A Study of Saṅkhāras in Early Buddhism

The thesis begins by defining the problem of saṅkhāra and explaining why its clarification is essential for understanding early Buddhist philosophy. It then surveys earlier interpretations, including pre-Buddhist and non-Buddhist usages, before turning to Buddhist textual contexts. The study discusses saṅkhāra in the Abhidharmakośa, the first four Nikāyas, the Abhidhamma, the Khuddaka texts, and the Aṭṭhakathās. It further analyzes the relationship between saṅkhāra and kamma, cetanā, paṭiccasamuppāda, and dhamma, showing how the term functions within Buddhist causal theory. A dedicated section addresses the question of whether there is an “agent” in Buddhist philosophy, arguing that what appears as agency is better understood as conditioned, impersonal processes. The final analysis consolidates the textual evidence and proposes that saṅkhāra has a basic meaning connected with condition or conditioning, while its different usages arise from specific doctrinal contexts.