100 H. M. Vidyabhushan— The Buddhist Bhava Chahra. [March, 



(3.) Oh Bhikslms, whose minds have become purified by the light 

 of wisdom, listen to me. I will explain to you the law of causes and 

 effects in their proper order : — 



(4.) The all enveloping Avidya is the radical up-binding cause 

 of Samsara, the great tree of poison which is full of misery. 



(5.) Avidya is the efficient cause of Samskaras, which have in 

 them the essence of body, speech, and mind. Samskara gives rise to 

 Vijnana (consciousness), which has in it the conception of mind. 



(6.) From Vijnana comes Nama-Rupa, the idea of individuality, 

 which brings into operation the six organs of sense. 



(7.) The connection, or contact, of Nama-Rupa with the six organs 

 of sense is called Sparsa. Sensation caused by contact with the senses 

 is called Vedana. 



(8.) Yedana opei'ating on objects produces Trishna (desire). The 

 activity of desire is called Upadana. 



(9.) Upadana produces Bhava (re-incarnation), in the three states, 

 namely Kama, Rtipa, and Arupa. 



Re-incarnation causes species, i. e. : moving to different kinds of 

 existence. 



(10.) Jati, or individualized existence, brings on old age, misery, 

 and death. Cessation from Avidya stops all these sufferings. 



(11.) This cycle of causality based on Avidya is of manifold opera- 

 tion. You, Bhikshus, who enjoy peace and retirement in solitude 

 should fully comprehend it by meditation. So that in course of time 

 Avidya becoming weakened may be dissipated. 



The Buddhists presuppose the existence of certain aggregates of 

 atoms (some internal and »ome external) which constitute this uni- 

 verse. The external aggregates constitute the elements of earth, water, 

 fire, &c. The internal or mental aggregates consist of Skandhas or 

 groups of sensation, knowledge, feeling, &c. All these taken together 

 constitute the basis of all personal existence. The personal existence is 

 formed out of these by the cycle of causality called Pratitya Samutpada 

 headed by Avidya, a term which has been variously rendered by 

 scholars as Nescience, Ignorance, &c. 



First of all Avidya operates on the basis of the impersonal existence 

 of a being, or in other words on the union of the two kinds of aggregates, 

 and thereby generates what is called Sainskara. 



It must not be here supposed that by the appearance of Samskara 

 Avidya at all disappears. It continues to work as a concurrent cause 

 with Sainskara. Sainskara in its turn causes consciousness, or Vijnana, 



a term by whieh tlie Huddhists convey the idea of soul. When Vijnana 



appear-, Sainskara also continues to operate as a concurrent cause; 

 Vijnana again generates Nama and Rupa, i, e., the individual being 



