Six types of cause

The six types of cause (Skt. ṣaḍhetu; Tib. རྒྱུ་དྲུག་, gyu druk, Wyl. rgyu drug) are the basis on which all conditioned things arise. They are:

1. efficient cause (kāraṇahetu; byed pa'i rgyu)
2. coemergent cause (sahabhūhetu; lhan cig 'byung ba'i rgyu)
3. cause similar to its result (sabhāgahetu; skal pa mnyam pa'i rgyu)
4. concomitant cause (saṃprayuktahetu; mtshungs par ldan pa'i rgyu)
5. omnipresent cause (sarvatragahetu; kun tu 'gro ba'i rgyu).
6. ripening cause (vipākahetu; rnam par smin pa'i rgyu)

Alternative translations

Erik Pema Kunsang: 1. The acting cause 2. The co-originating cause 3. The equal status cause 4. The concurrent cause 5. The leading cause 6. The ripening cause

David Karma Choepel: 1. Enabling cause 2. The coemergent cause 3. Cause of same status 4. The concurrent cause 5. The universal cause 6. The full ripening cause

Leo M. Pruden (in the English translation of Louis de La Vallee Poussin's French version of Abhidharmakosabhasyam of Vasubandhu):- 1. Reason for existence 2. Coexistent cause 3. Parallel cause 4. Associated cause 5. Universal cause 6. Retributive cause

Internal Links

• Four types of condition