[Buddha-l] Dependent arising variants

[Dan Lusthaus]

Erik,

> >Alambana is concerned with cognitive conditions, not wiring.
> >
> >
> It is the material object that causes knowledge.

Not necessarily. In the Abhidharmakosa (see, e.g., the bhasya to I.29b-c),
Vasubandhu treats vi.saya as the material-sense-objects, but aalambana as
the mental appropriation or apprehension of these. In other words, it is a
cognitive condition. To cite quickly a small part of this detailed
discussion in the Kosa, using Pruden's translation of Vallee Poussin:
"Vi.saya is the place where the organ exercises its activity, seeing,
hearing, etc.; aalambana is what is grasped by the mind and the mental
states. Thus, whereas the mind and mental states have both vi.saya and
aalambana, the eye, the ear, etc., have only vi.saya." (Pruden, v. 1, p.
91). Dignaga's AAlambana-pariik.sa carries that point further, and in the
Yogacara system the alambana is clearly mentally constructed.

> >Anantara basically involves a cause immediately preceding its effect,
> >without gap. This is a way of dealing with causal chains, sequential
> >occurrences, series, etc. This one Garfield seems to get right.
> >
> It is the preceding moment of a dharma that causes next dharma to
> appear, without this any dharma could come from any dharma.

Yes, that is one of the issues it entails.

> >Adhipati-pratyaya usually involves a specific list of causal factors
(heat,
> >life, male, female, etc.), most commonly a list of 22 such factors.
> >
> >
> Where did you get this, Dan?

The list of 22 is fairly standard, and used by many schools (Sarvastivada,
Yogacara, etc.), so if you dig around you should be able to find a list and
discussion. (I'm taking a page from Mike's book, and am just too lazy to
type out and explain the list).

The Kosa, around 2.62, discusses the pratyayas, and gives this explanation
for why the adhipati-pratyaya is called what it is:

kāra.nākhyo ’dhipa.h sm.rta.h //2.62//



ya eva kāra.nahetu.h sa evādhipatipratyaya.h /


athiko ’ya.h pratyaya ityadhipatipratyaya.h /



In other words, if Garfield had read the Kosa, he would have known that this
is the "efficient" cause (among other things).



Dan Lusthaus