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Homage to the teacher Buddha Shakyamuni!
Homage to the wisdom warrior Manjushri!
Homage to the entire lineage benevolent masters!
The unsurpassed, profound, and wonderful Dharma,
is difficult to find in millions or even tens of millions of eons.
Now that I get the chance to see, hear, receive and practice it,
may I understand the ultimate meaning of the Tathāgata.
In order to liberate all sentient beings, Please generate the unsurpassable supreme bodhichitta!
What I will share with you today is In Praise of Dependent Origination by Je Tsongkapa.
In Praise of Dependent Origination is actually
a very extraordinary and profound scripture in Tibetan Buddhism.
It is a fact that
Some disciples of the Fourfold Assembly in Tibet used to learn it.
And some great Dharma masters abroad have expounded it many times
in English, Japanese, and some other languages.
But this is the first time that we are lecturing on the scripture in Mandarin in our Institute.
In fact, In Praise of Dependent Origination,
in Tibetan Buddhism, is always given supreme emphasis by many great Dharma masters.
When Dharma King Wish-fulfilling Jewel was alive,
he used to speak a lot about the eminence of In Praise of Dependent Origination by Je Tsongkhapa.
We followers,
though unable to learn the innumerable Dharma teachings by Je Tsongkhapa,
should at least learn his main shastras such as In Praise of Dependent Originationand The Three Main Theories.
Speaking of In Praise of Dependent Origination,
of Je Tsongkhapa himself, it is said that a dependent origination exists.
Previously, Je Tsongkhapa went to Tibet seeking Dharma. He wanted to carry out ascetic practices at that time.
During his practices he saw Budhisattva Manjusri, who predicted
that in the future he would be empowered by Arya Nagarjuna and Aryadeva to become enlightened.
What is more, he was told that he would acquire the ability to benefit innumerable sentient beings;
and that before then, he would have to be diligent in his ascetic practices to accumulate merit and wisdom.
But late one night
in his dream, he saw five Bodhisattvas or five great acaryas,
who were Arya Nagarjuna , Aryadeva,
Chandrakirti, Buddhapalita and Bhavaviveka.
It should be Buddhapalita of the Five
who brought Buddhapalitavrtti,
a scripture we mentioned when lecturing on Four Hundred Verses on the Middle Way,
and blessed Je Tsongkhapa with it above his head.
Then Je Tsongkapa woke up.
A verse in the scripture, that contributed to his enlightenment says:
An external realm exists in the worldly reality, while inherent nature doesn’t exist in the ultimate reality.
Some people believe that it was this verse by which Je Tsongkhapa became enlightened,
but others hold that it was another verse in the Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way
which is about staying away from Aggregates. The real nature of Aggregates is unattainable.
Thanks to this verse, he became enlightened.
Later he generated a strong confidence in the approach to dependent origination and emptiness,
and irreversible faith in the Mula Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.
Owing to this Dependent Origination
he created his very first scripture after the enlightenment and named it In Praise of Dependent Origination.
So is it said.
There is another story. It is said that Gyaltsab Je, one of Je Tsongkapa’s two eminent disciples,
once heard, beside a temple,
a monk reciting a scripture that was wonderfully written.
He went to take a good look at it and was full with joy for what was said in the scripture.
He deemed that such an extraordinarily sublime scripture could not have been created by any Tibetan,
and that it must have been produced by commentator Chandrakirti or Arya Nagarjuna.
He was quite sure about it at the time. But later he discovered that
the scripture was created by Je Tsongkapa instead of by an Indian commentator.
As a result, not only in Je Tsongkapa’s enlightenment,
but also in the verses in the scripture he created, he both generated strong faith,
and depended on them, as is called serving masters in three ways.
So this is the other story.
No matter what, In Praise of Dependent Origination is, truly,
very valuable for us Dharma followers.
In the past I talked about the very famous Gedun Chophel in Tibet.
Approaching parinirvana, he told his attendant:
“You’d better read close to my ear
The Aspirational Prayer of Dzogchen by Mipham Rinpoche,
and In Praise of Dependent Origination by Je Tsongkapa.”
Following his instructions, the attendant read the two scriptures close to his ear.
When he had finished, the master said: “Great! Now,
all the delusions of my world have arrived at Nirvana.
I have achieved Great Perfection.
Other than that, nothing matters. You may come back to me tomorrow.”
The next day, when the attendant came, he found the master had passed away.
So in Tibet
It’s safe to say that In Praise of Dependent Origination is very important
to many Dharma followers and to many practitioners
And the reward of learning it is inconceivable.
Well, in the past, I knew
that some senior monks abroad,
including those in western countries, the United States for an example,
and those in some South-east Asian countries, used to lecture on In Praise of Dependent Origination on various occasions.
And in mainland China, some commentators also have lectured on it.
So for me,
previously, especially when I was teaching the Foundamental Wisdom Sastra in the Middle Way,
I longed to explain In Praise of Dependent Origination, some day.
I used to study frequently the handouts and verses of In Praise of Dependent Origination.
Mentioning Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way,
the dependent origination and emptiness in it
is the supreme trait of the Mula Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings
that nothing else could match.
Fortunately
In Praise of Dependent Origination happens to work on the approach.
That’s why I keenly looked forward to lecturing on In Praise of Dependent Origination.
After the courses on Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, I meant to lecture on it.
In the lectures compiled I remembered mentioning several times
that we should learn In Praise of Dependent Origination without fail someday.
But causes and conditions are something we cannot explain. So the plan was not carried out.
I remember the verse.
In 2004 I actually had already translated it.
