In Buddhist philosophy, one concept stands out as a cornerstone of its teachings: Dependent Origination. This profound idea reveals the intricate interconnectedness of all phenomena. It explains why we experience suffering, how we are ensnared in the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and most importantly, how we can break free.
Imagine a chain of twelve links, each link leading inexorably to the next, propelling us through life after life. This is the cycle of Dependent Origination, a cycle fueled by ignorance and desire. But what if we could break one link? What if we could replace ignorance with wisdom, desire with mindfulness? Would we not, then, cease to be bound by the cycle?
The renowned Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna, often considered the second Buddha by Mahayana Buddhists, highlighted the significance of emptiness in understanding Dependent Origination. He stressed that understanding ‘Emptiness‘ does not mean negating or dismissing the existence of things, but rather appreciating the interdependent relationships that constitute their very reality.
Dependent Origination is not just a philosophical concept, it’s a practical tool, a roadmap to enlightenment. By understanding it, we can begin to untangle the threads of our existence, to see the world with clarity and wisdom, and to find the path to lasting peace and liberation.
What is Dependent Origination?
Dependent Origination, also known as Pratītyasamutpāda in Sanskrit, is a fundamental principle in Buddhist philosophy. The term can be understood as “dependent co-arising” or “interdependent arising.” This concept represents the interconnectedness of all phenomena, highlighting that all entities, conditions, and events arise and exist due to the interplay of certain causes and conditions. Therefore, it implies that nothing in the world exists in isolation, free from the influences of other phenomena.
Dependent Origination is widely recognized as one of the most profound teachings in Buddhism, which underscores the doctrine of non-self (anātman) and the transient nature of phenomena (anicca). This principle is often elaborated through a twelve-link chain, known as the Twelve Nidānas, illustrating the cyclic process of birth, life, death, and rebirth (Samsara).
Each of the twelve links represents a stage in the process of life and death. Ignorance (avidyā) leads to mental formations (saṃskāra), which give rise to consciousness (vijñāna). This consciousness links up with name and form (nāmarūpa), manifesting in the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana). The interaction of the sense bases with external stimuli results in contact (sparśa), generating feelings (vedanā). These feelings stimulate craving (tṛṣṇā), which transforms into clinging/attachment (upādāna). The process of becoming (bhava) follows, culminating in birth (jāti) and finally, old age, death, sorrow and despair (jarāmaraṇa).
It’s crucial to understand that the twelve links are not linear in nature but function in a circular manner, reinforcing and perpetuating the cycle of samsara. However, Buddhism asserts that this cyclic existence can be disrupted, and liberation (nirvāṇa) achieved by eliminating ignorance through the cultivation of wisdom, primarily by understanding the Four Noble Truths.
Dependent Origination is a vital component of Buddhist metaphysics, serving as an explanation for the cyclical nature of existence and the possibility of liberation. It underscores the interdependence and mutual conditioning of all phenomena, challenging notions of independent, intrinsic existence. It provides a nuanced understanding of causality, highlighting that the complex web of existence is intertwined and mutually dependent. This understanding is integral to realizing the Buddhist path of liberation, as it fundamentally pertains to the comprehension and cessation of suffering (dukkha).
Twelve links of Dependent Origination
The Twelve links or Nidānas, which constitute the principle of Dependent Origination, is a cornerstone of Buddhist metaphysics. It illustrates the cyclical process of existence in Samsara, the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. Each Nidāna, or link, signifies a stage in this process and is dependent on the preceding link, reinforcing the Buddhist concept of interdependence and causality. Here’s a detailed exploration of each of the twelve links:
1. Ignorance (Avidyā): This is the starting point of the cycle. Ignorance, in this context, refers to the lack of understanding or the misapprehension of the Four Noble Truths. It is the ignorance of the reality of suffering, its origin, its cessation and the path leading to its cessation.
2. Volitional Formations (Saṃskāra): Stemming from ignorance, these are karmically potent actions or intentions. These actions, whether physical, verbal, or mental, are driven by ignorance and will lead to future consequences.
3. Consciousness (Vijñāna): Consciousness arises as a result of volitional formations. This refers to the basic awareness of an object, the function of cognizing an object. It is part of the process of cognition that allows sentient beings to experience the world.
4. Name and Form (Nāmarūpa): Name refers to the mental factors—feeling, perception, volition, contact, and attention—while form represents the physical factors or the materiality of existence. Consciousness, then, becomes associated with name and form, setting the stage for sentient existence.
