Dependent Origination (පටිච්චසමුප්පාදය)

The twelve links of causality explain how suffering arises and continues in saṃsāra, and how liberation is possible.

What is Dependent Origination?

Dependent Origination (Paticca-samuppāda) is the principle that all phenomena arise in dependence upon conditions. Nothing exists independently; everything is interconnected. The Buddha taught this as the chain of twelve links that explain the arising of suffering.

The Twelve Links (නිදාන 12)

1. Avijjā (අවිද්‍යා) — Ignorance

Not seeing reality clearly, the root of the cycle.

2. Saṅkhāra (සංස්කාර) — Formations

Volitional actions shaped by ignorance.

3. Viññāṇa (විඤ්ඤාණ) — Consciousness

Awareness conditioned by past actions.

4. Nāma-rūpa (නාම-රූප) — Name & Form

Mental and physical existence.

5. Saḷāyatana (සළායතන) — Six Sense Bases

Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

6. Phassa (ඵස්ස) — Contact

Interaction of senses with objects.

7. Vedanā (වේදනා) — Feeling

Sensations of pleasure, pain, or neutrality.

8. Taṇhā (තණ්හාව) — Craving

Desire and attachment to feelings.

9. Upādāna (උපාදාන) — Clinging

Grasping at objects, views, or self.

10. Bhava (භව) — Becoming

Existence shaped by clinging and karma.

11. Jāti (ජාති) — Birth

Arising of new life conditioned by becoming.

12. Jarā-maraṇa (ජරා-මරණ) — Aging & Death

The inevitable result of birth, completing the cycle of suffering.

Color‑Coded Wheel of Dependent Origination

The wheel highlights three groups: Root Causes, Fuel of the Cycle, and Results of Suffering.

1. Avijjā 2. Saṅkhāra 3. Viññāṇa 4. Nāma-rūpa 5. Saḷāyatana 6. Phassa 7. Vedanā 8. Taṇhā 9. Upādāna 10. Bhava 11. Jāti 12. Jarā-maraṇa
Interpretation: Root causes (ignorance, formations) begin the cycle. Fuel links (consciousness through becoming) sustain it. Results (birth, aging, death) complete the chain. Breaking the cycle at craving or ignorance halts the wheel, leading to liberation.

Legend

Breaking the Chain

By removing ignorance through wisdom, the cycle is broken. Without craving and clinging, there is no becoming, birth, or death. This is the path to liberation (Nibbāna).

Sources and Further Reading

Dependent Origination is the Buddha’s profound teaching on causality, showing how suffering arises and how it can cease.