Later in 2007, I checked on the translation.
And now it’s 2010.
That is to say, there are six years in between. Formerly I (have) always longed for the chance to lecture on the scripture,
but the causes and conditions were never united.
Without the union of causes and conditions,
no matter what you’re working on, you’re doomed to fail,
which is the reason why the lectures were put off until now.
This chance of learning In Praise of Dependent Origination together with vajra friends,
makes me feel very delighted.
Why do I feel joyful?
Because, for me,it is also a chance to study the scripture once more
so as to ensure to myself that, to the Mula Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and his sublime Dharmas,
I should establish unprecedented faith and realization.
The same is for you, I believe, that if the Buddhists present here,
with your souls cleaned and refined, can listen respectfully,
contemplate sincerely, and practice arduously,
(I believe) by learning the scripture, you all will be rewarded in a certain way.
This scripture particularly emphasizes the law of dependent origination and emptiness.
If we have learnt
the Fundamental Wisdom on the Middle Way , which elaborates on the middle way approach,
then studying In Praise of Dependent Origination
will surely strengthen our faith and enhance our understanding of the ‘emptiness’ approach.
Your horizon will be broadened; it will be.
While if you knew nothing about the Middle Way Approach before or have never studied it,
I’m afraid that, when you listen to In Praise of Dependent Origination, you will come across many stumbling-blocks to your comprehension.
But our aim or main idea
is, by lecturing on In Praise of Dependent Origination, to manifest
which incomparable scriptures are worthy of studying,
and what kinds of scriptures ask for our attention in this world.
Because in this,no matter what we call worlds of the tri-chiliocosm
or our nowadays very complicated
multi-cultural society, people basically believe in
their own sensory organs, and become unaware of the truths and as a result are lost.
What do you want to learn, what do you want to do or to visualize?
There are so many choices and goals. Consequently people become totally confused.
When we are in this state of delusion, I think our eminent monks and great masters of earlier generations
have pointed out to us a bright path towards liberation.
We should follow the path and march on.
The above is something brief about the dependent origination.
And now let us move on to the scripture itself.
In Praise of Dependent Origination includes three sections, namely the introduction, the commentary section, and the conclusion.
The introduction explains the name of the scripture and the prostration statements.
The name of the scripture is In Praise of Dependent Origination
The meaning of In Praise of Dependent Origination is other than that the producer of the scripture praises dependent origination.
Then why is it called In Praise of Dependent Origination ?
It mainly,and directly, praises Buddha Shakyamuni,
and indirectly praises the emptiness approach that Buddha Shakyamuni preaches,
as well as the worldly truth.
Well, in what way should we praise these Buddha Shakyamuni and emptiness?
The means of praising is explained in this section.
Our Guru Buddha Shakyamuni firstly generated supreme bodhichitta,
then accumulated provisions in the three incalculable eons.
After that he attained total and perfect Buddhahood,
and finally preached eighty four thousand kinds of Dharma to the fortunate sentient beings.
Among all those kinds of Dharma,
Buddha, relying on his own ability, completely interpreted the profound meaning of dependent origination and emptiness,
to which, in this world,
no sages, no great masters or worldly scholar
could gain access, for its profoundness.
So we praise Buddha Shakyamuni, for Buddha has preached the dependent arising approach.
It’s an approach to which nobody else could have attested, the enlightenment that nobody else could have reached.
So that is what we praise.
It’s a fact that the amount of praisefor Buddha, either in Chinese
or Tibetan or Sanskrit, is abundant from time immemorial.
To name but a few of what we have studied: The Praise of the Winning-out Deity,
The Praise of Enlightenment,
and Wish-fulfilling Vines by King of Liberation,
which contains in total one hundred and eight verses,
and also the Praise of Buddha by Buddhacarita,
toghther with many others created in Han Chinese region and by other great masters. The quantity is large.
But each commentator has his own method of praising.
For example inThe Praise of the Winning-out Deity,
multifarious non-Buddhist views, practices, conduct and fruition are discussed. The commentator praises Buddha for the way in which his teachings surpass those non-Buddhist ones.
What’s more, in Wish-fulfilling Vines , Buddha is praised because when he was in the Causal Stages,
he kept on practising Six Paramita. So this scripture praises Buddha’s superiority.
But in In Praise of Dependent Origination, the perspective is different. Just as I said,
of all the saints and all the great masters
only Buddha is able to use the extraordinarily exquisite words to preach dependent origination.
This kind of dependent origination actually furnishes immeasurable sentient beings with infinite benefit,
and enables them to get rid of suffering to attain happiness.
We all know that there are innumerable sentient beings in universe.
All those sentient beings: what are they seeking in life?
It is happiness.
However, happiness is something hard to obtain. What’s more, all beings frequently bring suffering upon themselves while seeking happiness.
As a result they endlessly wander in the sea of suffering.
Well then,
if you expect the bitter sea to dry up, or if you want to eradicate the root of your misery,
what causes and conditions do you need? That is why you should know about dependent origination.
It’s a true principle and the antidote to all delusion.
Who created or perceived the approach? Our Mula Guru Shakyamuni Buddha did.
He applied unconstrained wisdom and illuminated the path.
In this way, for the innumerable beings, he indicated the path for extrication from samsara.
So we say, we should praise Buddha.
But this kind of praise is not shown by mere empty talk.
Nowadays some people contribute nothing
but receive bundles and bundles of flowers,
and many words of praise for him. These are useless.
In fact he who Je Tsongkhapa praises is Buddha,
because He truly has such merits and such unsurpassed virtues. He deserves them.
