by Danister I. Fernando
How pretty is a flower in bloom! Yet, it fades away and meets with destruction in no time! Why is that so? It is because the flower is a ‘Sankhara’ – a conditioned phenomenon. According to Buddha-word, ‘Sabbe sankhara anicca’, ‘All conditioned phenomena are subject to constant change’ – let us see.
The term ‘Sankhara’, according to its context, has different shades of meaning. In this essay, I have decided to use this term as it occurs in the sense of anything compounded and conditioned, and includes all things whatever in the world, nay, in the universe, all phenomena of existence.
All things that arise on account of ’causes’ are said to be conditioned phenomena or ‘Sankhara’. To find out what these ’causes’ are let us first take the simple example of a mango tree. The modern belief is that plants have life. Buddha also has said that those with life belong to three categories – human beings, animals and plants; but, plants do not have a mind (vinnana). Therefore I shall take this example of a mango plant as something with life but without ‘vinnana’.
A mango plant, to grow up, requires a seed and a host of other requirements. If the seed is kept on a dry surface it’ll never grow. It has to be planted along with the other requirements. So then, the main ’cause’ (hetu) for the plant to come up is the seed. The contributory causes (pratya) – attached to it are soil, water, sunshine etc. Since the mango plant grows because of ’causes’ or conditions, it is a conditioned phenomenon – a ‘sankhara’.
Let us now take the case of a human being, a man. How has he come into being? That also occurs on account of ’causes’.Buddhist psychology speaks of ‘Vinnana’ (consciosness) as that which plants itself in the womb of a mother.
The ‘Vinnana’ or ‘citta’ which passes from one existence to the next is called ‘patisandhi vinnana’ or ‘patisandhi citta’. This term means “The again – linking-up” consciousness, that ever and again supplies the bond between one existence and another.
At this juncture, it has to be clearly understood that the very same consciousness does not come to the new birth from the previous one. It is only to causes contained in the previous existence that its new appearance is due. Buddhism does not make any acceptance to a permanent ‘soul’ (atta) – definitely not. The concept of soul is only a mental perception. What really happens is that accumulation of kamma, wholesome, and unwholesome collected during ‘sansara’ forms an energy which becomes the potential for a new birth.
Therefore for a man to be born the ‘Patisandhi Vinnana’ becomes the main cause. The contributory causes are parents’ contribution, the mother’s womb, the necessary nutrients etc. Under these causes a being conceives. So the man is a conditioned phenomenon – a ‘sankhara’. Similarly, the conditioned nature is common to each and everything in this Universe, and all are subject to change, decay and destruction in a flux. The mind (nama) too is conditioned because it also rises owing to causes. We should understand that there is no body organ which can be identified as mind. There are merely a number of states of mind in very rapid succession. We should understand that both body and mind (rupa and nama) are conditioned phenomena. In the ultimate sense, there exist only ever-changing physical and mental phenomena.
The causes (hetu) themselves, which bring about effects (phala) also cease to exist. Then simultaneously effects too cease to exist. This fact is stated in the Dhamma thus:
“Hetun paticca sambhutan Hetu bhanga nirujjhati”
One loses a loved-one all of a sudden. What befell the loved-one is this very same thing. A thing that befalls all conditioned phenomenan.That person was born of conditions. He lived because of conditions and he passed away also due to the same reason. This is the nature of Sankhara – conditioned phenomena. This happens not only to that loved one. I, who am writing this essay, and you who are reading it and all others existing in this Universe, will definitely have to face this situation. So, really speaking one should not lament over a death, since it is only a general law. Buddha has said, “Sabbe satta marissanti”, All beings die. It is greed (lobha) and delusion (moha) that are responsible for lamentation.
But, however, The Blessed One has declared that there is one only ‘Dhamma’ which is unformed and unconditioned (Asankhata dhatu) and that is Nibbana – the only reality.
The unconditioned state of ultimate release.
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