What is Pratityasamutpada? How is it related to four Nobel truths? Compare interpretations of Pratityasamutpada given by any two schools of Buddhism

Pratītyasamutpāda (Dependent Origination) is a fundamental concept in Buddhism that explains the interconnectedness and conditionality of all phenomena.

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It asserts that nothing exists independently; everything arises and ceases due to specific causes and conditions. The doctrine is encapsulated in the formula: “When this exists, that comes to be; when this ceases, that ceases.”

It is often expressed through the twelve links (nidānas) that describe the cycle of samsara (birth, death, and rebirth):

  1. Ignorance (avidyā)
  2. Volitional actions (saṃskāra)
  3. Consciousness (vijñāna)
  4. Name-and-form (nāmarūpa)
  5. Six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana)
  6. Contact (sparśa)
  7. Feeling (vedanā)
  8. Craving (tṛṣṇā)
  9. Clinging (upādāna)
  10. Becoming (bhava)
  11. Birth (jāti)
  12. Aging and death (jarāmaraṇa)

Relation to the Four Noble Truths

  1. First Noble Truth (Dukkha – Suffering): Pratītyasamutpāda identifies the arising of suffering through dependent conditions, especially craving and ignorance.
  2. Second Noble Truth (Samudaya – Cause of Suffering): It highlights the role of craving (tṛṣṇā) and ignorance (avidyā) as primary causes of suffering.
  3. Third Noble Truth (Nirodha – Cessation of Suffering): The cessation of suffering can be achieved by breaking the cycle of dependent origination, particularly by eliminating ignorance and craving.
  4. Fourth Noble Truth (Magga – Path to Cessation): The Eightfold Path provides the means to uproot the conditions that sustain samsara.

Interpretations of Pratītyasamutpāda

Theravāda Interpretation

Theravāda Buddhism emphasizes Pratītyasamutpāda as an explanation of individual experience and the cycle of rebirth. It views the twelve links as a temporal sequence spanning three lifetimes:

  • Past life: Ignorance and volitional actions.
  • Present life: Consciousness through feeling.
  • Future life: Craving through aging and death.

Theravāda focuses on breaking this cycle through insight (vipassanā) and ethical conduct.

Madhyamaka Interpretation (Mahāyāna)

The Madhyamaka school interprets Pratītyasamutpāda as a philosophical principle demonstrating the emptiness (śūnyatā) of all phenomena. Nāgārjuna argues that because all phenomena arise dependently, they lack inherent existence. This understanding challenges the notion of a fixed self and enables liberation by realizing emptiness.

Comparison

  • Focus: Theravāda emphasizes the psychological and temporal aspects of Pratītyasamutpāda, while Madhyamaka expands it to a metaphysical principle of emptiness.
  • Purpose: In Theravāda, the goal is breaking the cycle of rebirth through individual liberation. In Madhyamaka, the focus is on achieving wisdom (prajñā) by understanding emptiness.
  • Scope: Theravāda is primarily concerned with practical ethics and meditation. Madhyamaka incorporates a broader philosophical analysis to support Mahāyāna’s universal liberation ideal.

Both interpretations, however, align in showing how ignorance perpetuates suffering and how understanding conditionality leads to liberation.

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