Today’s topic of Pratityasamutpada in the Sanskrit translated as “dependent origination” or “conditioned arising” or “interdependent arising” all are referring to the same thing or the same teaching. What does this mean? After all, we all know what dependent means, and we know what, origination or arising means. So that would seem not too difficult a concept to understand. In fact, on one occasion Ananda remarked that despite its apparent difficulty, the teaching of dependent origination was actually quite simple; and the Buddha rebuked Ananda saying that in fact the teaching of dependent origination was very deep.

It is only when we begin to examine the function and application of dependent origination that we have to recognize the fact that we have a very profound and significant teaching. It is from out of this teaching that we find the explanation for the teaching of “karma” which as you know is also about cause and effect.

On a very basic level the teaching of Pratityasamutpada basically says that everything in this phenomenal world is due to various causes and conditions that arise. There is nothing you can point to that doesn’t have a cause or condition for its existence. In fact you can trace it back through deductive reasoning - arriving back at its origin or original cause. So you can look upon these teaching as an explanation of the entire universe - and it is one of the main reasons that Buddhism denies the existence of any kind of Creator God.

Let us take first an example used by the Buddha Himself in one of the sutras. The Buddha said the flame in an oil lamp burns dependent upon the oil and the wick. When the oil and the wick are present, the flame in an oil lamp burns. If either of these is absent, the flame will cease to burn. This example illustrates the principle of dependent origination with respect to a flame in an oil lamp.

Now let us take the example of a seed and a sprout. The seed is dependent upon the seed, earth, water, air and sunlight for the sprout to arise. There are in fact innumerable examples of dependent origination because there is no existing phenomenon that is not the effect of dependent origination. All these phenomena arise dependent upon a number of causal factors.

These are very simple examples of the teaching of Pratityasamutpada but all of us and everything in this phenomenal world are the result of a vast and complex web of causes and conditions. This has sometimes been metaphorically expressed by something called “Indra’s net.” Far away in the heavenly abode of the great god Indra, there is a wonderful net which has been hung in such a manner that it stretches out infinitely in all directions. In accordance with the extravagant tastes of deities a single glittering jewel has been placed in each “eye” of the net, and since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. There hang the jewels, glittering like stars in the night, a wonderful sight to behold. If we now arbitrarily look closely at one of the jewels, we will discover that in its polished surface there are reflected all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number. Not only that, but each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel is also reflecting all the other jewels, so that there is an infinite reflecting process occurring. Likewise all phenomena are likewise linked through infinite causes and conditions.

The Buddha said:

When this is, that is.

“From the arising of this comes the arising of that.

When this isn’t, that isn’t.

From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.”

Very simply, this is the principle of dependent origination. It is said dependent origination also an expression of the “middle way” - the Buddha’s own teaching of avoiding extremes. In this case it is the avoiding the extreme of either “eternalism” or of “nihilism.” The Buddha compared the viewing the teachings in this middle way to the way a tigress carries her young in her teeth - with great care. Not too loose who she will drop the cub and not too tight or she will kill the cub.

This is why the Buddha has said that he who sees dependent origination sees the Dharma and he who sees the Dharma sees the Buddha.

Particularly, we are interested in the principle of dependent origination as it applies to the problem of suffering and rebirth. We are interested in how dependent origination explains the situation in which we find ourselves here. In this sense, it is important to remember that dependent origination is essentially and primarily a teaching that has to do with the problem of suffering and how to free ourselves from suffering, and not just a description of the evolution of the universe. Let me briefly list the twelve components (also known as the twelve nidanas) or links that make up dependent origination which you have on the sheet on your cushion. They are ignorance, mental formation, consciousness, name and form, the six senses, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, and old age and death.

There are two principal ways in which we can understand these twelve components. One way to understand them is sequentially, over a period of three lifetimes: the past life, the present life and the future life. In this case, ignorance and mental formation belong to the past life - but they also represent the conditions that are responsible for the occurrence of this present life. The following components of dependent origination - consciousness, name and form, the six senses, contact, feeling, craving, clinging and becoming - belong to this life. In brief, these eight components constitute the process of evolution within this life. The last two components - birth and old age and death - belong to the future life. According to this scheme, we can see how the twelve components of dependent origination are distributed over the period of three lifetimes, and how the first two - ignorance and mental formation result in the emergence of this life with its psycho-physical personality and how in turn, the actions performed in this life result in rebirth in the future life.

So one way of looking at dependent origination is an explanation of our human life and our rebirths - but another way of viewing dependent origination is as an explanation of everything in the Universe.

Buddhist philosopher, Nagajuna, looked upon this teaching as an explanation of emptitness. In Chapter 24, verse 18 of Nagajuna’s seminal text, “The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way,” he says,

“Whatever is dependent co-arisen

That is explained to be emptiness.

That, being a dependent designation,

Is itself the middle way.”

I know this is heady stuff. But when you hear or think of dependent origination just think about how everything is the result of causes and conditions that arise. This applies especially to your suffering. And of course it relates to your causing others to suffer. I found this wonderful quote recently -“Everyday we decide who we will be by the actions that we take.” I don’t know who the author is, but I feel it is a wonderful way to remind ourselves of this very important Buddhist teaching. How many times have you said something you later regretted and wished you could take back? How many times have you hit the “send” button when sending an angry e-mail that you wish you could take back? So, I want you to take this quote and cut it out and place it on your bathroom mirror. So you see it first thing every day. Also make a copy and place it on your computer.

So remember - dependent origination is all about causes and conditions that in turns explains not only the cause of our suffering, but the cessation of our suffering too.

Remember the Buddha said: When this is, that is.

“From the arising of this comes the arising of that.

When this isn’t, that isn’t.

From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.”

And please remember: “Everyday we decide who we will be by the actions that we take.”