Yes,maybe "conditions" is a better one, or maybe other translations are also okay for other contexts.tiltbillings wrote:It depends upon what is meant by "fabricate." Ven Bodhi's "conditions" is far less problematic.
Yes there are varying meanings depending on context. It may also have following three meanings: fabricators or fabricating processes or fabricated things. In the most general way perhaps sankhara can be understood as "thing upon which something else depends" (Ven. Nanavira). But, in the dependent origination the Buddha must have used the word with a specific meaning (bodily, verbal, and mental sankhara).reflection wrote:Based on my understanding, a few things that may give some insight:
Like other terms, the terms sankhara and vinnana are used quite widely in the suttas. They both have varying meanings depending on context. For example in some places we see vinnana as a synonym for mind. Now, in the first of the quotes you gave, the Buddha is speaking about the 5 aggregates and in the two others he is speaking about dependent origination, so since he is using the terms in different contexts, he does not necessarily mean the same thing.
reflection wrote: Let me start with explaining my understanding of the dependent origination link, because this one is by far the most common in the suttas, so the most important to understand. First, dependent origination is about conditionality, but not necessarily instant conditionality. For example birth is a condition for death, but they don't happen at the same time. Then second, dependent origination sankhara is not all sankhara. It says ignorance leads to sankhara, so the sankhara being spoken about are those based on ignorance, which are not all sankhara. It speaks of those leading to birth ...
... So this is how sankhara leads to consciousness in terms of dependent origination. That's why the suttas say "beings are born of kamma".
... So sankhara here is sankhara that are based on ignorance, the unskillful kamma leading to birth of consciousness, birth of name and form, those are the sankhara in DO....
... In the five aggregates the meaning of sankhara is a bit wider as it naturally must include all sankhara, not just those based on ignorance ...
Thanks, reflection. But don't all sankhara (including five aggregates) directly or indirectly arise due to ignorance?
Also, if the sankhara in the dependent origination are to be understood as "Kamma" then the question is: how do these kamma sankhara give rise to such consciousness leading to birth? Does this question fall under Acinteyya?
reflection wrote: So when speaking of sankhara creating consciousness here, it speaks of how due to sense contact there arises consciousness in general. There is a process going on to turn an object via the respective sense, into contact, into consciousness. This process in itself is what the Buddha called a sankhara as well. An important part of this process is turning the attention towards the thing that one of conscious of and I think that's the main sankhara the Buddha is pointing to. But, this is not necessarily an unwholesome sankhara, not a rebirth producing sankhara.
Yes, I also like to understand it as a process, but I am not clear how this process works.