12 links of dependent origination
The Teaching of Dependent Origination
12 Links of Dependent Origination
1) ignorance, avidyā, avijjā;
2) volitional actions, samskāra, sankhāra;
3) consciousness, vijñāna, viññāna;
4) material & physical phenomena or individuality, nāma-rūpa;
5) six sense faculties, sad-āyatana, salāyatana;
6) contact, sparśa, phassa;
7) sensation, vedanā, vedanā;
8) desire, trsnā, tanhā
9) clinging, upādāna, upādāna
10) becoming, bhava, bhava.
11) birth, jāti, jāti.
12) old age & death, jarā-marana, jarā-marana.
- From the Samyutta-nikāya:
...What is dependent origination? On ignorance depend actions. On actions depends consciousness. On consciousness depend name and form. On name and form depend the six sense organs. On the six sense organs depends contact. On contact depends feeling. On feeling depends craving. On craving depends grasping. On grasping depends becoming. On becoming depends birth. On birth depend old age and death, grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation, and worry. Thus does the whole aggregation of suffering arise. ...This is called arising.
However, if there is no ignorance, actions cease. With the cessation of actions, consciousness ceases. With the cessation of consciousness, name and form cease. With the cessation of name and form, the six sense organs cease. With the cessation of the six sense organs, contact ceases. With the cessation of contact, feeling ceases. With the cessation of feeling, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, grasping ceases. With the cessation of grasping, becoming ceases. With the cessation of becoming, birth ceases. With the cessation of birth, old age and death, grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation, and worry cease. Thus does the whole aggregation of suffering cease.