s the exact nature of this dependence. The question as
_Sa@myutta Nikaya_ (II. 5) has it with which the Buddha started
before attaining Buddhahood was this: in what miserable condition
are the people! they are born, they decay, they die, pass away
and are born again; and they do not know the path of escape
from this decay, death and misery.

How to know the Way to escape from this misery of decay
and death. Then it occurred to him what being there, are decay
and death, depending on what do they come? As he thought
deeply into the root of the matter, it occurred to him that decay
and death can only occur when there is birth (_jati_), so they depend

_____________________________________________________________________

[Footnote 1: There are some differences of opinion as to whether one could
take the doctrine of the twelve links of causes as we find it in the
_Sa@myutta Nikaya_ as the earliest Buddhist view, as Sa@myutta does not
represent the oldest part of the suttas. But as this doctrine of the
twelve causes became regarded as a fundamental Buddhist doctrine and
as it gives us a start in philosophy I have not thought it fit to enter
into conjectural discussions as to the earliest form. Dr E.J. Thomas drew
my attention to this fact.]

[Footnote 2: _Atthasatini_, p. 38. There are also other senses in which
the word is used, as _dhamma-desana_ where it means religious teaching.
The _La@nkavatara_ described Dharmma as _gu@nadravyapurvaka dharmma_, i.e.
Dharmmas are those which are associated as attributes and substances.]

85

on birth. What being there, is there birth, on what does birth
depend? Then it occurred to him that birth could only be if
there were previous existence (_bhava_) [Footnote ref 1]. But on what does
this existence depend, or what being there is there _bhava_. Then it
occurred to him that there could not be existence unless there
were holding fast (_upadana_) [Footnote ref 2]. But on what did upadana
depend? It occurred to him that it was desire (_ta@nha_) on which upadana
depended. There can be upadana if there is desire (_tanha_) [Footnote ref
3]. But what being there, can there be desire? To this question it
occurred to him that there must be feeling (_vedana_) in order that
there may be desire. But on what does vedana depend, or rather
what must be there, that there may be feeling (_vedana_)? To this
it occurred to him that there must be a sense-contact (_phassa_)
in order that there may b