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paṭiccasamuppādaṁ

paṭiccasamuppāda

accusative singular masculine

1. dependent co-arising
2. conditioned origination
3. the doctrine that all phenomena arise in dependence on causes and conditions

Built from

• paṭi — prefix · back, against
  Spatial: counter-direction, leaning back in dependence. The mutual interdependence of phenomena is expressed as each arising in response to (or 'leaning back' from) prior conditions.
• cca — ending · from, because of
  Instrumental ablative form marking the source or reason; here indicating causality and conditionality in the causal nexus.
• saṁ — prefix · together, with
  Spatial: things brought into one whole. Here it expresses the unified, interdependent system—co-arising means all parts arise as a single integrated process.
• uppāda — stem · arising, origination
  From ud- (up, out) + √pad (fall, arrive, be); literally 'springing up'. The stem denotes spontaneous manifestation or origination of phenomena.

Analysis. paṭi-cca-saṁ-uppāda: paṭi (back, against, in return) + cca (from, because of) + saṁ (together) + uppāda (arising); literally 'arising-together in return because of [conditions]' — the Buddhist doctrine that all phenomena are mutually interdependent, not independent or created by a single cause.

Etymology. Compound of paṭi- (back, against) + saṁ- (together) + √pad/uppajjati (arise, spring up). The prefix paṭi- suggests counter-dependence or leaning-back (cognate with Greek προτί 'toward, against'); saṁ- conveys mutual collection into one system; uppāda from ud- (up, out) + √pad expresses spontaneous arising. The doctrine is summed as: 'when this is, that is; from the arising of this, that arises; when this is not, that is not; from the cessation of this, that ceases'.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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