PATICCASAMUPPADA

A Discourse by

Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma

Translated by U Aye Maung
Buddhasasana Nuggaha Organization
Mahasi Thathana Yeiktha, Burma

March, 1982

CONTENTS

1. Importance of the Doctrine

2. Reflection of the Bodhisatta

3. Anuloma Reasoning

4. Beyond Reasoning and Speculation

5. Dhamma is only for the wise

6. Difficulty of understanding

7. What is Avijja?

8. Ignorance of the origin of Dukkha

9. Ignorance of the Third and Fourth Noble Truths

10. Right View, etc.,

11. Avijja leads to Sankhara

12. Unwholesome Kammas

13. Rejection of good Kamma means bad Kamma

14. Ignorance and Illusion

15. Sankhara causes Vinnana

16. How Sankhara leads to new Vinnana

17. Sassata and Uccheda

18. Death-bed visions

19. The Story of Mahahammika upasaka

20. Vinnana and Nama-rupa

21. Upapata rebirth

22. Sansedaja beings

23. Vithi-cittas

24. Manodvara Vithi

25. Follow-up Vithi

26. From Vinnana arises Namarupa

27. The Story of Cakkhupala Thera

28. The Thera's Verdict

29. Pure thought and happiness

30. Namarupa and Salhayatana

31. Rupa and Ayatana

32. Summary

33. The Buddha's Emphasis on Practice

34. The Abstruseness of the Doctrine

35. Recapitulation

36. Vedana leads to Tanha

37. Six kinds of Tanha

38. Tanha and Samsara

39. The Story of Mahatissa Thera

40. Story of a Parrot

41. Contemplation and Extinction

42. Cutting off at the Foundation

43. Kilesa and Unmindfulness

44. Thoughts and Tactile Impressions

45. Three kinds of Craving

46. Tanha causes Upadana

47. Bases of Sensual Pleasure

48. Right Views

49. Seeing the world beyond

50. Parami and Kamma

51. Silabbatupadana

52. The story of Korakhattiya

53. Other Silabbata practices

54. Attavadupadana

55. Kammabhava

56. Story of Mendaka

57. Upadana and Kammabhava

58. Puppharatta Jataka

59. Right and wrong good Kamma

60. Kamma and Rebirth

61. Four kinds of Kamma

62. Story of Ajatasattu

63. Habitual and Death-bed Kammas

64. Birth and Suffering

65. Grief and Lamentation

66. Story of Subrahma deva

67. Kamupadana means all kinds of Excessive Craving

68. Attachment to belief as the Cause of Rebirth

69. Superstition and Evil Rebirth

70. Fanaticism or Religious Upadana

71. Silabbatupadana-Attachment to wrong Practices

72. Attavadupadana

73. Story of Ugga

74. Vipassana Practice and Upadana

75. Life-cycle and three time-dimensions

76. Five causes in the Past

77. Distinction between Sankhara and Kammabhava

78. Present Effect due to Past cause

79. Knowledge for Vipassana practice

80. Removing the Present causes

81. The Arahat's outlook on life

82. Not annihilation but Extinction of Suffering

83. Story of Yamaka

84. Bhikkhuni Vajira on the Nature of Khandhas

85. Four layers, three links and twenty factors

86. Three cycles

87. Four Aspects of Paticcasamuppada

88. The False View of Sati

89. Distinctive Character of each Phenomenon

90. Absence of Effort

91. Conclusion

92. Cutting off the Cycle of Defilements

93. Arahan and the Attributes of the Buddha.

94. Story of Baka brahma

95. Sammasambuddha

96. The fame of the Buddha

97. The Four Noble Truths in brief

98. Summary