'Inter-dependent Origination' [Part 1] A Teaching by Aenpo Rinpoche on 6 October 2000 [Transcribed from audio tape - any errors or mis-representations are entirely the fault of the transcriber] We are going to go through, or discuss, the topic of interdependent origination. Many people think and believe that interdependent origination, or in other words dependent arising, is a difficult subject. I think that is quite true because the interdependent origination is certainly one of the most important, profound and vast teachings given by Buddha. But to start with, to understand the word interdependent origination is not very difficult, because we know what 'interdependent' means and we know what 'origination' means, or 'arising' or 'birth' means. When we start to analyse the function or the nature of interdependent origination we find that it has a very profound and significant meaning. In the Sutras, we frequently find that the Lord Buddha has expressed or shared his experience of enlightenment in many ways. But mostly he has categorized it into two - either he would describe it in terms of having understood the four noble truths, which are: the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of cessation and truth of the path, or in terms of having understood the nature of interdependent origination. Buddha also mentioned that in order to attain enlightenment one has to understand the four noble truths which can be invariably interpreted that one has to understand the interdependent origination. Now to clarify or discuss elaborately upon interdependent origination, there are four different views presented by four different sects within Buddhism. These four sects are called: Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, Chittamatra, Madhyamaka. The first two belong to the lower vehicle, and the second two to the greater vehicle. The first two sects, Vaibhashika and Sautrantika, believe and present the explanation of interdependent origination quite differently from the other two sects. Vaibhashika believe that all the phenomena are not necessarily impermanent, whereas the Mahayana emphasize that all the conditioned phenomena are impermanent. Therefore there is a bit of difference in accepting interdependent origination. The Sautrantika believe that self-awareness, the very last consciousness as they believe, the ultimate consciousness and the outer phenomena are inherently existent. Whereas the greater vehicle, Madhyamaka, believe that none of the phenomena are inherently existent, it's inherently non-existent. There's no such thing that exists solidly, permanently. Now within this greater vehicle there are two, Chittamatra and Madhyamaka. Chittamatra believe that everything is made out of mind, but for Madhyamaka to say that it is falling into an extreme that everything has come out of mind. Madhyamaka in English translation is 'middle path' or 'middle way.' It explains that interdependent origination or in other words, things that we see, things that are produced, things which decay, all these function in the relative reality because Madhyamaka categorize the realities into two - the relative reality and the ultimate reality. The relative reality is the reality that we are at the moment existing in, the very life, the very thing that we do, we experience - the many things that we do is in relative reality. Now analyzing upon the very activities that we sentient beings purposely do, the things that happen, the things that are activated, the things that we've done, things seem to happen quite naturally. But if we analyze it properly we come to a kind of conclusion that none of these things exist on it's own. It has to be dependent upon the other factors, once a portion of this very formation is collapses then it is quite logical to prove that the rest will actually collapse. In ultimate reality there is no such thing as we see in relative reality. In Madhyamaka, the definition says that generally speaking interdependent origination is something not inherently existent in relative reality, not permanently or solidly existing, but something that has been produced, something that your mind projects - a mental projection. For example, something appears in your mind, then you see it and give a name to it, or there might be things that you can't give a name to, but however things that you perceive that you give a name to - that is called interdependent origination. It is a bit more complex compared to what the other sects believe, the others, commonly speaking, are quite understandable. Crops have to be dependent upon soil, water and fertilizer, it is quite understandable. In Madhyamaka, interdependent origination is not different from the big topic - emptiness. This may sound like a bit of a paradox, because interdependent origination is something that you can see or feel at this very moment, and emptiness is something to be perceived by the non-humanly mind or the Bodhisattvas, it is supposed to be perceived by those people. It necessarily doesn't mean that whatever things that we do interdependently is being perceived as we perceive them as emptiness. The cause and effect that we have in relative reality did not come out of nowhere. There is a clear discrimination between the cause and result - we can say this is the cause this is the result - we can separate them. When we analyze upon how this result is produced by the cause it comes to the conclusion that things don't exist. Therefore something is being produced by something that actually doesn't exist, and at the same time it is existing. It is very confusing. It is confusing, but in fact it is not really confusing because things exist as we can see on a relative level - it does exist, but in ultimate reality it doesn't exist. Therefore it is interpreted as synonymous. A synonym of interdependent origination is emptiness. There is a close relationship between the four noble truths and interdependent origination. Both the four noble truths and interdependent origination emphasize and are there because of the law of karma, they share the same principal. The four noble truths and interdependent origination both share this causality - the law of karma. The four noble truths are divided into two: the truth of suffering and the truth of the causes of suffering. And the second two: the truth of cessation and the truth of the path. In both of these the law of karma is the one that governs the relationship between the four noble truths and interdependent origination. In other words the frustrations or sufferings in samara is the effect or the result of the cause of suffering and then similarly the cessation of suffering, the end of suffering is the effect of the truth of the path which ends the suffering. The basic or the fundamental principle that is shared by these two is the law of karma. None of the existing phenomena are existent on their own. When we talk about the four noble truths or the sixteen emptiness' or the six parameters or whatever the topic or whatever the things