十二因缘 Twelve Nidānas

十二因缘，亦名十二有支，有即世间所有，支即文分，谓所有生死流转，皆不出这十二支分。
第一「无明」是疑暗义，为烦恼的通称，因属于心意的想计，故亦名惑。
第二「行」是造作义，依疑暗的念头，而有所造作，因属于身口的行为，故亦名业。这二支，是过去世的二因。由于过去因熟，乃生现-在世的五果：
即第三「识」，谓今生投胎的知识，或升天，或入地狱，乃至驴胎马腹，皆由此一念为前导。
第四「名色」，名指心，谓其但有名而无质，色指质，属于色法，此时六根尚未成，但有名色而已。
第五「六入」，是六根逐渐完具，将出胎之时。
第六「触」，是出胎后，与环境接触也。
第七「受」，是毕生根尘识，所领受的苦乐遭遇也。由现世的遭遇，复种三因。
第八「爱」，于环境生种种爱欲也。
第九「取」，因爱著生起执取之念也。
第十「有」，既由爱取，兴起诸业，必有当来之果，故名为有。这三因中，爱取同于无明，有同于行。由现-在世三因，再生未来世二果：
第十一「生」，为未来的受生，
第十二「老死」，既有生，当然必须老死。以上共十二支，包括三世起惑、造业、受生、的一切因果，周而复始，至于无穷。

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Nidana is a Sanskrit word (from ni = down, into + the verbal root da = to bind). 

It means 'chain of causation,' and is attributed to Shakyamuni Buddha. 

It has two specific meanings within Buddhism. 

The more common use refers to the Twelve nidanas or "a concatenation of cause and effect",[1] which is the cycle of rebirth as described by Gautama upon which a re-becoming is thought by Buddhists to rest, which is also called the twelve links of 'dependent origination'.[2]

The term is also less commonly used with reference to the jhanas or stages of Buddhist meditation. 

Though they are both chains of causation, the Twelve nidanas of samsara are regarded by Buddhists 

as driving beings helplessly by the force of karma, into successive rebirths, based upon ignorance, 

while the nidana of the jhanas, by contrast, is driven by the force of spiritual practice and is thus under an individual's control. 

In this sense, they are opposites of each other, like ladders, one leading 'down' into incarnational life and the other leading 'up' towards nirvana.

The Twelve Nidānas (Pali/Sanskrit: nidāna "cause, foundation, source or origin") are an application of the Buddhist concept of pratītyasamutpāda (dependent origination). 

They identify the origin of dukkha (suffering) to be in avidyā (ignorance).

1. Ignorance (Pali: Avijjā)
2. Mental fermentations/volitions (Pali: Saṅkhāra Sanskrit: Saṃskāra)
3. Status consciousness (Pali: Viññāṇa)
4. "Name" and "Form" (Pali: Nāmarūpa)
5. The six senses (Pali: Saḷāyatana)
6. Contact (Pali: Phassa)
7. Feelings (Pali: Vedanā)
8. Cravings/longings/desires (Pali: Taṇhā)
9. Clinging to (Pali: Upādāna)
10. Generation of factors for rebirth (Pali: Bhava)
11. Birth (Pali: Jāti)
12. All the sufferings (Pali: Jarāmaraṇa)

Thus one could observe that:

1. Due to ignorance (of underlying realities of existence) we process/ferment what comes to our mind.

2. This processing/fermentation causes karma to form and mould the status consciousness (vinyana).

3. The functioning/existence of the status consciousness has a close association with regards to sustaining life (one's existence).

4. "Name" and "Form" describes the non-material and material components of one's existence. "Name" are the constituents one's mind, consciousness and ideas... "Form" (material) are the constituents of the body (made of solids, liquids, gasses...).

5. The six sense bases of perception are composed of "Name" (the mind/vinyana...components) and "Form" (the solids, liquids, gasses... components).

6, 7. When the six sense bases of perception comes in contact with entities (ex. eye with external world, nose with fragrances,... mind with thoughts/memories...), they generate feelings (in the mind).

8. Next we generate/get desires for these feelings.

9. These desires makes one "cling onto" them (wanting more...).

10, 11. This clinging causes the generation of causations/factors (karma) that causes/leads/drags one into future births, so that such accumulated karma can take effect, can materialise... (The generation of sankhara /karma due to attachments, desires, longings, cravings... or due to the aversions, angers, hates... generated during the cause of such quests/pursuits... will lead one through eternal samsara resulting in the generation of yet further causations/karma, requiring further... Thus bonding one into this eternal journey...)

12. Then once one gets into a birth, one undergoes/endures all the sufferings associated with such...

1. But again due to our ignorance, we fail to realise the underlying nature/reality of existence. Thus veiled and shadowed by ignorance, we keep on generating the mental fermentations/volitions that keeps one further bonded to samsara...


Thus the cycle ever so continues for ever and ever unto perpetuity... Thus breaking away from this cycle (by "eradicating"/overcoming ignorance), leads to its cessation (cessation of the perpetual wandering)....

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Hahaha!

These are also some basic knowledge one has to at least know of, in terms of Foundation Building in the Beginning of the Cultivation Ladder. 

Cheers all

Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom

Lama Lotuschef