A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1Dasgupta, Surendranath
Religion
A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1
Dasgupta, Surendranath
Hindu philosophy; India -- Religion
[Footnote 3: _Madhyamaka v@riti_ (B.T.S. 202-203). Poussin quotes from
_Dîgha_, II. 63, "si le vijñâna ne descendait pas dans le sein maternel
la namarupa s'y constituerait-il?" Govindânanda on S'a@nkara's commentary
on the _Brahma-sûtras_ (II. ii. 19) says that the first consciousness
(vijñâna) of the foetus is produced by the sa@mskâras of the previous
birth, and from that the four elements (which he calls nâma) and from that
the white and red, semen and ovum, and the first stage of the foetus
(_kalala-budbudâvasthâ_} is produced.]
92
@sa@dâyatana, spars'a, vedanâ, t@r@s@nâ, upâdâna and the bhava
(leading to another life) of the present actual life. This bhava
produces the jâti and jarâmara@na of the next life [Footnote ref l].
It is interesting to note that these twelve links in the chain
extending in three sections over three lives are all but the
manifestations of sorrow to the bringing in of which they naturally
determine one another. Thus _Abhidhammatthasa@ngaha_
says "each of these twelve terms is a factor. For the composite
term 'sorrow,' etc. is only meant to show incidental consequences
of birth. Again when 'ignorance' and 'the actions of the
mind' have been taken into account, craving (_t@r@s@nâ_), grasping
(_upâdâna_) and (_karma_) becoming (_bhava_) are implicitly accounted
for also. In the same manner when craving, grasping
and (_karma_) becoming have been taken into account, ignorance
and the actions of the mind are (implicitly) accounted for, also;
and when birth, decay, and death are taken into account, even
the fivefold fruit, to wit (rebirth), consciousness, and the rest are
accounted for. And thus:
Five causes in the Past and Now a fivefold 'fruit.'
Five causes Now and yet to come a fivefold 'fruit' make up
the Twenty Modes, the Three Connections (1. sa@nkhâra and
viññâna, 2. vedanâ and tanhâ, 3. bhava and jâti) and the four
groups (one causal group in the Past, one resultant group in the
Present, one causal group in the Present and one resultant
group in the Future, each group consisting of five modes) [Footnote ref
2]."
These twelve interdependent links (_dvâdas'â@nga_) represent
the pa@ticcasamuppâda (_pratâtyasamutpâda_) doctrines (dependent
origination) [Footnote ref 3] which are themselves but sorrow and lead to
cycles of sorrow. The term pa@ticcasamuppâda or pratîtyasamutpâda has
been differently interpreted in later Buddhist literature [Footnote ref
4].
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