Explaining dependent arising.
Dependent arising is one of the key nodes in understanding the rest of the noble truths.
Nodes are essentially subtopics that helps us understand the noble truths.
All teachings have a reason for being taught, and dependent arising is one of such teachings.
Dependent arising helps us to understand one of the noble truths about suffering.
One key doctrine of Buddhist philosophy to begin with:
All phenomenon are dependent arising
The opposite of this doctrine:
All non-phenomenon are not dependent arising
Phenomenon is the word to describe existence, such as the laptop, iPhone, car, house, the mind-body complex, the consciousness that identifies as the ‘I’ in ourselves, etc.
There is a strong linkage between understanding the rise of afflictive emotions, (e.g. hate and lust) and the understanding of dependent arising.
Once you fully grasp dependent arising, you will fully grasp the root cause of afflictive emotions.
When you understood the root cause of something, you suddenly have the power to prevent it from occurring as you can control the occurrence of a cause. Like, the root cause of a painful burnt finger is because I touched something hot, understanding this root cause of this pain meant that I will know not to touch it again. Simple!
Buddha wishes us to understand dependent arising, since his teaching concerns the elimination of suffering.
Dependent arising
Now enter dependent arising, and study the figure above.
Numbers below it are dependent on the numbers above it. It couldn’t exist without the numbers above.
The number below it couldn’t have exist without the numbers above.
Also note the fact that an effect will turn into a cause, for another effect.
Independent arising
Now enter independent arising.
Since the numbers are not dependent on anything, there is no number above any numbers, there was no cause that made it exist.
Since it does not exist as an effect of a cause, it will not turn into a cause to cause another effect, therefore there won’t be a number below it.
It appears to exists in its own power, own right.
It can’t never change, because it is not dependent on others.
Change is only possible with external dependencies.
Pause and reflect
Apply this thought process by taking an object near you.
Try to see if you could see the object existing through dependent arising or independent arising.
The Relationship between afflictive emotions and dependent arising
Ignorance is the inability to recognise the meaning of dependent arising. As long as you do not understand dependent arising, you are ignorant by definition.
Ignorance is by definition seeing the world as existing through independent arising.
I will now convince the reader that the world, and all phenomena exist through dependent arising.
Please have an open mind and read along the text slowly.
Take the example of a table. When you look at a table, it is easy to not look at it is made up of parts. The parts that consists of its four legs, and table top. Then diving deeper into the legs, that are made up of wood that is carved up in a certain way. And that carving is made by a carpenter’s hand. The carpenters hand is driven by his consciousness. His consciousness is driven by his mind body complex. His mind body complex is made up again by its parts. It goes on and on. By seeing the table existing this way, you are seeing the table as existing through dependent arising.
You cannot deny that the above causes did exist. That a table is really made up of its parts. That the table did existed in that way.
The opposite, where the table exists without its parts, without the carpenter, is not possible. Be seeing the table existing without its parts, you are seeing the table as existing through independent arising. It cannot be changed by anything because it is not dependent on anything. We have proven that it is not possible for the table to exist this way, therefore the table cannot be existing through independent arising, it did not exists in its own right, own power.
Stop. And reflect. If you do not understand, please read the text again.
If you understood this point, you would have felt that some of your guard and skepticism has faded away. That is the feeling of liberation from ignorance, although this is only minor. You will feel this more broadly as you grasp the true meaning with time and focused analysis. What has happened is that you are starting to doubt your understanding of existence, on how things appear, a perception or belief you had since you were born.
Seeing the world as existing through independent arising is as if you are seeing the world blindly. You do not see the true nature of the things you see.
The tale of the ignorant fish
If you see the world blindly since you were born, you will continue to be blind. It is difficult not to be so.
