Dependent Origination

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The Buddha often teaches in terms of Dependent Origination. Through the understanding of Dependent Origination, the Buddha attained Enlightenment.

He said "Deep indeed Dependent Origination. It is by not realizing this principle that all have become entangled like a ball of thread, unable to stop suffering and rebirth."

The Law of Dependent Origination

The basis of Dependent Origination is that life and the world is built on sets of relations, in which the arising and cessation of factors depend on some other factors which condition them:

When this is, that is This arising, that arises When this is not, that is not This ceasing, that ceases

"This" + Certain Causes + Certain Conditions = "That"

On this principle of interdependence and relativity rest the arising, continuity and cessation of existence. This is called the Law of Dependent Origination. It emphasizes that all phenomena in the Universe are relatively conditioned states and do not arise independently of supportive conditions.

A phenomena arises because combination of conditions are present to support its arising. And the phenomenon will cease when the conditions and components supporting its arising change and no longer sustain it.

The presence of these supportive conditions, in turn depends on other factors for their arising, sustenance, disappearance and possible re-arising. In this sense, all things are empty (have the characteristics of Emptiness) of an independent self-nature.

This law also explain how Rebirth occurs.

An example of Dependent Origination

To illustrate the nature of Dependent Origination of the things around us, consider an oil lamp. The flame in an oil lamp burns dependent upon the air, oil, heat and wick.

When all these are present, the flame burns. If one of these elements is absent, the flame will cease to burn. Thus, all phenomena arise dependently upon a number of causal factors and not independently.

This is the principle of Dependent Origination.

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