood inBuddhism stands midway between the Indeterminism of   yadr    cchāvāda and the StrictDeterminism of  niyativāda” 3 . Meanwhile, Prof. David J Kalupahana mentions “It placescausality midway between fatalism ( niyativāda ) and accidentalism (  yadr    chāvāda )”. 4 Inthis way, the eminent scholars who enlightened on the subject, Prof. W. S.Karunarathne, 5 Prof. K. N. Jayathilake, 6 Prof. D. J. Kalupahana etc. 7 have expressed their view with regard to the formation of Paţiccasamuppāda.The Buddha delivered what He realised to the individual in a society where manyviews ( diţţhi ) existed. The Brahmajala Sutta 8 states sixty-two dogmas (views) that prevailed in the contemporary Indian society of the Buddha and all the dogmas weregrouped by Him under eternalism ( Sāsvatavāda ) and annihilationism ( Ucchedavāda ).The method used by the Buddha to reject the Sasvatavāda is the analysis i.e. fiveaggregate (  pañcakkhanda ), twelve bases, ( dvādasāyatana ), eighteen elements( aţţhārasadhātu ) etc. while He used the Paţiccasamuppāda, in which the synthesis isdescribed, to reject the annihilationism. Therefore, the aim of the Buddha is to show thecontinuity of the individual in the context of the cycle of birth and death. 1 S. N. Vol. iv. 330; Vol. ii. 17; 20; 23;Causality: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, David J. Kalupahana. P. 91 2 Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, Vol. IV. Edition Chief. G. P. Malalasekara, p. 375 3 Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge, K. N. Jayathilake, Delhi, 1980. p. 445 4 Causality: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, David J. Kalupahana. P. 94 5 See- The Theory of Causality W. S. Karunaratne, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka, 1988 6 See- Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge, K. N. Jayathilake, Delhi, 1980. 7 See- Causality: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, David J. Kalupahana. 8 Brahmajāla Sutta, D. N., Vol. I., PTS, pp. 1-46 1  The term Paticcasamuppāda is identified with the twelve-fold formula of causality at many places in the Nikāyās. 9 The Mahatanhāsankaya Sutta deals with thedeep explanation of the twelve-fold formula one by one firstly, secondly the summary of it, thirdly the cause of suffering and finally cessation of suffering. The special feature of Paticcasamuppāda with regard to other teachings of the Buddha is the methodology thatHe observes to explain the reality behind us. When the Buddha explains the cause of suffering following the Paţiccasamuppāda, He observes the regular order ( anuloma ) 10  and for the explanation of the cessation of suffering, He observes the negations followingthe same regular order without observing the reverse order (  paţiloma )  11 as in other  places. For example, in Canki Sutta 12 Buddha has used the regular order  13  to explain how 9 Paticcasamuppada Sutta, S. N., Vol. II., PTS, pp. 2-5Paccaya Sutta, S. N., Vol. II., PTS, pp. 42-3Mahatanhasamkaya Sutta, M. N. Vol. I., PTS, pp. 256-71 10   imasmim sati idam hoti, imassuppādā idam uppajjati, yadidam– avijjāpaccayā sańkhārā, sańkhārapaccayā viññānam, viññānapaccayā nāmarūpam, nāmarūpa paccayā salāyatanam, salāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā tańhā, tańhāpaccayāupādānam, upādānapaccayā bhavo, bhavapaccayā jāti, jātipaccayā jarāmaranam sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti. Eva-metassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. ibid. p.263 11   imasmim asati idam na hoti, imassa nirodhā idam nirujjhati, yadidam–avijjānirodhā samkhāranirodho, samkhāranirodhā viññānanirodho, viññānanirodhā nāmarūpani rodho,nāmarūpanirodhā salāyatananirodho, salāyatananirodhā phassanirodho, phassanirodhāvedanānirodho, vedanānirodhā tanhānirodho, tanhānirodhā upādānanirodho, upādānanirodhābhavanirodho, bhavanirodhā jātinirodho, jātinirodhā jarāmaranam sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodhohoti. ibid. p.264 12 Canki Sutta, M. N. Vol. ii., PTS, pp. 164-77 13    saddhājāto upasamkamati, upasamkamanto payirupāsati, payirupāsanto sotamodahati, ohitasotodhammam sunāti, sutvā dhammam dhāreti, dhatānam ‚ dhammānam attham upaparikkhati, atthamupaparikkhato dhamma nijjhānamkhamanti, dhammanijjhānakkhantiyā sati chando jāyati, chandajāto ussahati, ussahitvā tuleti, tulayitvā padahati, pahitatto samānokāyena ceva paramasaccam sacchikaroti paññāya ca nam ativijjha passati. ibid. p.173 2  one attains the final extinction and the reverse order  14 to examine the reasons why onedoes not come to the extinction. However, Paccaya Sutta deals with the reverse order (  paţiloma ) to explain the universal principle of causality. 