So all the learners present at the lecture,
after going through In Praise of Dependent Origination,
should come to realize that Buddha does exist in our world,
who is unlike any masters in non-Buddhist religions,
and who can never be equalled by any scholars or wise men in our mundane world.
So this truth could be seen through learning and contemplation.
Thus everyone can generate a firm belief.
But if you basically have not learnt it, it would be hard to say whether or not you can see the truth.
If you sincerely start your learning,and research,
for dependent origination and emptiness, you’ll surely gain some insight.
Finally you’ll get to know that Buddha is the most unsurpassable, and Dharma is most profound and beneficial.
It’s very likely that you could realize this,
and that’s where the significance of preaching In Praise of Dependent Origination lies.
The name of the scripture contains much that I would like you to know.
Then there are the prostration statements and the general prostration.
At the very beginning is the prostration to Guru Manjusri Bodhisattva.
It begins with the sentence above.
And this is a general prostration, a prostration denoting that this work is a shastra.
Je Tsongkappa, first of all, when creating the scripture,
made a full prostration to his lineage Guru and Bodhisattva Manjusri.
The verses, respectively, are as follows:
Resorting to wisdom and elocution,
Buddha preached this supreme doctrine which manifested his unsurpassable wisdom.
To our supreme Buddha, who has the penetrating wisdom to teach Dependent Origination,
do we make full prostration.
Well, it means that
the writer, first of all, by way of outlining the whole treatise, made a prostration to our Mula Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.
What kind of praise is that ?
The essence of the praise is closely related to the commentaries.
It means that relying on His own ability, Buddha
thoroughly perceived the meaning of dependent origination and emptiness.
Dependent origination contains origination in both the ultimate realm and the worldly realm.
Dependent origination in the worldly realm comes into being according to causes and conditions. All things on earth take shape because of causes and conditions.
There is no phenomenon in universe that doesn’t happen as a result of a condition.
While dependent origination in the ultimate realm tells us that the phenomenon brought into existence by conditions
actually is detached from four conceptual extremes and 大家用一个账户,不同时间段大家分工一起上传,尽量加快速度。然后,然后归类部分,我负责弄播放列表然后,发给师兄就可以了。 eight extremes of conceptual elaboration in the ultimate realm.
The nature...
the nature of emptiness, as a matter of fact, is contained in the phrase of dependent origination.
Then for Buddha,
with his wisdom that knows the nature of all phenomena], and his wisdom that knows the multiplicity of all phenomena, he could completely understand
the empty nature of all phenomena in the ultimate realm and all phenomena presenting in the worldly realm.
All phenomena are completely perceived.
The law of dependent origination and emptiness, only Buddha can perceive.
Moreover, in this world, He can, before sentient beings of karmic affinity,
directly interpret the approach of prajna of emptiness,
as well as dependent origination and emptiness.
That’s why we say that in this world
Buddha’s wisdom deserves to be called unsurpassable.
Because he has attained perfect enlightenment from dependent origination and emptiness.
No matter what we call Buddha’s teachings or preaching,
He is supreme in this field.
As a preacher or master, Buddha is supreme.
Why? Because he has truly realized dependent origination
and He is able to interpret it directly to the sentient beings.
Precisely because of
Buddha’s perfect perception and teaching on dependent origination,
our supreme Je Tsongkapa
made full prostration with great respect to the Buddha.
That is also the reason why the last verse of the Fundamental Wisdom on the Middle Way.
by Nagarjuna is quite crucial.
Since in the previous verses, with large amount of doctrinal evidence and theoretical evidence,
Buddha has interpreted the truth, that the nature of all phenomena is emptiness.
So in the very last verse,
Nagarjuna, with the same gratefulness, once again made a full prostration to Buddha.
“The great sage Buddha Shakyamuni, out of compassion for sentient beings, preached true Dharma,
which can eradicate all delusions. So I make a full prostration to Buddha.”
So the followers like us
often praise Buddha, our Master Gautama with the verse.
In other words,
Buddha, out of compassion for all beings, lectured on the truth of dependent origination.
The truth, the true Dharma,
can help to eradicate innumerable beings’ erroneous views, delusions, and ignorance.
So when Nagarjuna thought of this, of Buddha’s grace, he made a prostration once again.
Our Khenchen Mipham Rinpoche
at the beginning of The Commentary on Ornament of the Middle Way also talked about
Buddha’s lecturing on the supreme dependent origination approach,
and praised our master Buddha Shakyamuni for his unsurpassable wisdom.
So he first of all made a prostration.
In Six Commentaries on the Middle Way and some other scriptures such as in The Commentary on Sixty Correct Principles,
at the very beginning, there are praises for Buddha.
Because Buddha attained enlightenment on dependent origination and emptiness, we should make a prostration to him.
Compared with the worldly sages, Buddha is different.
A worldly intellectual might, in a certain field,
make contributions to society and to human beings.
But the fundamental difference between Buddha and the worldly intellectual lies in the fact that
Buddha thoroughly interpreted dependent origination and emptiness,
so that ever since then the pains in our minds could be cured permanently.
It is very rare to meet such a great medical sage.
So in the praises for Buddha in Vinaya Sutra, there is a verse saying:
“Homage to the great medical sage who is the expert in curing psychic illnesses.”
Buddha can curethe weaknesses deep in one’s heart.
“Although he is far from us, the world-honoured Buddha can still brighten our eyes of wisdom.”
Though the world-honoured Buddha is far away from us in time,in space,
and in all kinds of causes and conditions,
by means of his teachings and Dharma dissemination,
he can open our eyes of wisdom,
and illuminate the ultimate wisdom eclipsed from our minds.
