It is good to continue this discussion. I need to finish the following post that I have been postponing:
Kusala-Mula Paticca Samuppada – Acting With Alōbha, Adōsa, Amōha
1. I used another section of the “Paticcasamuppada Vibhanga” for that original post, where it is stated:
kusala-mūla paccayā saṅkhāra; saṅkhāra paccayā viññāṇa; viññāṇa paccayā nāmarūpa, nāmarūpa paccayā saḷāyatana, saḷāyatana paccayā phasso, phassa paccayā vedanā, vedanā paccayā cittapasado, cittapasada paccayā adhimokkho, adhimokkho paccayā bhavo, bhava paccayā jāti, jāti paccayā jara, maranan, eva me tassa dhammanan samudhayo hoti.
On the other hand, the verse quoted by Zapper starts with:
Katame dhammā kusalā? Yasmiṁ samaye lokuttaraṁ jhānaṁ bhāveti niyyānikaṁ apacayagāmiṁ diṭṭhigatānaṁ pahānāya paṭhamāya bhūmiyā pattiyā vivicceva kāmehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati dukkhapaṭipadaṁ dandhābhiññaṁ, tasmiṁ samaye avijjāpaccayā saṅkhāro, saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇapaccayā nāmaṁ, nāmapaccayā chaṭṭhāyatanaṁ, chaṭṭhāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā pasādo, pasādapaccayā adhimokkho, adhimokkhapaccayā bhavo, bhavapaccayā jāti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ. Evametesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayo hoti.
- Both end up with “dhammānaṁ samudayo hoti.” That is one contradiction.
2. There are two other contradictions.
- In the first verse above “kusala-mūla paccayā saṅkhāra” is a contradiction. One cannot generate sankhara via kusala-mula.” Sankhara generation happens with akusala in mind.
- In the second verse above, it starts with Katame dhammā kusalā? and then to “tasmiṁ samaye avijjā paccayā saṅkhāro.” How can be kusala associated with “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāro“?
3. Finally, kusala means to avoid from akusala. There are no specific kusala kamma. See “Kusala Sutta (AN 10.180).” The confusion is to mix up puñña kamma with kusala kamma.
- Nibbana is reached via cultivating wisdom (paññā.) This is done by fully understanding the Paticca Samuppada process. As I just pointed out in the discussion, “Witness consciousness and Buddha nature,” that leads to breaking samyojana/anusaya.