15 When the methods used bythe Buddha are considered, it is clear that Paţiccasamuppāda has been discussed in adifferent manner to examine the being and the world.When the factors mentioned in the Sutta are taken into consideration, there arosemany considerable points with regard to the formation of Paţiccasamuppāda since it has been considered as a circle or line. If the twelvefold formula of the Paţiccasamuppādacan be accepted as a circle, even the first and the last of the formulas could follow after one another. However, the final formula,  jarāmarana does not cause avijjā . In the other words, avijjā is not raised as a result of   jarāmarana . Therefore, though the twelvefoldformulas arise being themselves as the cause and effect,  jarāmarana could not produce avijjā . Since the twelvefold formula could not have been considered as the circle, therearises an opinion that the twelvefold formula would place as a line. If this were accepted,the first cause would be avijjā while the final effect would be decay and death.Therefore, Paţiccasamuppāda cannot be considered as a line, too. The simile of two bamboo poles given in Nalakalapa Sutta to explain the co-existence of name and form( nāma-rūpa ) is one of the most suitable similes in this regard. The two bamboo poles areerected against each other or with the help of one another. 16 Being considered thedifficulty of providing a reliable simile to the Paţiccasamuppāda, even the greatexpounder, the Buddha, is away of applying any simile. However, the simile of wheel 14   Saccānupattiyā kho Bhāradvāja, padhānam bahukāram. No cetam padaheyya, naidam saccamanupāpuneyya… no ceatam tuleyya, naidam padaheyya… no cetam usseheyya, naidam tuleyya… nocetam chando jayetha, naidam usseheyya… ibid. p.174 15    Bhavapaccayā, bhikkhave, jāti …pe… upādānapaccayā, bhikkhave, bhavo… tańhāpaccayā,bhikkhave, upādānam… vedanāpaccayā, bhikkhave, tańhā… phassapaccayā, bhikkhave, vedanā… salāyatanapaccayā, bhikkhave, phasso… nāmarūpapaccayā, bhikkhave, salāyatanam…viññānapaccayā, bhikkhave, nāmarūpam… sańkhārapaccayā, bhikkhave, viññānam… avijjā paccayā, bhikkhave, sańkhārā uppādā vā tathāgatānam anuppādā vā tathāgatānam, ţhitāva sā dhātudhammaţţhitatā dhammani-yāmatā idappaccayatā. Paccaya Sutta, S. N., Vol. II., PTS, p. 42 16   dve nalakalāpiyo aññamaññam nissāya tittheyyum Nalakalapa Sutta, S. N. Vol. ii., p.112 3  with its spokes and the hub that has been used by Ven. Buddhagosha in hisVisuddhimagga 17 to explain the process of life is being considered as a simile that could be compared with process of the pa Ê iccasamuppāda. The hub, which is centred in thewheel, could be similar to ignorance ( avijjā ), the cause of everything. The spokes that areattached with the hub and the rim are the remaining formulas while the rim is decay anddeath (  jarāmarana ). As we are living in a world where the technology is being highlydeveloped we can take the simile of a television. The television is similar to the living being while what is behind the being is similar to the circuit board that is placed inside of the television. If one of the equipment of the circuit board is out of order, television willnot operate properly.The evidence in the Nikāya shows us that there is a variety of purposes behindthe Paţiccasamuppāda. 18  1.Mahatanhasamkaya Sutta 19 - the aim of the Paticcasamuppāda is to repudiate the belief in a permanent transmigrating viññāna by describing the inter-dependentnature of all component things including consciousness.2.Sivaka Sutta, 20 the purpose of Paticcasamuppāda is to refute the view thateverything is due to previous causes (  sabbampubbekata-hetu ).3.Paccaya Sutta 21 the purpose of Paticcasamuppāda is to enunciate a universal philosophical principle of conditionality.Being the Paţiccasamuppāda, the essence of Buddhism, the term is to betranslated into English. Therefore, the terms currently being used are to be examinedwhether they preserve the exact meaning of the term Paţiccasamuppāda or not and out of them which could be applied as the most suitable translated term. The terms that aremostly used are:1.Theory of Causality2.Causal Theory 17 The Path of Purification, Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa, tra. Bhikkhu ñānamoli, Singapore BuddhistMeditation Centre, p. 207 18 Causality: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, David J. Kalupahana. p.32 19 Mahatanhasamkaya Sutta, M. N. Vol. I., PTS, pp. 256-71 20 Sivaka Sutta, S. N. Vol. iv., P.230 21 Paccaya Sutta S. N., Vol. II., PTS, pp. 42-3 4