..續本文上一頁not craving first. Through craving is conditioned clinging (ta.nhaa-paccayaa upaadaana.m). It is craving for sense-pleasures (kaama­-ta.nhaa) that leads to sensuous clinging. It is craving for eternal existence (bhava-ta.nhaa) which gives rise to clinging to the belief in a self (attavaadupaadaana). It is craving for annihilation (vibhava-ta.nhaa) which is the origin of clinging to erroneous opinions (di.t.thupaadaana). By not realizing the necessity of effects arising from causes, the possibility of further effects will be overlooked and thus rebirth denied. Craving for annihilation might also lead one to employ inappropriate means to nullify kammic reactions by super­stitious practices (siilabbatuupaadaana).

　　Craving is the real turning point, the crank that sets the wheel of rebirth, the machinery of life and death working. Craving imparts selfishness, that is, the “I”-concept, to mere sensation, thus fertilizing the seeds produced by pre­vious action. Here with craving, the problem of rebirth is given anew, and with the cessation of craving this prob­lem is solved. In the process of craving, kamma is con­ceived which in due time will grow out into rebirth and death—like from friction the spark is born which will grow out into a conflagration. With this process of grasping is given the explanation of inpiduality, for life is a process of grasping.

　　If craving is dissolved, the whole world becomes a mere play of the senses, where the self is no longer an actor. Where the self does not act there is no kamma and no more rebirth, so that with the ending of craving the turning of the wheel of sa.msaara will have come to a stop.

　　This, however, does not explain the beginning, the origination of craving. Craving, clinging, desire, volition, will, is not a force which is stored up to be discharged at any moment, but it arises anew over and over again; and in its arising lies the meaning of this whole play of world-events. For apart from this “I” the world has no meaning. The “I” is a reaction; and without this reac­tion how can action be known

　　 This reaction is sensa­tion, and on this sensation is dependent craving (vedanaa paccayaa ta.nhaa).

　　Here again, sensation or feeling is not the cause of craving, but merely a condition, for without sensation no craving can arise, and yet not all sensation needs to produce craving. Here alone a break is possible; here alone in the long chain of conditioned reactions it is possible to come to a stop. If all feeling would result in craving with all its evil consequences, the attainment of Arahatship and Nibbaana would be impossible. Like a seed can grow up into a plant under favourable circumstances and yet those circumstances, however necessary, are not the cause of the plant, but mere conditions to its growth—­so sensation can develop into craving, if the conditions thereto are favourable. The favourable condition to the arising of craving is ignorance, for if knowledge of the real nature of things were present, craving would be im­possible. It is thus to ignorance (avijjaa) that we shall have to trace the origin of craving.

　　Feeling or sensation in any of its three modes of pleasure, pain or indifference, in so far as it is a karma-resultant, is the condition without which no craving can arise (vedanaa-paccayaa ta.nhaa). Thus pleasurable feeling might give rise to craving for more; painful feeling to craving for freedom therefrom and indifferent feeling to craving for its tran­quil sensation. Feeling, however, cannot arise without con­tact (phassa); sensation cannot arise without the senses (sa.laayatana). Here it is clearly seen that the causal chain of dependent origination (pa.ticca samuppaada) should not be understood as a pure succe…

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