Paticcasamuppada

"Paticcasamuppada is a profound teaching," - said the Buddha - "so profound, in fact, that most people are not able to penetrate the Law of Dependent Origination." The Buddha's words to Ananda are as true today as they were 2,500 years ago. Paticcasamuppada, which is the heart of Buddhism, is difficult to see clearly and, thus, has become the center of grave misunderstandings and distortions.

In this book, the Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu digs up the roots of these misunderstandings and turns them up to the critical light of scrutiny. These roots can be traced back to the early days of Buddhism, but find their first written expression 1,500 year ago in the commentaries of Buddhaghosa.