Changes in the Interpretation of the Paţiccasamuppādańgas : On the interpretation of Paţiccasamuppāda theory in the Mahāvihāra Theravāda tradition

The Interpretation of the Paţiccasamuppādangas in the Mahāvihāra Theravāda tradition changed in the order of the ""Vibhasigasutta"", Vibhańga, VIsuddhimagga and the commentaries on the Vinaya and the four Nikāyas. In this paper, I examine the process of change in these different interpretations. (1) The ""Vibhańgasutta"" (Samyuttanikāyu Nidānavagga2) is the only sutta in the four Nikāyas that describes paţiccasamuppāda as having twelve ańgas and defines all twelve paţiccasamuppādańgas. (2) The ""Suttantabhājaniya"" section of the ""Paccayākāravibhańga"" chapter in the Vibhańga follows almost the same definitions of the paţiccasamuppādańgas as are found in the ""Vibhańgasutta"", but changes the definitions of sańkhārā, nāma, and bhava. ""Vibhańgasutta"" → Vibhańga (a) sańkhārā : kāya-, vacī-, mano-sańkhāra → puñña-, apuñña-, āneñja-, kāya-, vacī-, mano-(abhi)sańkhāra (b) nāma : v edanā, sañña, cetanā, phassa, manasikāra → sañña-, sańkhāra-, viññāna-kkhandha (As a result of this change, viññāna and nāmarūpa came to mean pañcakkhandha) (c) bhava : kāma-, rūpa-, arūpa-bhava. → kamma-, uppatti-bhava These changes made both ""sańkhārā ⇒ viññāna・nāmarūpa"" and ""bhava ⇒ jāti"" common causation as follows. (a) sańkhārā ⇒ viññāna → nāmarūpa ＝ puñña-, apuñña-, āneñja-abhisańkhāra ⇒ khandhā kāya-, vaci-, mano-sańkhārā (b) bhava ⇒ jāti ＝ kamma-bhava (including puñña-, apuñña-, āneñja-abhisańkhāra) ⇒ khandhā uppatti-bhava ※jāti is defined as ""khandhānam pātubhāvo"" (the appearance of khandhā) in the Vibhanga. But in this text the standpoints of ""kayia-, vaci-, mano-sańkhārā"" and ""uppatti-bhavia"" are not yet clear. (3) The Visuddhimagga basically follows the same definition of the paţiccasamuppādańgas as found in the Vibhańga rather than those of the ""Vibhańgasutta"". Moreover, the Visuddhimagga interpretes the six sańkhāras as three sańkhāras, and restricts bhava as being the cause of jāti to only kammabhava. (a) sańkhārā ⇒ viññāna → nāmarūpa ＝ puñña-, apuñña-, āneñja-abhisańkhāra ⇒ khandhā (b) bhava ⇒ jāti ＝ kamma-bhava (including puñña-, apuñña-, āneñja-abhisańkhāra) ⇒ khandhā Therefore, it is clear those the Vrsuddhimagga interpretes both ""sańkhārā"" ⇒ viññāna→nāmarūpa"" and ""bhava ⇒ jāti"" as ""kamma (action) ⇒ rebirth"". With these interpretations, Paţiccasamuppāda theory came to explain the causation of the past, present, and future. (4) The commentary on the Vinaya (Samantapāsādikā) and the commentaries on the four Nikāyas (Sumańgalavilāsinī, Papañcasūdanī, Sāratthappakāsinī, Manorathapūranī) do not explain paţiccasamuppāda in detail and advise readers to study it by reading the Visuddhimagga. Thus, the Visuddhimagga represents the final stage in the interpretation of paţiccasamuppāda theory