that we talk about or do is actually very much dependent upon other factors as well. Interdependent origination, or ten-drel in Tibetan, very much applies to the problems or the sufferings that we have in this very life. That's why it is quite important to remember that interdependent origination is essentially and primarily a teaching or a lesson that has to deal with the worldly problems or sufferings, and how to be free from this suffering. Even though in other sects they discuss upon the formation or the evolution of the universe which is quite elaborately illustrated in Abhidharma, the text of Buddha's phenomenology and psychology, in Madhyamaka it emphasizes more on how to deal with the problems and sufferings that we face in this very life and how to overcome this or how to eliminate the sufferings. When we relate this interdependent origination to our life then this is divided into 12 divisions which are called The 12 Links of Interdependent Origination, they are: Ignorance Mental formation Consciousness Name and form The sources of perception Contact Feeling Craving Clinging or grasping Existence or becoming Birth Aging and death. There are many ways in which we can understand this interdependent origination with different explanations. The most kind of effective way or most commonly explained way to understand the 12 Links of Interdependent Origination is divided over a period of three lifetimes, one after the other, the past life, the present life and the future life. In this case the very first two links, ignorance and the mental formation belong to the past life. The ignorance and the mental formation represent the things that are responsible for the occurrence of this life, this means that because of ignorance and mental formation, this very life is produced. The other links such as consciousness, name and form, the sources of perception, contact, feeling, craving, clinging and existence - they are produced by ignorance and mental formation. These eight links belong to this life and constitute the process of existence within this life. The last two links - birth, and aging and death - belong to the future life. This way it is shown how the 12 Links of Interdependent Origination are divided over a period of three lifetimes. The first two - ignorance and mental formation - result in this life. In return, the actions or deeds or karma that we accumulate in this very life result in the future life. This is the common way of interpreting the 12 Links of Interdependent Origination, which apply to the origin of this life, which means the origin of suffering, it has to come from somewhere and that is the past lifetime. That results in the future lifetime - it gives birth and then it ends with aging and death. Another interpretation of the relations between thee 12 Links of Interdependent Origination is a division into 3 groups: defilements, karma and suffering. According to this explanation, ignorance, craving and clinging belong to the group of defilements. The mental formation, consciousness, name and form and existence belong to karma. The sources of perception, contact, feeling, birth and aging and death belong to the group of sufferings. By this interpretation the teachings of the four noble truths and particularly the teaching of the second truth - the truth of origin of suffering or the cause of suffering, is very much connected with the teaching of karma and rebirth. These two, the four noble truths and interdependent origination, explain the process of rebirth and origination of suffering. In interdependent origination, there are many ways of explaining the formation of this cycle that we have been having, and it does not always end with the one answer. There are many ways and there are many reasons how it is formed, because of these different factors there are different ways of explaining it as well. What I have just briefly mentioned is how it is interpreted from the point of view of interdependent origination, now from the point of view of the four noble truths and especially the second truth of the origin of suffering - how it explains the creation of suffering. In the 12 links of Interdependent Origination, the very first one is ignorance. The things that we do and as a result of doing that, not being happy about it, is mainly due to not knowing how to function properly, which in Buddhism we use the word "ignorantly." Because of ignorance - because of not knowing that you're doing something - it ends up producing suffering for you, but we don't see this production of suffering, we don't see this suffering as produced by oneself, we rather blame it on others. This is why you say "You cause trouble to me," well it is quite true that people also bring trouble to you but it is only a trouble if you let it be a trouble or a suffering. When we talk about ignorance it is related back to the cause which reminds you not to do things ignorantly again. Despite all the knowledge, education and information on how these sufferings are produced, if you don't apply the teachings into day to day lifetime thinking, if you don't reflect upon it again and again then there is no way that we can use these teachings which are supposed to be the antidote to suffering. If we don't reflect upon it again and again and again, when we face a problem we forget to apply those antidotes and we end up doing the same thing again and again, which might be quite boring but we don't seem to be quite bored with that. This ignorance, or in other words the sufferings that actually started because of self-clinging, is created because we are so much attached to oneself even though we don't see it. It is all because we are attached to ourselves so much that every little thing seems to be annoying you very badly and then you react towards it. We get annoyed by things, then we react badly because it hurts you or annoys you. Why does it does annoy? It annoys you because you are attached to yourself too much. These little things create a kind of energy, which we call karma and because of this factor or energy that we produce we keep doing it again and again and again. It becomes a habit, in English we call it "habit energy." We keep doing the same thing again and again and there is a strong energy in that, it is like a habituated energy. Because of the habit that we have, it's not going to just stop there, if we keep doing something it will produce something. What will it produce? Because the cause is suffering - you are annoyed - and there is so much energy in that, it will also produce suffering. The unwholesome or negative deeds that one accumulates doesn't necessarily have to be created through the conditions of somebody else coming there and giving one the chance to accumulate it. For example, people get annoyed or agitated just by themselves even though there is nobody in their room, nothing, but they get agitated themselves and then throw things here and there. It shows that it necessarily doesn't depend on others to bring to you to this problem. If