It is always in my mind that,
more than two and a half thousand years ago, Buddha came to this secular world to turn the wheel of the Dharma three times.
Though we didn’t have the fortune to see Buddha with our own eyes at that time,
We are blessed with the access to spiritual friends,
and to their essential instructions. To know Buddha’s teachings of dependent origination and emptiness
is really very fortunate. We should heartily rejoice, not just speak empty words.
We may often encounter some secular doctrines
or some so-called instructors, teachers or scholars.
When contacting these people, you may find that they think too highly of themselves.
Most of them imagine that whatever knowledge they have acquired, and are interpreting, is quite amazing and unique.
But when looking closely with true wisdom, we will find
that in this vast world and among many human beings,
the teachings that we encounter today,
which are the teachings by Buddha on emptiness,
are, among all knowledge, the supreme ones.
So, I mentioned in the past that several Dharma friends,
when they were at school, in order to finish their education,
might have spent a great deal of money and have experienced much pain.
Therefore, if that is what you, as a man in society
have to go through, you must just accept it.
However, observing from the perspective of true value,
I think the doctrine of emptiness in nature as taught in Buddhism, could not be found,
either in current society, or in any institution of higher learning.
If it is possible, I will ask those who have insight to keep a close watch constantly.
Though every religion considers itself to be the most perfect,
and every follower of a doctrine believes that his is the most extraordinary,
what precisely can bring to us sentient beings, the current and ultimate benefit?
Is it Buddha’s sublime teachings
or the worldly knowledge?
The above question , I think is something that those who have wisdom should ponder.
All the above-mentioned are about homage to Buddha.
Now,I would like to talk about the commentary from five aspects,
which will be explained to you one by one.
Here is the outline.
Imperial Preceptor Lcav-skya gave an explanation of In Praise of Dependent Origination.
And my analysis is based on his explanation, which will give you a brief introduction to the scripture.
Just now, I told you that the commentary contains five aspects,
of which the first is about praises on interpreting dependent origination.
Furthermore, the praises have three parts.
The first part is on the dependent origination for eliminating the root of samsara.
All decay in this mundane world
is caused by ignorance.
Buddha says that if one can understand dependent origination,
one’s ignorance is likely to be eradicated.”
That is it.
We’ll begin with
why we should praise Buddha and his teachings through interpreting dependent origination,
There is a reason here.
It is not just by using empty praising words, not that way.
We, first of all, should know that in this secular world,
all the decay, pains ,afflictions, and devastation
begin somewhere. Then where do all these come from? From ignorance.
Then Buddha tells us if we understand the law of dependent origination,
all the afflictions and decay in the world, just mentioned, can be eradicated from the roots.
Superficially, it sounds simple.
But actually it is not. The principle is quite crucial.
Nowadays, some scholars in the secular world
in their respective academic fields have made achievements or contributions.
But these are just attainments in a limited way.
Buddha concludes that
in the world, all sentient beings’afflictions are rooted in ignorance.
Why? We all know that
all pains of sentient beings spring from ***,
or from hatred, or from jealousy;
that is to say, fundamentally all are from afflictions.
Think about the pains coming from physical diseases.
Aren’t they caused by your ego-clinging?
People whirl around all the time, everyday, fortheir houses, cars,
position and property.
Once we find that we are not rewarded as we expected,
We suffer from immense pain.
What then is the root of this kind of pain? The answer is also ignorance.
As a composite of five aggregates, the body is something that does not really exist, but to which ,on the contrary, people have always clung. 372
Similarly, in our world,
there are wars between countries, competitions between counterparts,
conflicts between families, and so on.
Among human beings there are all kinds of clashes and contradictions, too.
Where do they all come from?
From the attachment to “I” ,the attachment to “mine” and “other’s” generated.
As a result, people cling to something that does not exist at all, something illusory,
but believe it to be something solid.
Ignorance brings pain and disturbance in the world.
Therefore we necessary know that
in this secular world, all decay,
all failures, and all inauspiciousness
have a root. The root is ignorance, as we ought to know..
So ignorance generates a wide net of discriminating thoughts, and is the root of all pain.
As a result, Buddha has told us, in relevant shastras,that
if we can see that ignorance does not exist, and that the nature of the world is emptiness,
the ignorance-generating twelve dependent originations
and the so called following branches are all nothingness.
And in Vaipulya-mahāvyūha-sūtra, Buddha also says:
“One should go deep into the nature of dependent origination and realize the truth.”
If you see the essence of dependent origination, you’ll certainly understand the nature of all phenomena.
The same teaching appears in the Vimilakirti Sutra, which says:
“If you penetrate dependent origination, you are likely to dig up all your wrong views.”
All these, wrong understandings, wrong views, ignorance, afflictions and pain,
come from our lack of comprehension of Dharma. Why do I say this?
If you understand the essence of dependent origination, you will cease to cling to anything.
We all know that
we are busy rushing about for our status, which depends on the union of causes and conditions.
If the correct causes and conditions fall into place, things will come into being as a composite.
If you understand this, then of what importance is clinging to anything?
There is nothing with which we should become obsessed.
From my point of view, all the people in this secular world,
simply because of their ignorance of dependent origination and emptiness,
and their lack on understanding of the transient composition of causes and conditions,
have imposed various afflictions on themselves.
Once we comprehend dependent origination through wisdom,
we can renounce all the evil views.
In Seventy Verses on Emptiness , a stanza near the end says:
Get to know dependent origination, you will renounce the net of evil views.
