[Anonymous]

What does Jara and Marana mean in Idappaccayātā Paticca Samuppada?

[Lal]

1. Jarā means “getting old.”
“Marana” means “death.”

As we know, all births (jāti) lead to old age and eventual death.
– See, “Bhava paccayā Jāti….Jarā , Marana,…”
– The above is the general description of jāti, jarā, and marana. That applies to uppatti Paticca Samuppada, where the focus is on old age and death (after being born a baby).

2. I see that you are asking specifically about Idappaccayātā Paticca Samuppada.
– That specific version describes the moment-to-moment evolution of events during a lifetime.
– For example, one may be “born” in an “angry jāti” or a “greedy jāti” for a relatively short time. But that “state” also wears out (jarā) and ends (marana).
– For example, one may get angry about something. But that anger wears out and dies within minutes or hours.
– See, “Paṭicca Samuppāda During a Lifetime”

Please feel free to ask questions if not clear.

[Anonymous]

Does jaramarana lead to suffering in Idappaccayātā Paticca Samuppada?
For example: if one is watching a good movie and he experiences pleasure, would that pleasure lead to suffering later?

[Lal]

This is a subtle point.

Not all sensory experiences are bad and bring bad outcomes (kamma vipaka).
– Just because one eats a tasty meal does not mean that it is bad. The Buddha accepted such meals from wealthy people.
– What matters is whether one generates greed when eating such a meal.
– In the case of watching a movie, there is a big difference between watching an adult movie with lust and watching an educational/informative movie.

The easiest way to decide is to see what kinds of feelings are associated with a given event. If it involves greed, anger, hate, jealousy, etc. then those will bring bad vipaka.

The following post could be helpful: “Is It Necessary for a Buddhist to Eliminate Sensual Desires?“

[Zapper]

Yes Lal, I see what you mean by watching movies for education instead of being attached with raga but does raga always cause suffering in a idappaccayātā PS cycle due to jara and marana? Does having pleasure cause pain after a period of time?

[Lal]

1. Attaching to anything not only with raga but also with dosa or moha (avijja) will eventually lead to suffering.

• The main point is that the suffering does not end until attachment to worldly things stops. 
• Suffering ends when a mind fully understands the above statement. That understanding comes in four stages: Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami, and Arahant.

2. Your second question, “Does having pleasure cause pain after a period of time?” is also explained with my answer in #1 above.

• By “suffering,” the Buddha meant something more profound than physical pain.
• Each act of attachment may not lead to pain or suffering in the sense that the average human understands. 
• The simplest way to look at it is as follows: Until we stop attachment to worldly things (worldly pleasures and anything in the world), Paticca Samuppada cycles run. That will perpetuate the rebirth process. Every birth, regardless of even in a Deva or Brahma realm) ends in death. Thus, suffering does not end until that attachment stops.
• The key point is that attachment cannot be stopped by willpower. It has to come through understanding how the rebirth process takes place via Paticca Samuppada.
• Paticca Samuppada stops in four stages. Those that lead to rebirths in the apayas (including the animal realm) stop when one becomes a Sotapanna. Those that lead to rebirths in the kama loka (human and Deva realms) stop when one becomes an Anagami. Rebirth in all 31 realms stops when no Paticca Samuppada process can operate, which happens at the Arahant stage. 
• The key point, again, is that if there is a birth, it ends with death; that means each birth starts with guaranteed suffering!

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