---
author: Thạc-Đức
created: '2026-05-04'
description: Pipeline baseline translation of the 1957 Vietnamese Buddhist journal
  article on dependent origination and Buddhist cosmology, produced by tnh-gen.
fingerprint: sha256:285a3cbf6b1b725000ec11f996f280cdebd6534174734e2bf6c276ec96d135d0
generated: '2026-05-06'
generated_at: '2026-09-17T16:51:22Z'
model: gpt-5.4
owner: TNH Scholar
prompt_key: extract-buddhist-concepts
prompt_version: '1.0'
schema_version: '1.0'
source: Phật Giáo Việt Nam, issue 17–18, 1957
status: current
title: A Buddhist Cosmological View — Vũ-trụ-quan Phật học
tnh_scholar_generated: true
trace_id: 9cef8035059d421b82dac9af769a9767
translated_by: tnh-gen / translate_journal_section_en
---

# 1. Source and scope

- **Title:** *A Buddhist Cosmological View — Vũ-trụ-quan Phật học*
- **Year:** 1957
- **Byline as given:** Thạc-Đức
- **Source as given:** *Phật Giáo Việt Nam*, issue 17–18, pages 6–10
- **Translation status:** Pipeline-assisted English translation; explicitly marked as a working draft, not a final scholarly translation.
- **Authorship note:** The article gives the byline Thạc-Đức. The surrounding editorial note associates this with a pen name discussed in later scholarship, but the article itself should not be treated as proving stronger authorship attribution than the byline.
- **Scope summary:** The article argues that Buddhism offers a cosmological and ethical worldview grounded in conditionality/dependent arising, in contrast to fatalism, divine-volition theory, and accidentalism. It distinguishes simultaneous and temporally successive causality, applies them to subject–object relations and continuity of life, and culminates in a broad vision of interpenetrating dependent origination with moral and soteriological significance.

**Limits and cautions**
- This extraction is based on the article body, not the editorial preface, provenance note, or bibliography.
- Some formulations are **translation-sensitive**, especially technical terms and quoted renderings such as “intercourse,” “Name-and-Form,” “the all,” “heterogeneous causes and heterogeneous results,” “equal-flow results,” and the Zen verses.
- Any mapping to **modern Plum Village** vocabulary is only a retrieval proposal and **requires external source verification**; the article does not itself authenticate later Plum Village terminology or practices.

