Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Phalena suññaṃ taṃ kammaṃ, phalaṃ kamme na vijjati;

Kammañca kho upādāya, tato nibbattate phalaṃ.

Na hettha¹ devo brahmā vā, saṃsārassatthikārako;²

Suddhadhammā pavattanti, hetusambhārapaccayā³’ti.⁴

The kamma of its fruit is void; no fruit exists in the kamma;

And still the fruit is born from it, wholly depending on the kamma.

For here there is no Brahmā God, creator of the round of births,

Merely phenomena alone flow on— with cause and components as their condition.

3.10.13.1 Tikapaṭṭhāna – Pucchavāro, Part One – Determining Questions described forty-nine respective questions as a result of combining the three qualities of kusala, akusalaand abyākata in all possible permutations. Then, when connected to and combined with all of the twenty-four paccayā the number of questions adds up to 1176 altogether.

But in order to assure absolute completeness of every possible phenomenon and ascertain that no probability is left out, all these questions once more have to be applied in four more modes. To describe their method the following terms are being used:

anuloma: ‘forward, positive, in direct order’;

paccanīya: ‘reverse, opposite, negative’;

anulomapaccanīya: ‘positive and negative’;

paccanīyānuloma: ‘negative and positive’.

Wide-ranging investigation and analysis have to be prepared by enquiring if any of these conditions may occur

- in the case of the existence of the respective positive method, as presented in Part One:

1. Paccayānulomaṃ, Hetupaccayavāro                             Positive Method of Conditions

Siyā kusalaṃ dhammaṃ paṭicca kusalo dhammo uppajjeyya hetupaccayā.

May dependent on a wholesome state by means of root condition arise a wholesome phenomenon?

- in the case of non-existence of such relation, the questions are as follows:

2. Paccayapaccanīyaṃ, Nahetupaccayavāro                     Negative Method of Conditions

Siyā kusalaṃ dhammaṃ paṭicca kusalo dhammo uppajjeyya nahetupaccayā.

May dependent on a wholesome state by means of non-root condition arise a wholesome phenomenon?

- in combination of the existence and non-existence:

3. Paccayānulomapaccanīyaṃ               Positive - Negative Method of Conditions

Siyā kusalaṃ dhammaṃ paṭicca kusalo dhammo uppajjeyya hetupaccayā naārammaṇapaccayā.

May dependent on a wholesome state by means of root condition and non-object condition arise a wholesome phenomenon?

- and in the case of their non-existence and existence:

4. Paccayapaccanīyānulomaṃ               Negative–positive Method of Conditions

Siyā kusalaṃ dhammaṃ paṭicca kusalo dhammo uppajjeyya nahetupaccayā ārammaṇapaccayā.

May dependent on a wholesome state by means of non-root condition and object condition arise a wholesome phenomenon?

The side-by-side table depicts the set of questions with possible replies as related to the first chapter, the Dependent Chapter (Paṭiccavāro). It will be seen that for this ‘dependence’ out of the forty-nine questions in all (only) nine replies can be provided as possible occurrences. These replies do not offer any explanation as to why and how those phenomena are caused by the respective wholesome, unwholesome or indeterminate states.

Following the chapter of investigation (Vibhaṅgavāro) a summarising or enumeration chapter (Saṅkhyāvāro) then lists only these possible numbers of phenomena to all the conditions. For root condition these are nine: Hetuyā nava.

Based on this method, investigation needs to be extended further. One is supposed to enquire respectively primary starting with the method of the paccayānulomaṃ, then followed in the same way by the paccayapaccanīyaṃ, the paccayānulomapaccanīyaṃ and lastly making a concluding enquiry via the paccayapaccanīyānulomaṃ. One is expected to proceed with this method through all the conditions in all possible combinations beginning with no combination ‘by One’s’, then with permutations ‘by Two’s’, ‘by Three’s’ etc. Once having concluded through all the seven chapters of the Paṭṭhānapāli one will have asked an unimaginable high number of questions. The side-by-side table provides a succinct survey over the whole procedure and the logic of the ‘permutation method’ of the Paṭṭhāna.

Further details will be provided in the next lesson 3.10.14.1 Tikapaṭṭhāna – Survey about the Paṭṭhānapāli.