Because the principle of Dependent Origination is quite complex and more a matter for the specialist than for the casual reader, the standard model of Dependent Origination may be simplified in to 2 kind of Vatta or cycle: Samsara Vatta and Tri Vatta.
Samsara Vatta covers three lifetimes, past life, present life and future life. Past life is comprised ignorance and volitional impulse. Present life includes consciousness, body and mind, sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging and becoming. Future life includes birth, aging, and death [ sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair ]. This model corresponds to the interpretation of life time and world evolution. This makes the teaching of Buddhism seem very similar to other religious teaching and idealistic philosophies, which postulate the Origination principle, such as God. This type ofinterpretation under such a model, contradict the theory of Anatta in Buddhism.
The second model is Tri Vatta, which consists of Kilesavatta, Kammavatta and Vipakavatta. This model demonstrates the arising and cessation of suffering on both the individual and the social level. These three Vatta are continually propelling each other around in the cycle of life.
Kilesavatta comprises ignorance, craving and clinging, which are called Kilesa or defilements, the instigating forces for various kinds of deluded thought and action.
Kammavatta comprises volitional impulse, i.e. Sankhara and Rebirth conditioning actions [ kamma - bhava ]. These are kamma the process of action based on kilesa which conditions life.
Vipakavatta consists of consciousness, body and mind, the six sense bases, contact and felling. These factors are vipaka, life events resulting from the effects of kamma. These nourish kilesa, which then become the causes of the creation of more kamma.
Because defilements or kilesa are the prime motivator of life conditions, they are positioned at the starting point of the cycle. Thus we can distinguish two starting points, or activating agents, in the wheel of life. Ignorance is the agent from the past, which influence the present up to the state of feeling. Meanwhile, craving is the agent in the present time, extending the cycle from feeling up until the future, aging and death.
Samsaravatta is the standard model used to literature interpret the principle of Dependent Origination as a beginningless and endless process of evolution and the round of rebirth connecting between the three lifetime, the past, the present and the future. Although seemingly valid in that it makes Buddhist ethical value possible, it can still be seen to have limited the Buddhist doctrine of Mujhenadhamma, and certainly contradicts the Buddhist teaching of Anatta.
Those who do not agree with this model, would prefer to see a reference to the cycle of rebirth more immediate in this lifetime, might like to select the alternative model of Tri vatta. It is a process, which is continually occurring, according to the various kinds of skillful, unskilful and neutral mental states, involved in our daily lives. Although this interpretation is more profound, it is reasonable and consistent with the Buddhist teaching.
Below is how the principle of Dependent Origination works at the personal and the social level:
Ignorance leads to volitional impulse >>> consciousness >>> body and mind >>> sense base >>> contact >>> feeling >>> craving
At the personal level, this craving leads to clinging >>> Becoming >>> Birth >>> Aging and death >>> sorrow, lamentation >>> finally leading to suffering in individual life.
At the social level, craving leads to seeking >>> gain >>> valuation >>>fondness >>> possessiveness >>> ownership >>> avarice >>> guarding >>> argument, connection, abuse, lying >>> and finally leading to suffering in a social context.
Anyone who wants to study the above chains of events clearly, can find more details in the text, Buddhadhamma, writen by the venerable Phra Dhammapitaka, [ P. A. Payutto ]
By THE BUDDHA'S Core Teachings
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