there is a problem between two people, when someone brings an unfavorable condition towards you, if you don't take it as unfavorable, if you just take it as another result from that very habit, then that will help you not to commit more negativity. Rather take it as a chance to practice or a chance to see at least that whatever things I do, whatever things will bring some sort of happiness is very much dependent on myself, upon how I let my mind function. Because of ignorance, self-clinging produces karma and because of the karma, because of the actions, the energies that you have produced, thing keep happening. The habit energy is not necessarily always very bad; it can be wholesome or unwholesome, acceptable or unacceptable. The good things that we do, being compassionate towards others, being loving towards others, being more concerned for others rather than being self-centered, these kind of processes of generating wholesome deeds also produce a result. If we keep doing it again and again, it will bring you happiness. Now many people, many sentient beings get agitated very easily and we know that we don't like frustrations, we don't like sufferings, now we want to be happy, now we go somewhere and try to find happiness. It is not something like you can go to a supermarket and buy something. This is something that you have to search for, and reflect upon the things that you have done and what actually brings you happiness and what actually brings you suffering. As soon as we know, "These are the things that I have been doing a lot and this doesn't bring me happiness at all and henceforth from today onwards I decide I will not do this again," this is the kind of determination that one can have. But then after an hour or two or probably after a day or two you might not think about that and you might keep doing the same thing again and again and again, that is because you don't have the good habit of thinking or letting oneself into the engagement of positive deeds. This is how we suffer more. In this case it is interdependent origination again because this very happiness we want to experience is very much dependent on the cause. If there is no cause there will be no effect. If the happiness doesn't have a cause there will be no happiness. There is a cause for happiness so therefore it is very much dependent upon that, and that very cause produces that very happiness. Therefore there is another cycle of interdependent origination. Sometimes when we go to a teaching or talk or pick interdependent origination as a favorite topic in a book and keep reading it again and again and again. But just to read, listen and reflect upon interdependent origination or any other thing which can be a great help for any sentient being to bring happiness, it is not enough, after that we have to try to apply those antidotes or those remedies. It might be very difficult to start with especially when we face the difficulties straight away to apply the antidote. So when you're having a good time or when you are by yourself or when you are a bit more relaxed, try to contemplate on these antidotes as much as you can. You can get used to it. When one becomes used to it, when one faces the difficulties one can straight away think of the antidote. Whether that antidote can help you to eliminate that difficulty is questionable because the antidote that we have very much depends on the effort and the kind of interest that we have put in, the intensity of effort and interest and enthusiasm that we have put in that very antidote, if that is strong then it is easier to apply. But sometimes the day is so busy. It's easier to become a monk, you sit there and have lots of time to contemplate, you don't have all the distractions. It might look very easy for the monks just to be in one place and stay there for your whole life and doing nothing in terms of going to work, it might look like a very easy life. Westerners want to have a meaningful understanding - and not be so obsessed with insincere distractions or entertainments. This is again habit. Habit energy. We are used to it. We see it but we don't want to change it and at the same time we want to change it - we are just a paradox ourselves. We are very much a paradox to ourselves. Now this is again interdependent, because working people think that a monk's life is easier and I think actually sometimes the monks think that working people have it easier than their life, which I have seen many times, I am from a monastery, I know what the monks think. Some monks think like that and they end up giving the monk's life away and joining lay people's life and then you can see the suffering. At the same time, if you put it into a situation where one can capitalize or one can make use of those things - like you said there are so many distractions in the West - so many things to do in this life and you don't have time to relax but actually that is not entertaining you, that is obstructing you. Once we see that this is actually not entertaining it is quite difficult to stop it straight away but we can gradually lessen, we can gradually reduce it. In this case it is all very much dependent upon oneself, how we handle the situation and how we use those antidotes that have been passed by the great masters. In the case of myself the weakest point that I have is a short temper, very short-tempered and I still think I am. But compared to what I used to be and how I am now - there is a difference because before until the age of about 14 or 15 even though you know everything that had been taught in the Sutra, in the text, I only knew it through my head I would say. Somebody asked you what was the cause, what's the origin, I can say the answer no problem, but in fact I hadn't integrated it, because you are not actually tasting it. So once you try to peel the apple and try to eat it, then we can sort of at least know what apple is. Similarly, the antidote has been taught, we listen and we contemplate and put into practice and try to keep doing at least bit by bit in a day or whatever, keep constantly thinking about it, that builds up that weapon, that energy, so that we have a certain level of energy which can challenge those negative emotions. So in this case it is our own habit, sometimes for me I see that the lay people probably have more of a chance of practicing patience than the monks. In the monastery we all are as a Sangha, a community, nobody hardly speaks in harsh words, of course it doesn't mean things like that don't happened at all, of course it happens, we all are human. Sometimes when the monks get agitated they are really bad, I call them venomous snakes because if you just leave the snake as it is then it will not harm you but as soon as you attack it then it will react very badly. In this case maybe it is the point on which we have not much practice in because most of the time we practice on many other things and sometimes we forget the patience because there is no chance for practicing patience. (continued in Part-2)