[Charryith]

Bhikkhu Buddhadasa refered to this sutta in his essay on dependent origination.


Why Do We Have to Know About Dependent Arising?

For the purpose of learning and cultivation, we must know dependent arising. Because nobody understands it, it has become a fallacy. The ordinary people's fallacy is similar to Bhikkhu Sati's belief: "Only the consciousness is going around in samsara." This bhikkhu insisted that there was a "person," "self," or "sentient being" in the consciousness, which dwelled in samsara from one lifetime to the next. Believing that the consciousness has a "person," "self" or "sentient being" that is perpetually going around in samsara is a fallacy resulting from ignorance of the nature of dependent arising.

All the bhikkhus tried to convince Bhikkhu Sati to abandon the fallacy, but Bhikkhu Sati was adamant about his view. The bhikkhus then told the Buddha about it, and the Buddha talked to Bhikkhu Sati. The Buddha asked him, "Do you really have such a concept?" Bhikkhu Sati said, "There is only the consciousness that is going around in samsara." The Buddha then asked, "What is this consciousness that you speak of?" Bhikkhu Sati replied, "Esteemed Buddha, the consciousness is the entity that can talk, feel, or receive all the karmic repercussions."

His was a very serious fallacy: a consciousness that facilitates talking, feeling, and receiving of all karmic repercussions.

Ordinary people do not know why it is a fallacy because they believe, as Bhikkhu Sati did, that the consciousness exists perpetually. Since they are used to the idea, they do not consider it a fallacy.

It is false to believe that the consciousness is perpetual, that it exists and acts on its own, and that it is not dependent arising. Consciousness, a manner of dependent arising, is devoid of ego. It manifests in an instant because of the interaction of mutually dependent conditions, and it advances to successive stages.

Bhikkhu Sati maintained that there was an ego or a consciousness with an ego that went around in samsara. This consciousness did not only exist in the instant but also persisted to the next life. He called the ego that could talk, feel, or receive karmic repercussions consciousness.

The common view prevents people from seeing the fallacy. Consciousness is devoid of ego. If consciousness exists, then it is dependent arising. It is a natural phenomenon manifested from successive occurrences due to mutually dependent conditions. It is not an entity.
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