Anutpada

Anutpāda (अनुत्पाद) is a Buddhist concept for the absence of an origin. In Mahayana Buddhism, "anutpāda" is often symbolized by the letter A. "Anutpāda" means "having no origin", "not coming into existence", "not taking effect", "non-production". "An" also means "not", or "non" "Utpāda" means "genesis", "coming forth", "birth" The Buddhist tradition uses the term "anutpāda" for the absence of an origin or sunyata (voidness). Anutpāda means that dharmas, the constituting elements of reality, do not come into existence. Atiśa: One may wonder, "From where did all this come in the first place, and to where does it depart now?" Once examined in this way, [one sees that] it neither comes from anywhere nor departs to anywhere. All inner and outer phenomena are just like that. Chandrakirti, in his Yuktisastikavrrti, states: Nagarjuna taught, "bereft of beginning, middle, and end," meaning that the world is free from creation, duration, and destruction. According to Nakamura in his study of Advaita Vedanta, the Buddhist paramārtha, "highest truth", is identified with anutpāda The term paramārtha is a synonym for tattva, tathata, sunyata, animitta, bhutakoti and dharmadhatu. One who understands sunyata, anutpada and dependent arising, has realized the ultimate truth and gains nirvana. Nagarjuna: [67] Nothing exists by virtue of own-being, nor is there any non-being here. Being and non-being, born through causes and conditions, are empty. [68] Since all things are empty of own-being, the incomparable Tathagata teaches dependent co-origination regarding things. [69] The ultimate meaning consists in that! The perfect Buddhas, the Bhagavats, have [only] conceived the entire multiplicity in reliance upon worldly convention. [70] The worldly norms [dharmas] are not violated. In reality [the Tathagata] has not taught the Dharma. Not understanding the Tathagata's words, [fools] fear this spotless discourse. [71] The worldly principle, "This arises depending on that," is not violated.