[Update: I use my own lousy internet connection as the benchmark for loading times. The banner was so large, it often took minutes to load. So, it's been changed again to something less heavy. Hope you enjoy it.]
In honour of nothing in particular, the banner of this blog has been changed. As simple as it looks, it was quite the challenge to create, given my utter lack of creativity and perplexing inability to grasp the concept of the graphics program used to create it! The original idea was to install a photo of a palm leaf scripture, but we don’t have any here in the library. Then I thought, “why not make one with XXX (graphics program)?” Well, after several iterations, the “final” result has been uploaded. It doesn’t look at all like a palm leaf scripture, but then again, “art” needs no apology! So what does it say?
This, in Myanmar Pâéi, is the Second Bodhi Sutta, from Udâna in the Khuddhaka Nikâya of the Tipiíaka, listing in reverse order the 12 links of Dependent Origination/Arising – Paíiccasamuppâda. From “Buddhist Dictionary” by Nyanatiloka:
…is the doctrine of the conditionality of all physical and psychical phenomenon, a doctrine which, together with that of Impersonality (anatta), forms the indispensable condition for the real understanding and realisation of the teaching of the Buddha.
I plan to follow this post up with a more in depth look at Dependent Origination/Arising. But for now, I leave you with the Pâli romanisation followed by Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s translation:
Evaè me sutaè– ekaè samayaè Bhagavâ Uruvelâyaè viharati najjâ Nerañjarâya tîre bodhirukkhamûle paíhamâbhisambuddho. Tena kho pana samayena Bhagavâ sattâhaè ekapallaàkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaíisaèvedî. Atha kho Bhagavâ tassa sattâhassa accayena tamhâ samâdhimhâ vuííhahitvâ rattiyâ majjhimaè yâmaè paíiccasamuppâdaè paíilomaè sâdhukaè manasâkâsi–
“Iti imasmiè asati idaè na hoti, imassa nirodhâ idaè nirujjhati, yadidaè–
avijjânirodhâ saàkhâranirodho,
saàkhâranirodhâ viññâúanirodho,
viññâúanirodhâ nâmarûpanirodho,
nâmarûpanirodhâ saéâyatananirodho,
saéâyatananirodhâ phassanirodho,
phassanirodhâ vedanânirodho,
vedanânirodhâ taúhânirodho,
taúhânirodhâ upâdânanirodho,
upâdânanirodhâ bhavanirodho,
bhavanirodhâ jâtinirodho,
jâtinirodhâ jarâmaraúaèsokaparidevadukkhadomanassupâyâsâ nirujjhanti.Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotî”ti.
Atha kho Bhagavâ etamatthaè viditvâ tâyaè velâyaè imaè udânaè udânesi–
“Yadâ have pâtubhavanti dhammâ,
âtâpino jhâyato brâhmaúassa;
athassa kaàkhâ vapayanti sabbâ,
yato khayaè paccayânaè avedî.”
Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s translation from the newly redesigned Access to Insight:
I have heard that on one occasion, when the Blessed One was newly Awakened — staying at Uruvela by the banks of the Nerañjara River in the shade of the Bodhi tree, the tree of Awakening — he sat in the shade of the Bodhi tree for seven days in one session, sensitive to the bliss of release. At the end of seven days, after emerging from that concentration, in the second watch of the night, he gave close attention to dependent co-arising in reverse order, thus:
When this isn’t, that isn’t.
From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.In other words:
From the cessation of ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications.
From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness.
From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-and-form.
From the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of the six sense media.
From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact.
From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling.
From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving.
From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance.
From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming.
From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth.
From the cessation of birth, then old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair all cease.
Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress and suffering.Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
As phenomena grow clear
to the brahman — ardent, absorbed —
his doubts all vanish when he penetrates the ending
of requisite conditions.”
And if you’ve made it this far, an extra added bonus – an mp3 of my teacher, Sîtagû Sayadaw, chanting this verse, click here!
