[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?“

[Author]

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