Root up ***, hatred, and delusion, you will pass into uncontaminated nirvana.
If we understand dependent origination,
reject evil views and renounce ***, hatred and delusion,
We will naturally approach immaculate nirvana.
So we should realize that
the sooner we understand Buddha’s dependent origination, the better.
The moment we reach an understanding of dependent origination,
speaking frankly, there will not be anything in samsara that is worthy of our obsession.
Why? Since in the rounds of samsara nothing is sufficiently perfect for us to arouse the feeling of love.
For instance, I love my body. That’s because I am not aware that it is but a composite of five aggregates.
Actually, when we look into it with sublime wisdom,
we see that the body is not worthy of taking the trouble to love or to like.
The obsession with one’s body brings about all kinds of afflictions.
In the case where you fall in love with a person or an asset,
your ***, hatred, and all kinds of delusion and discriminative thoughts arise.
Then Buddha gives you the solution in just one statement. If you understand dependent origination,
all these delusions and afflictions fly away.
Like a dead man whose life ran to the end,
all the senses of other faculties disappear.
The Four Hundred Verses of Madhyamaka also mentions it.
So, really, in my view,
though in this mundane world we have so many treatises and doctrines,
the more I learn them ,the less benefit I gain.
But, on the contrary, for Buddha’s dependent origination approach, the more I delve into it,the happier I find myself.
What is the spring of happiness?
All the truth is contained in this very simple approach,
as is known to us all at present.
Those who have wisdom should look deeply into it.
After close observation you will be amazed by Buddha’s greatness and supremacy.
This is not just about words, this is something I really feel.
Real feelings. I cannot boast that I have established the view on emptiness,
but I dare say that, for the adamantine/vajra words of the Buddha, I have established an irreversible faith
and a very firm belief. It’s true.
For many years I have been studying the Madhyamaka philosophy and the essential instructions and supreme shastras.
Through the study,
I think it’s safe to say, that in this world no other knowledge
can match Buddha’s teachings,
neither in other religions, nor in any other doctrines.
Nowadays, we have in our society access to many doctrines, such as the philosophy of Ancient Greece,
physics, astronomy, sociology, and anthropology.
I enjoy reading books in all fields.
Even now, I still read a lot of them.
What books are they? Those that are believed to be the most profound and the best
by the most outstanding figures in this world.
Those best-known works in the world.
Not some trivial works written by some nobody in a small valley,
but those recognized masterpieces. Almost all of them.
They may be about history, or on natural science,
or on religions. I have read in all these fields.
After such extensive reading, I have never found anything
that can surpass Buddha’s dependent origination. Nothing at all.
You may doubt it.Can you say that nothing is there because you yourself didn’t find it?
I think if we Buddhists have that doubt, it is only because of our not being able to penetrate into Buddha’s teachings.
If one goes deep into it, one will never be ensnared by wrong views.
On the contrary, when facing all those sufferings and false phenomena, one can easily see through them.
“Not knowing that all phenomena arise due to the composite of causes and conditions, ignorant people tend to have delusions.
Because they cannot see the truth, they fall into suffering in all three realms of cyclic existence.”
The ordinary person has not attained a perfect comprehension of the union of causes and conditions,
so he has no way to see that samsara is but a fabricated phenomenon.
In related scriptures Buddha has made it quite clear(,)
by the way, the previous verse is supposed to be in Lankavatara Sutra,
that the reason why people are very ignorant is that they don’t understand dependent origination.
So all in all,
once we get to know dependent origination, we gain the ability to eliminate ignorance.
Once ignorance is eradicated,
in the secular world, many afflictions will disappear simultaneously.
So, the second section, is the one I just talked about.
You know that the first part is analyzed in three sections, and the second one elaborates on dependent origination being the essence of Buddhism.
That is it.
“So how can an intelligent person
not comprehend that this path
of dependent origination is
the essential point of your teaching?”
If we get to know that the root of all sufferings is ignorance,
the moment we come across dependent origination, we are able to destroy the root.
Now that you know the crucial
and the most essential principle, you have become a wise man.
An ignorant person goes with the tide everyday.
He aimlessly follows others, now this person
and then that one, without knowing what he himself is doing.
But a man who has genuine insight and foresight,
a man with wisdom,
should now have no block to understanding
that the principle of dependent origination is, among all Mula Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s
teachings, the very essence.
We sentient beings need to extricate ourselves from rounds of samsara.
Actually, if all the eighty four thousand Dharma teachings could be summarized, the crux
is dependent origination.
So how come you still don’t understand its importance?
Among all Buddha’s teachings,
The most essential and most crucial one is dependent origination.
Arya Nagarjuna, who was prophesied by Buddha in person
preached with sublime wisdom Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.
He insisted that we should comply with the teaching of dependent origination to understand all phenomena,
and that we should in the ultimate reality renounce all sophistry.
Why it it?
After Buddha’s nirvana, from among his senior disciples,
Arya Nagarjuna was supposed to be the second Buddha.
What ultimate benefit did the second Buddha bring to the sentient beings?
That is Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.
So I say we should know that this dependent origination principle is the essence of Buddhism.
A man with wisdom certainly will know it, and will also tell himself:
“Aha, as a Buddhist, among all that I should understand,
dependent origination and emptiness is the key, an approach I must master.
When I realize the true meaning of the law,
I can teach others what I’ve learnt
so that they and I can all achieve extrication from the bitter sea of samsara.
All those who have true wisdom either in Hinayana or Mahayana
unanimously acknowledge that the law of dependent origination is the essence of Buddhism.
In Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom there is a story of Sariputta and Maudgalyayana.