A fish that is living deep in the ocean, will never know that there is such things as life on land, and believes that all existence exist in the ocean only. It will continue to believe that life only exists in ocean because it has exists living deep in the ocean since it was born. With such false perception, it is easy to over exaggerate its own notion of existence, ‘Because only life exists in the ocean, and I exist in the ocean, therefore I am important, a chosen one!’ As humans observer, we take note that the fish is blind, and foolish to think that way! He is not as important as he thinks he is because, life do exists beyond the ocean.How are they so ignorant to that fact? Imagine if the fish realised this truth, what it ends up is suffering!
The tale of the ignorant Ming
If you are blind (literally blind), and say that you are given an object for free. and you need to describe the object (say that it is a fake iPhone) while being blind , it is conceptually possible for you to say that the object feels like a real iPhone.
When you do so, you believe that the object that you are holding is actually a real iPhone. When you do so, you develop lust for the object because in your mind a new iPhone sounds like a nice item to own, and attach to! You have fallen into an illusion! But in reality you cannot prove whether the iPhone is real or not because you are blind. If it cannot be proven, it is falsifiable. It means that what you believe could be false at some point in the future.
Because you described that object when you are blind, it follows that the idea that the iPhone is real could be false in the future. Imagine when that happens (you finally realised that the iPhone is actually fake), and you already developed an attachment to this object because of that false belief in the beginning, what you end up is suffering!
But now imagine that you’re the fish, and I am the human observer. I will say, you’re blind and foolish to think that the world exists through independent arising! With such false perception, it is easy to over exaggerate the notion of existence, ‘Because I see the iPhone as real, therefore it is real’. But in actual fact, the the form of the iPhone is that it is a fake iPhone. How are they so ignorant to that fact? Imagine if the fish (you) realised this truth, what it ends up is suffering!
Most of us are of course not blind, but we are blind in the sense that we only see the world as existing through independent arising.
Seeing the world as existing through dependent arising is as if you are seeing the world without being blind. You see the true nature of the things you see. Say that you are given the same fake iPhone for free. Because you are not blind, you see the true nature of the object. It is a fake iPhone. It is conceptually possible for you to say that the object feels like a real iPhone but it is not logical to do so.
Therefore, because you are convinced that you see the object as it really is, there is no need to think further. No lust would be developed, because you are not thinking about getting a free real iPhone. You have not fallen into the same illusion this time because you are not blind, you are seeing the true nature of the object that you’re given.
Lust
Afflictive emotion only arises when you see things as they not really are, that is to see the world blindly as existing through independent arising. You see the car as beautiful that it really is, you are basically exaggerating the property of that car which at that moment you think is true (but in actual fact is not real), which in turns creates a desire to own that car, to build an attachment to that car, this is lust.
Lust cause much suffering as you strive to work really hard by any means to improve your material gains to own that car. Few years later, you will come to realise that the car is not as beautiful as you think. You came to realise the true form of the car. What just happened there is that you suffered for an illusion you fell into, all because you see the car as independent arising.
Hate
You had a disagreement with your enemy, you see your enemy as more ugly that he really is, you are basically exaggerating a property of this person which at that moment you think is true (but in actual fact it is not real), which in turns create a desire to hurt this person, to build an expectation that the person should be diminished, this is hate.
Hate cause much suffering as you strive to manipulate the situation to achieve that expectations. Few days or weeks later, you will come to realise that this enemy is not ugly as you think. You came to realise or see the true form of this person, which you could only do when you’re no longer consumed by emotions! What just happened there is that you suffered for an illusion you fell into, all because you see the enemy as independent arising.
CONCLUSION
Therefore the lesson is clear, to avoid afflictive emotions from arising, avoid seeing all phenomena as independent arising, see them as dependent arising instead.
When you do so, you will find it very difficult to exaggerate anything of that object that you’re trying to describe.
You cannot exaggerate a car is beautiful when you see its true form that it is just what it is.
You cannot exaggerate that your enemy is ugly when you see its true form that he is what he is.
You cannot say that this flower is green when you see flower in its true form that it is red.
Hope this lesson helps brush off the dust of the dependent arising node.
