Saturday, February 1, 2014

INTERDEPENDENT ORIGINATION (Emptiness or Shoonyata)

Speaking Tree Paper, 29.12.2013


Lord Buddha said: YE DHARMA HETU PRABHAVA HETUN TASHAN TATHAGATO HYA VADATA TESHANTYO NIRODH EVAM VADI MAHA SHRAMANAYE SVAHA


{All phenomena arise from causes.
The causes are being taught by the Tathagatha.
The cessation to causes
Are also being taught by the great Shramanera (practitioner)!}


Here all phenomena refers to conditioned phenomena or compounded phenomena. All of them arise from causes and conditions. Suffering arises from cause and conditions. Happiness also arise from cause and conditions. The first line shows Truth of Suffering. Suffering refers to physical pain as well as mental suffering. In a wide way, suffering refers not only to physical and mental pain, but also the external world that helps to create suffering.


The second line indicates the Truth of the Cause of Suffering. The cause refers to karma and negative emotions. These two are causes of suffering in samsara. Karma refers to intent in the mind and the actions of body and speech which are triggered by the thoughts. Negative emotions refer to disturbing thoughts that destroys the peace of mind like attachment, anger and ignorance. Negative emotions pollute thought patterns that produce negative actions of body, speech and mind. They in turn are causes of future sufferings in samsara.


The third line shows the Truth of the Cessation to Suffering and the fourth line the Truth of the Path to Cessation. Cessation of suffering is the end of Karma and negative emotions. Once one completely gets rid of negative emotions, the root causes of Karma, one achieves cessation or liberation from samsara.


Truth of the path shows the noble eightfold path (Right View, Right thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration) which leads to the cessation or liberation.


This mantra of the Essence of Interdependent Origination is very popular in all traditions of Buddhism. This is called interdependent because all phenomena especially the conditioned ones originate from cause and conditions. This verse also shows the essence of Buddhism as indirectly it shows that if you do good, good things come about and if you do bad,bad will come about.


[ Teachings received from Khenpo Sonam Tsewang, Namdroling Monastery, Bylakuppe, Karnataka]

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