# 2. Article-grounded concept inventory

| ID | Normalized English concept | Source term/alias | Role | Evidence status | Source section | Exact evidence quote | Meaning in this article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B01 | fatalism | *Pubba kata hetu* | criticized | explicit | I | “The tendency of fatalism” | A view that predestination governs world and human life. |
| B02 | predestination | — | described/criticized | explicit | I | “arranged by predestination” | The claim that events are fixed in advance. |
| B03 | denial of human effort/agency | — | criticized | explicit | I | “The value of human effort” | Fatalism fails to recognize meaningful human agency. |
| B04 | theism / divine-volition theory | *Issara-nimmana hetu* | criticized | explicit | I | “theism, or divine-volition theory” | A view that all things exist by divine will. |
| B05 | Brahmā as divine creator | Brahmā | described/criticized | explicit | I | “That divine being here is Brahmā” | The divine being posited by the theistic tendency. |
| B06 | accidentalism | *Ahetu apaccaya* | criticized | explicit | I | “The tendency of accidentalism” | A view that phenomena arise without causality. |
| B07 | denial of causality | — | criticized | explicit | I | “did not admit any principle of causality” | The accidentalist rejection of lawful causal order. |
| B08 | personal moral responsibility | — | endorsed | explicit | I | “foundation for personal moral responsibility” | A necessary basis for human conduct that rival views fail to provide. |
| B09 | human ethical progress | truth, beauty, and goodness | endorsed | explicit | I | “advance toward truth, beauty, and goodness” | The possibility of gradual moral-spiritual development. |
| B10 | Buddha’s practical-philosophical aim | — | endorsed | explicit | I | “foundation for a way of human life” | Cosmological teaching should support ethical and religious living. |
| B11 | rejection of obstructive wrong views | erroneous philosophical views | endorsed | explicit | I | “reject erroneous philosophical views” | The Buddha rejects views that hinder liberation and morality. |
| B12 | worldview of conditionality | *Paticca-samuppāda* | endorsed | explicit | II | “a worldview of conditionality” | Buddhism sees reality as structured by conditions. |
| B13 | mutual dependence of phenomena | causes and conditions | endorsed | explicit | II | “depend upon one another” | Phenomena exist only through interrelation. |
| B14 | dependent arising formula | — | endorsed | explicit | II | “If this exists, that exists” | The canonical pattern expressing conditionality. |
| B15 | simultaneous conditionality | simultaneous causation | endorsed | explicit | II | “relation among things existing simultaneously” | Causal/conditional relation among coexisting factors. |
| B16 | temporally distinct causation | temporally distinct causation | endorsed | explicit | II | “cause comes first and the effect later” | Causation across different times. |
| B17 | no independent or absolute phenomenon | — | endorsed | explicit | II | “can exist independently or absolutely” | Nothing exists in total self-sufficiency. |
| B18 | no absolute cause or effect | — | endorsed | explicit | II | “no absolute cause” | Causes and effects are condition-bound, not absolute. |
| B19 | conditioned dharmas | *samkhata-dhamma* | endorsed | explicit | II | “conditioned dharmas” | Worldly phenomena constituted by causes and conditions. |
| B20 | impermanence through interrelation | — | endorsed | explicit | II | “All are impermanent and changing” | Conditional existence implies change and non-eternity. |
| B21 | rejection of supreme-god creation | Supreme God | endorsed | explicit | II | “rejects the idea of the world's creation” | Dependent arising undercuts creator-theism. |
| B22 | interpenetrating dependent arising | Huayan-linked formulation | endorsed | explicit | II/IV | “interpenetrating dependent arising” | The universe is an endlessly layered web of mutual conditioning. |
| B23 | scholastic classification of conditions | 24/10/4 conditions | described | explicit | II | “classified causes and conditions” | Buddhist scholastics analyzed kinds of conditions systematically. |
| B24 | world as subject–object relation | subjective cognition / objective objects | endorsed | explicit | III | “the world is the intercourse” | The world is established in cognitive relation between subject and object. |
| B25 | six faculties and six objects as “the all” | “the all” | endorsed | explicit | III | “this is called 'the all'” | The world of experience is defined through the twelve sense bases. |
| B26 | mutual dependence of subject and object | — | endorsed | explicit | III | “if there is no subjective side” | Subject and object arise only in relation to each other. |
| B27 | consciousness and name-and-form co-dependence | Name-and-Form / Consciousness | endorsed | explicit | III | “there is Consciousness; conditioned by Consciousness” | Consciousness and name-and-form establish each other. |
| B28 | continuity without eternal self | streams of phenomena | endorsed | explicit | III | “streams of phenomena continuing” | There is continuity of process without a permanent entity. |
| B29 | impermanence without annihilationism | — | endorsed | explicit | III | “nothing that is utterly annihilated” | Change does not mean sheer nihilistic destruction. |
| B30 | ignorance and craving drive saṃsāra | ignorance and craving | endorsed | explicit | III | “fundamental motive forces” | Saṃsāric birth and death are propelled by ignorance and craving. |
| B31 | karmic continuity across time | karmic causes | endorsed | explicit | III | “Through present karmic causes” | Present karma conditions future stages of life. |
| B32 | Twelvefold Dependent Origination | — | endorsed | explicit | III | “law of the Twelvefold Dependent Origination” | A metaphysical presentation of successive conditionality. |
| B33 | causality includes moral and soteriological dimensions | — | endorsed | explicit | IV | “embraces moral and soteriological relations” | Buddhist causality is not merely theoretical or physical. |
| B34 | one and all are mutually implicative | “the ‘one’... the ‘all’” | endorsed | explicit | IV | “The ‘one’ is intimately connected” | Any single thing is intelligible only through total relationality. |
| B35 | dust-particle/whole relationality | dust / whole | endorsed | explicit | IV | “exists only through its relation” | A tiny thing depends on the whole, and the whole on the tiny thing. |
| B36 | beyond simple size distinctions | mustard seed / universe | endorsed | explicit | IV | “Greatness and smallness here” | Great and small lose absolute meaning in relational existence. |
| B37 | doctrine and practice grounded in conditionality | — | endorsed | explicit | IV | “established transcendent systems of doctrine” | Profound Buddhist teachings and practices rest on this insight. |
| B38 | modern science approximates this view | modern science | described/endorsed | explicit | IV | “Modern science has already moved beyond” | The author compares contemporary science favorably to interdependent causality. |
| B39 | causal teaching dispels rival errors | fatalism, chance, divine creation | endorsed | explicit | IV | “dispel notions of fatalism, chance, and divine creation” | Dependent-arising teaching corrects the rival views criticized earlier. |

