Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c18.s5.35

v1.c18.s5.35

Buddhaghosa observes that by *samuppāda* is not meant origin (*uppāda*), pure and simple. It is not also the doctrine of nothingness (*natthitā*). It negatives the doctrines of *sassata* and *uccheda*.¹ By the word *paṭicca* is meant that a thing originates not by itself (*ekekato*) nor without a cause (*nāpi ahetuto*); it originates by depending on certain other things (*paccayasāmaggim paṭicca*) as a fruition (*phalavohārena*). By the compound word *paṭiccasamuppāda* is meant that a cause leads to an effect (*patimukham ito = gato*) unalterably, and the cause and effect are not separable from each other; cause and effect are mutually dependent and which mutual dependence is unalterably fixed.