The Wheel of Samsara

The great wheel reveals the past, present, and future cycles of existence. If one wishes to cease the continuation of the future cycle, the wheel itself also shows how to do so. Section (1) represents past-life processes. It illustrates the "five factors of the past": What did we live by in the past? We lived by ignorance (avijjā) — not knowing the Truth. Not knowing the Truth, we engaged in occupations like hunting and fishing. We did not realize that such deeds would lead to suffering (dukkha) in Section (2). Out of ignorance, we acted — thus, the five aggregates (khandhas) arise here. Due to past hunting, fishing, lying, deceit, and fraudulent trade, we reap suffering (dukkha sacca). Ignorance leads to unwholesome volitional formations (saṅkhāra), attachment through craving (taṇhā) and clinging (upādāna), and the exertion of bodily and verbal actions. After death, the five factors of Dependent Origination connect here: consciousness (viññāṇa), mind-and-matter (nāmarūpa), six sense bases (saḷāyatana), contact (phassa), and feeling (vedanā). The Truth of Origin (samudaya sacca) connects to the Truth of Suffering (dukkha sacca). Ignorance (avijjā) → Volitional formations (saṅkhāra) → Suffering (dukkha sacca). Unawareness is avijjā; acting is saṅkhāra (unwholesome formations). Due to formations, we obtain the five woeful aggregates — the great suffering of the Truth of Dukkha. Even when performing wholesome deeds, unaware that they too lead to dukkha, our present five aggregates remain connected to birth, aging, and death. This suffering is undeniable. If one strives for meditative absorptions (jhāna samāpatti) without knowing the Truth, one obtains Brahma realms, consciousness, mind-and-matter, sense bases, contact, and feeling — all still within dukkha sacca. Thus, know that ignorance and formations govern all realms: hell, human, deva, and Brahma worlds. As long as ignorance and formations exist, the five aggregates of the 31 realms will arise — all under dukkha sacca. Cause and Effect: (1) Past causes → (2) Present effects. What was done in the past? The five factors of samudaya sacca: Ignorance (avijjā), Formations (saṅkhāra), Craving (taṇhā), Clinging (upādāna), Kammic Becoming (kammabhava). Due to these five causes, we now reap five effects in Section (2): dukkha sacca. We dwell with present suffering. As long as ignorance persists, suffering will recur. These five effects are the present result of the five past causes. Seen as Truth, it is dukkha sacca. Amidst this ocean of suffering, it is crucial to practice the path to liberation, not create new causes of suffering. Section (2): We are here now. Without vipassanā (insight) into our own body, ignorance prevails. Dwelling in Section (2), ignorance grows. From the seed of ignorance, the tree of aggregates bears fruit: - Ignorance drives actions → Formations (saṅkhāra) arise. - Attachment to family/wealth → Craving (taṇhā) blossoms. - Grasping → Clinging (upādāna) blossoms. - Exerting bodily/verbal actions → Kammic Becoming (kammabhava) blossoms. Just like the five past causes, five present causes now emerge from this present body (dukkha sacca). From this tree of suffering, fruits of samudaya sacca arise — Section (3) factors. Suffering begets more suffering. Sections (2) and (3) connect, ensuring future rebirth. The Burning Wheel Metaphor: Samudaya sacca is the burning fire. Dukkha sacca is the fuel. - Fire (samudaya) ignites fuel (dukkha) → Fuel feeds fire → Cycle continues. Throughout samsara, only fire and fuel exist: causes and effects. No "man" or "woman" — only conditioning. Only samudaya and dukkha revolve. The Truth of Path (magga) and Cessation (nirodha) never appeared in any past life. The Wheel’s Structure: - Past causes: Ignorance (avijjā) → Formations (saṅkhāra) - Present effects: Consciousness → Mind-Matter → Sense Bases → Contact → Feeling - Present causes: Craving (taṇhā) → Clinging (upādāna) → Kammic Becoming (kammabhava) - Future effects: Birth (jāti) → Aging-Death (jarāmaraṇa) How to Break the Cycle: The wheel spins because connections remain unbroken. Specifically, the link between present effects (feeling) and present causes (craving): - Feeling → Craving (vedanā paccayā taṇhā) = Cycle continues. - Cessation of Feeling → Cessation of Craving (vedanā nirodhā taṇhā nirodho) = Cycle broken. When feeling ceases, craving ceases → Clinging ceases → Kamma ceases → Samudaya sacca ceases → Dukkha sacca (birth, aging, death) cannot arise. Only through vedanā nirodhā taṇhā nirodho does the wheel stop, and Dependent Origination ceases. Venerable Dr. Ashin Parami