Before becoming Buddhists,
once, on his way out, Sariputta saw a monk
who looked very dignified and composed. In some other sutras,
such as in The Sutra of the Discipline (Vinaya Sutra), the monk is said to be Monk A?vajit;
While, in Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom , the name of the monk is not stated.
When Sariputta saw him, he was struck with admiration for him
and inquired about his teacher and his learning.
The monk answered: My teacher is Buddha Shakyamuni.
What I am learning is very wonderful and profound.
So it is impossible for me to tell you everything.
Then Sariputta said: You may not be able to tell me everything,
but can you offer me a summary or tell me the essence?
Then the monk said:
“All phenomena appear because causes and conditions come together.
And all phenomena disappear because causes and conditions are separated. My teacher said so.
In Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom, it is so stated.
And in some other sutras, it is said:
“All phenomena arise due to karma, and all phenomena cease due to karma,too.
Such is dependent origination, as is said by the Great Shramana.”
Then the monk explained the verse to Sariputta. After hearing it, Sariputta, at that very moment
felt the sublimity, and reached the first stage of perfect Buddhahood.
Sariputta then expounded this verse to Maudgalyayana twice,
and as a result, Maudgalyayana also attained the first fruition.
Later they two, along with their respective 250 disciples,
went to Buddha, and determined to take refuge in Him.
Thus, for a man of wisdom, from just one verse, he can obtain
the fundamental truth, and use it to solve all the problems in his life.
What is more amazing is that he may, in his future lives, never need to drift in the samsara cycle.
That’s why in Buddhism the essential instruction is usually emphasized.
Nowadays some people insist upon asking for essential instructions in Great Perfection or in Mahamudra.
The case is that your cause and your condition, for obtaining it might have not combined. In other words, your own capacity may not enable you to understand it.
For us Tantrayana practitioners,especially, the five preliminaries of the Great Perfection must be completed first.
Otherwise, without this step, those very
profound and essential instructions are just something you can’t handle.
But if you really want to obtain essential instructions,
You had better bear this verse of dependent origination in your mind
and reflect on it repeatedly. Then some day you will
truly see that all phenomena are just a composite of causes and conditions
and that everything in the secular world is like a dream or a delusion. Only when you admit this,
can you understand that in the ultimate realm, it neither ceases nor is generated, neither comes nor goes, neither is permanent nor is annihilated.
You may see such a state,
a state that cannot be depicted with words
or be visualized.
But indeed the nature of all phenomena is just like that.
When the moment comes, you’ll understand
that such a state is actually the subtle teaching of all Buddhas of the past, present, and future.
And is also the crux or original meaning of the Great Perfection and Mahamudra.
To such causes and conditions we have various means of access, so everyone has the chance.
So I say it is a shame if anyone, with wisdom, doesn’t know that
the law of dependent origination is, among Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings,
the most extraordinary and sublime one, and the enlightening Dharma nectar.
We are supposed to know that this teaching benefits us the most.
In Commentary on Sutra of the Buddha-Stage, it says:
“Seeing dependent origination means knowing the nature of all Dharmas.
Knowing the nature of all Dharma equals seeing all Buddhas.”
There is such a verse.
If one understands the nature of dependent origination, one has already obtained the essence of all Dharmas.
And if one gets to know the nature of all Dharmas, it’s safe to say that he has already seen all Buddhas.
When people talk about seeing Buddha, they usually mean seeing the Buddha in his image,
the majestic and solemn-looking Buddha, as in a statue.
Therefore, the real Buddha is the law of dependent origination.
The law of dependent origination demonstrates the nature of Dharma. Seeing the nature equals seeing all Buddhas.
So in Tantrayana practices and some Sutrayana essential instructions,
when you are visualizing Buddha Amitabha,
you yourself become Buddha Amitabha. It’s actually this way.
Patrul Rinpoche says in his praise for the Seven Treasures,
that anyone who is pondering on the meaning of the Seven Treasures
is at the moment in the same realm as our primordial protector.
Exactly the same realm.
That is to say, when you are contemplating Commentaries on the Treasure of Dharma Realm
or when you are contemplating the ultimate and profound meaning of, Commentaries on the Treasure of Absolute Truth,
your mind is the same as that of Samatabhadra Tathagata.
In other words, at that moment you become Samatabhadra Tathagata himself.
Then similarly, if I visualize Master Padmasambhava,
during the visualization
my mind merges inseparably with the master’s wisdom.
You can nowhere find a more real Master Padmasambhava.
Why? Because in manifestation,
I am visualizing the image of Master Padmasambhava,
and have merged with him, a Master Padmasambhava in the mundane world.
Because, in the ultimate reality,
both his nature and mine flee from all?intellectual frivolity,?
and stay in a realm in which manifestation and emptiness are indivisibly one.
Besides this, you cannot find anything else that is of Dharma nature.
This is dependent origination and emptiness.
The so-called causes and conditions, when they come together,
can assume either emptiness or manifestation.
When a manifestation takes place, we sentient beings see dependent origination of phenomena,
while sages see the ultimate nature of the Dharma realm, that is emptiness of dependent origination.
That’s why Buddha says that all phenomena come from dependent origination.
So if we some time
deeply understand dependent origination, that’s wonderful.
But in this secular world when dealing with worldly matters, we sometimes also resort to dependent origination.
Some time ago I met an Indian Geshe
who told me a story. One Indian family’s member passed away.
A friend of his decided to pay his condolences.
On seeing him, he took out some money for him.
But the friend was not good at words.