# 3. Relations

| Subject | Predicate | Object | Status | Section | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B01 | entails | B02 | explicit | I | Fatalism is defined through predestination. |
| B01 | critiques | B03 | inferred | I | The article says fatalism does not recognize human effort. |
| B04 | entails | B05 | explicit | I | Divine-volition theory identifies Brahmā as the divine being here. |
| B06 | entails | B07 | explicit | I | Accidentalism is defined by denying causality. |
| B01 | contrasts_with | B08 | explicit | I | Fatalism undermines personal responsibility. |
| B06 | contrasts_with | B08 | explicit | I | Accidentalism cannot ground moral responsibility. |
| B10 | critiques | B11 | explicit | I | The Buddha rejects views obstructing moral and liberative realization. |
| B12 | entails | B13 | explicit | II | Conditionality means all phenomena depend on one another. |
| B14 | illustrates | B12 | explicit | II | The formula defines conditionality. |
| B15 | contrasts_with | B16 | explicit | II | Simultaneous and temporally distinct causation are distinguished. |
| B13 | entails | B17 | explicit | II | Mutual dependence means no phenomenon exists independently. |
| B18 | conditions | B20 | inferred | II | Non-absolute conditionality helps explain impermanence and change. |
| B12 | critiques | B21 | explicit | II | Dependent arising is the basis for rejecting creator-theism. |
| B24 | entails | B26 | explicit | III | The world as subject–object relation means neither side stands alone. |
| B27 | illustrates | B26 | explicit | III | Consciousness and name-and-form exemplify reciprocal dependence. |
| B28 | contrasts_with | B29 | explicit | III | Continuity is affirmed without eternalism or annihilationism. |
| B30 | conditions | B31 | explicit | III | Ignorance/craving and karmic causes drive continuity into future life. |
| B32 | illustrates | B16 | inferred | III | Twelvefold dependent origination is presented under successive causality. |
| B33 | extends | B12 | explicit | IV | Causality is broadened beyond theory to moral and soteriological relations. |
| B34 | illustrates | B22 | explicit | IV | One-and-all mutuality expresses interpenetrating dependent arising. |
| B35 | illustrates | B34 | explicit | IV | Dust-particle examples show one/all relationality. |
| B38 | contrasts_with | B39 | explicit | IV | Modern science is said to move beyond simple causality, unlike fatalism/chance/creation views. |

# 4. Plum Village retrieval connections

All entries below are **retrieval expansion candidates only**. They are inferred from article content and **not verified as authenticated Plum Village doctrinal equivalences** unless the article itself names them, which it does not.