5. Six Sense Bases (Ṣaḍāyatana): These are the five physical sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) and the mind as the sixth base. They provide the means for interaction with the external world.
6. Contact (Sparśa): The meeting of an object, sense base, and consciousness results in contact. It is the interaction of the sense organ with its corresponding object, and the consciousness associated with it.
7. Feeling (Vedanā): Arising from contact, feeling is the experiential aspect of the interaction, which can be pleasurable, painful, or neutral. This is not an emotional feeling but the basic hedonic tone of experience.
8. Craving (Tṛṣṇā): Craving is the desire or thirst for the continuance or cessation of the sensations experienced in the feeling stage. It is the wanting of pleasure, avoidance of pain and ignorance of neutral feelings.
9. Clinging or Attachment (Upādāna): This is the intensification of craving. It is the attachment or grasping at the objects of desire, including sensual pleasures, views, rites and rituals, and the belief in a self (ātman).
10. Becoming (Bhava): Conditioned by clinging, becoming is the active process of becoming or being. It involves the karmic energy that propels beings into their next existence.
11. Birth (Jāti): This is the entry of consciousness into a new life. Birth here is not just physical birth but symbolizes the arising of a new life-state driven by the karmic forces of becoming.
12. Old Age and Death (Jarāmaraṇa): This signifies the inevitable end of life characterized by aging, death, and the associated suffering. This leads back to ignorance and the cycle continues.
The Twelve Nidānas are not merely a linear sequence but rather denote a complex web of interrelations, representing the cyclical nature of existence in Samsara. Understanding this chain of causation provides insights into the perpetuation of suffering and the means to its cessation.
Each link is a condition for the next, and the cessation or transformation of one can influence the rest. For instance, the eradication of ignorance through wisdom can break the cycle, preventing the formation of volitional formations (saṃskāra) and leading to the eventual cessation of suffering.
Conclusion
The doctrine of Dependent Origination offers us a clearer view of life, helping us to understand the root causes of our successes and failures, our sufferings and happiness. Studying and practicing Buddhism gradually removes the veil of ignorance created from an unavoidable beginning.
We will learn what to do to avoid being ensnared by the impermanence of all things. When attachment and clinging are shattered, there’s no room for obsessions to arise. Then, our minds will experience everlasting peace and happiness in this ever-changing world.
The challenge for the Buddha, and indeed for all of us, is to discover the path out of this cycle of conditioned existence. It is said that on the night of his enlightenment, the Buddha reversed the process of Dependent Origination to seek liberation.
Why do old age, sickness, and death exist? They exist because we are born. And why are we born? Because all the actions of becoming, all the will-driven activities are propelled by greed, hatred, and delusion.
Why do we engage in these activities? Because of clinging. But why does clinging exist? Because of desire in the mind. And why does desire exist in the mind? Because of feeling, because of the qualities of pleasantness or unpleasantness that arise. And why do feelings exist? Because of contact. And why does contact exist? Because sense-consciousness arises where there is mind and body.
But we cannot do anything to prevent the formation of mind and body. That is due to the lack of understanding in the past from birth. Therefore, there is no way for humans to avoid contact with the external world.
There is no way to shut off all the sense organs, even if that were desirable. If there is contact, there is no way to prevent feelings from arising. Because of contact, feelings will be there. But with the understanding of the teachings of the Buddha, it can be broken.
Understanding Dependent Origination, why something arises, we can start to break its chain of conditions. When there is ignorance in the mind, if there is something pleasant, we want it; something unpleasant, we want to get rid of it. But if we replace ignorance with wisdom, then we gradually reduce attachment to or avoiding objects.
When a pleasant feeling arises, we experience it mindfully without attachment to it. If something unpleasant arises, we experience it mindfully without judging it. There is no more longing in the mind, replaced by mindfulness, detachment and letting go. Without desire, there is no clinging and without clinging, there are no “volitional activities” becoming.
If we can make one of the links of the twelve dependent origination cease to exist, there will be no rebirth, no illness, no aging, no death. We become free, no longer pleased or displeased, instead there is Nirvana.
Each moment of clear understanding of the Buddha’s teachings is a strong blow to the links in the chain of twelve dependent origination. That power comes from wisdom, the link becomes weaker and weaker until it breaks, but it takes a strong mindfulness in each moment to do that.