Giving him the money, the friend said:
This is for the deceased,
and I would like to show a dependent origination.
As a result, the man was greatly irritated.
Because, literally, if the friend would like to show a dependent origination with the money, another family member would have to die.
Then we move on to the third section: Praises, through interpreting dependent origination, are the supreme praises.
We praise Buddha through interpreting dependent origination because Buddha preached it,
and praising Buddha through interpreting dependent origination in the best way.
“This being so, who will find, O Savior,
a more wonderful way to praise you
than [to praise you] for having taught
this origination through dependence?”
In this secular world, as our perfect
protector of all three realms, our tutor of both gods and men,
Buddha, without doubt has won from numerous sentient beings
all kinds of praises.
Just now we also mentioned that in many sutras He received various kinds of praises.
But among all the praises made,
what is the most uncommon, the most sublime, the most subtle and the best one?
That is to praise Buddha by lecturing on dependent origination.
This is the best one. Why? Let us take as an example, those non-Buddhists.
Like disciples of Ishvara or Visnu and some other Brahmas,
these non-Buddhists also always praise their hierarch.
When praising him, some say that
he is very gallant since he destroyed many enemies.
As a result, they praise his hatred.
Some say that he can attract many beauties,
so consequently they praise his ***.
And some say that our master looks very solemn
and is very good-looking.
Some other say that our master is extraordinarily great in the mundane world
because he helps his kinfolk and he defeats enemies.
In fact none of these praises is ultimate. Why?
If we praise our master for his ***, hatred and delusion, how could we present to others that our master differs from the ordinary people?
we sentient beings are all
those who have strong attachment to Many of us do.
Even praising a mortal man for those qualities is not quite proper.
If you praise him for his good-looks, it’s not unique to Buddha,
Chakravartin is also good-looking.
If you praise him for how well he conducts himself in this secular world,
there are many people who deserve the praise.
We know now that in Confucianism or Taoism
or many other schools, the disciples praise their masters in this way.
But this kind of praise is not special in Buddhism.
Not only your master has this merit, but also any master,
even some ordinary men all have this merit.
So it is not a unique praise at all.
So we say among all the praises for masters,
the praise for Buddha is unique.
Why? Because the other masters, like the god Indra, or the great sages,
have no way to understand dependent origination and emptiness.
And some people may retort: “Our master can enter meditation and stay there for a long time,
and what’s more, he shows us all kinds of supernatural powers.”
These are what any non-Buddhist god
or any mundane sage can accomplish.
They are not something special at all.
So we should know that among all the praises,
the understanding of dependent origination is the supreme way to praise Buddha.
Our praises, for our lack of wisdom, are usually inappropriate.
Some people don’t know the proper way to praise our gurus.
So, it would seem better if they didn’t make the praises.
Otherwise, the praises may result in defaming the gurus.
What’s more, because of the lack of wisdom,
some of Buddha’s key characters cannot be displayed.
Those who understand dependent origination gain realization, for wisdom illuminates the mind and helps to reject the six senses.
It is said in the Avatamsaka Sutra :
“If you know dependent origination, you’ll attain extrication. Ultimate wisdom will illuminate your mind and uproot your attachment to the senses.”
What does the praise mean?
It tells us that Buddha finally accomplishes realization because he completely grasps the meaning of dependent origination.
The doctrine of dependent origination is something really rare in our mundane world.
So you listeners at present,
before studying Buddhism, might not know this;
Even after becoming a Buddhist, you might still not know about
Buddha’s unique and uncommon trait. What exactly is it?
Some say it’s because of Buddha’s taking monastic ordination.
Some say it’s because Buddha is very solemn and good-looking.
Some say it’s because Buddha especially prefers offering charity.
All these are just parts of Buddha,
which are shared by many non-Buddhists and mortal beings.
But to really understand dependent origination and emptiness,
is not something a mortal human being can do.
Even some great Bodhisattvas cannot match Buddha in his realization.
So to praise the very essence is the best way of praising.
That is, to praise the law of dependent origination.
Then what follows
is the second part: Only Buddha won’t disappoint those who seek extrication.
This part includes two sections: 2.1 The first one, establishing that Buddhism is a faultless cause.
2.2 The second section: That Buddha will not disappoint the practitioners is based on the faultless cause.
Then the first section can still be divided into: 2.1.1 Preaching dependent origination and emptiness is faultless; 709 and 2.1.2 establishing other teachings based on the principle’s faultlessness.
Then 2.1.1 “Preaching dependent origination and emptiness is faultless” can be analyzed from three aspects:
2.1.1.1 the significance of preaching dependent origination and emptiness; 2.1.1.2 refuting those doctrines not recognized in Buddhism,
and 2.1.1.3 establishing emptiness and wiping out erroneous views.
2.1.1.1 “The significance of preaching dependent origination and emptiness” is elaborated in two ways: brief elaboration and extensive elaboration.
Brief elaboration has three parts: the first part is about the reason why ‘emptiness’ is the essence of dependent origination.
You may rearrange your notes later,
for lack of time, I can’t wait for you to finish your notes,
and I am not here to test your ability to take dictation.
Well, this part says:
“If we say that a phenomenon arises due to conditions,
the nature of that phenomenon is emptiness.
There’s no teaching more ultimate than this.
Then who can produce such perfect teaching?”
Buddha tells us: A phenomenon arises due to the combination of causes and conditions.
This phenomenon may serve as the condition upon which another phenomenon arises.
Then the nature of the latter is emptiness.
The Sutra of Treasure Accumulation and The Samyuktagama both say:
“The existence of one phenomenon determines that of another phenomenon, and the birth of one affair brings that of another affair.