| P ID | Candidate modern concept | Linked B IDs | Connection/rationale | Strength | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P01 | interbeing | B13, B17, B22, B34, B35 | The article repeatedly emphasizes mutual dependence, non-independent existence, and one/all relationality; this resembles later “interbeing” retrieval language, but that label is absent here. | strong | inferred/unverified |
| P02 | dependent co-arising | B12, B14, B16, B32 | The article explicitly centers *Paticca-samuppāda* and its formula; this is a close retrieval match, though modern phrasing may vary. | strong | inferred/unverified |
| P03 | non-separate self/world or relational subject-object | B24, B25, B26, B27 | The world is constituted through subject–object and consciousness–name-and-form relations; useful for retrieval around non-separation, though no modern label is supplied. | moderate | inferred/unverified |
| P04 | karma and continuation without a permanent self | B28, B29, B30, B31, B32 | The article discusses continuity, karmic causation, and saṃsāric process without an eternal entity; this may connect to modern teachings on continuation, but requires external verification. | moderate | inferred/unverified |
| P05 | engaged ethics / responsibility grounded in causality | B08, B09, B10, B33, B39 | The article links cosmology with human moral responsibility and practical life; this could support retrieval toward ethical application, but “engaged Buddhism” is not named in the article. | tentative | inferred/unverified |

# 5. Not supported and review needs

## Not supported by this article
The following familiar Plum Village concepts/practices are **not evidenced in the article body** and should not be added without external sources:

- mindfulness of breathing
- walking meditation
- bell practice
- the Five Mindfulness Trainings
- the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings
- sangha-building practices
- deep listening / loving speech
- touching the earth
- store consciousness as a developed Yogācāra framework
- “no mud, no lotus”
- “inter-are” as specific wording
- “continuation” as a named technical term
- “engaged Buddhism” as an explicit label
- specific Plum Village liturgies, retreats, or monastic forms

## Translation-sensitive or ambiguous items needing reviewer attention
- **“the world is the intercourse”**: likely a fragile translation choice for subject–object relationality.
- **“Name-and-Form (le nom et la forme)”**: mixed-language gloss suggests editorial or translation instability.
- **“physiological organization (Saṃyutta)”**: unclear whether “Saṃyutta” is correctly attached here.
- **“heterogeneous causes and heterogeneous results” / “homogeneous causes and equal-flow results”**: technical renderings need verification against source terminology.
- **“metaphysical point of view”**: may over-translate doctrinal framing.
- **Zen verse translations**: both the dust/emptiness verse and hair-tip/mustard-seed verse are interpretively sensitive.
- **“conditioned dharmas” spelled “samkhata-dhamma”**: orthography may need normalization by a specialist.
- **“This is something we cannot fail to acknowledge”**: rhetorical tone may reflect translator style.

## Comparisons requiring reviewer caution
- The article’s comparison that **modern science** has “drawn close” to Buddhist interpenetrating dependent origination is an authorial comparison, not an evidenced scientific argument.
- The linkage between **Huayan doctrine** and the “causal vision of the Āgamas” is presented by the author but would benefit from doctrinal review.
- The article opposes **fatalism, chance, and divine creation**, but does so from a Buddhist philosophical perspective; reviewers should avoid flattening these into simplistic historical summaries of Indian thought.

# 6. Search examples

| Question | Relevant IDs | Support status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| How does the article define Buddhist conditionality or dependent arising? | B12, B13, B14, B15, B16 | supported by article | Sections II–III directly define and differentiate its forms. |
| What rival philosophical views does the article criticize, and why? | B01, B04, B06, B08, B11, B39 | supported by article | Section I and the conclusion explicitly address this. |
| Does the article connect cosmology to ethics and liberation rather than only theory? | B10, B33, B37 | supported by article | Yes, especially in Sections I and IV. |
| How does the article explain continuity without asserting an eternal self? | B28, B29, B30, B31, B32 | supported by article | Section III addresses continuity, karma, and dependent origination. |
| Does the article teach specific Plum Village practices such as mindful breathing or walking meditation? | — | requires additional sources | The article does not mention those practices. |