So the disappearance of one phenomenon determines that of another phenomenon, and the end of one affair causes that of another affair.”
Briefly this is what the law of dependent origination,
which is very important, tells us.
The causes and conditions can bring the presentation of
dependent origination. There are actually two kinds of dependent origination.
One kind: the cause brings about the effect.
Just like the relationship between the sprout and the seed.
The other kind: the manifestation of one phenomenon depends on the existence of another phenomenon.
One does not generate the other. The relationship between them two is one of interdependency.
The east exists because of the existence of the west, and by comparing them with human beings, we know what animals are.
We know “the left” and then notice its opposite “the right”, to name but a few examples.
So a phenomenon may come into being because of the union of causes and conditions,
or because of the existence of another phenomenon.
Actually, the nature of the phenomenon brought about by the union of causes and conditions is certainly emptiness.
Why? Because it comes into being depending on conditions.
“All phenomena arise due to conditions.
Consequently no phenomenon has its own specific nature. The nature of all phenomena is emptiness.”
This is elaborated in Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom.
“All phenomena arise due to conditions.
Consequently no phenomenon has its own specific nature. The nature of all phenomena is emptiness.”
This verse is of crucial importance.
Since the arising of the phenomena is due to the union of causes and conditions, they cannot have their own nature.
In fact their nature is absolute emptiness.
So, by accomplishing ultimate understanding of causes and conditions, one may attain liberation.
Such a supreme way of praising,
such a perfect doctrine,
Is unreachable for anyone but our Buddha.
A mortal man either believes that
everything will remain the same way without decay or holds that nothing really exists.
What’s more,
it is indeed the union of causes and conditions that propels the formation of all phenomena.
When the causes and conditions vanish,any phenomenon may disappear.
And the origin of the union is the manifestation of delusion.
Once one truly understands dependent origination and emptiness,
one won’t be enslaved by delusion any more.
Such truth can only be found in Buddha’s teachings.
All the other mundane doctrines, as I said, just now,
none of them, home or abroad,
can match Dharma teachings for lack of ultimate truth.
It’s not because I’m a Buddhist,
and I’m boasting, because I admire Buddha.
As what is said in Compendium of Valid Cognition,
Buddha elucidated the Four Noble Truths so we should establish Buddha as the one who unfailingly understands all phenomena.
I’m talking from this perspective.
We say this because Buddha lectured on dependent origination and emptiness.
Actually the Four Noble Truths and dependent origination and emptiness emphasize the same point.
Why?
What we perceive now is the root of suffering,
that is the Truth of the Arising of Suffering or ignorance.
How to renounce ignorance?
We should try observing emptiness, or depending on practising Truth of the Way,
until we finally accomplish the extinction of suffering.
So Buddha is praised many times in Commentary on Explanation of Valid Cognition - Chapter of Establishing that Buddha Has Truly Valid Cognition.
Why do we regard Buddha as the one who unerringly understands all phenomena?
Because he demonstrated to people the core of the Four Noble Truths.
From this perspective,
a Buddhist really should not believe that
just because he is a Buddhist, tonsured, he has to pay Buddha respect.
Respect for the Master is common in any religion. It is the same in Catholicism,
or in Christianity, or in Taoism.
“In my religion, disciples grow hair.”
“Why do you grow hair?”
“Because there is an anecdote about our master which tells us we should do so.”
Well, this does not serve as a foothold on which teachings can stand. It does not bear scrutiny.
The same for us Buddhists. If such a view comes to you,
I think you should be alert.
You must use your wisdom and observe attentively
what happens in other religions.
I myself have previously spent some time, though I don’t have very subtle wisdom,
on observing other religions, the causes and effects,
their beliefs and ways of extrication. On all these I carried out close observations.
But the more I know about the other religions,
the more I believe that the Mula Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings are very, very sublime.
It helps me to establish a firm faith in Dharma.
So I say that our religion
can provide sentient beings with chances of extrication, and can help us Buddhists attain it.
The approach of dependent origination and emptiness can only be found in Buddhist teachings.
Some people, via their own observations,
or via guidance from spiritual masters have completely understood.
Once you really understand, you’ll never revert to ignorance.
Some people just get to know the teaching literally instead of attaining the ultimate meaning of it.
In that case,
they might be depending on some outer conditions, and consequently might lose faith.
So no matter what, we should further (our study.)
Especially those who have wisdom, for example, the intellectual,
should do further study on what dependent origination and emptiness truly mean.
“Is it possible that the dependent origination and emptiness can be found in other religions
or other doctrines?”
“And whether, on earth, the understanding of emptiness is as crucial, as important, in other religions and doctrines?”
On this every one has a say.
You may carry out research.
Many foreigners are doing research on trivial things.
On whether an earthworm has feet, or on how many feet does a snake have on earth,
or on whether an ant has eyes,
or on what water do birds drink, water fallen from above or water on the ground?
For decades, they have carried huge cameras with them,
from day to night, trudge over hills and waters
day after day, and camp out in the mountains at night.
They have made such sacrifice for such a cause,
which is absolutely pointless.
If you really possess large amount of wisdom and property,
please use them on the study of dependent origination and emptiness.
Finally in your mental continuum you could establish a certain realization.
Until then, you might know how you feel, as a man knows the temperature of water when he is drinking.
“Oh, this is what it is. How great Buddha Shakyamuni is!”
Then you may even write another In Praise of Dependent Origination, one with more praising verses,
even more verses than those in Je Tsongkhapa’s version.
Ok, let’s call it a day today.