Chapter 13 Section 4 The Core of Buddhism - Dependent Origination and Cause and Effect

(1) Theory of Dependent Origination Dependent origination means that all dharmas arise due to causes and conditions.Simply put, it means that all things in the world, or the emergence of all phenomena, are relative, inter-existing relationships and certain conditions.If there is no such relationship and condition, then any thing or phenomenon cannot arise.What is karma?Karma is the condition of relationship.The Buddhist scriptures once said, "If this exists, then that exists; if this arises, then that arises; if this does not exist, then that does not exist; if this ceases, then that ceases." This is the definition of dependent origination.Explain the principle of the simultaneous interdependence of things.

What is the principle of mutual existence at different times?For example, the relationship between seeds and buds.It is because there were seeds in the past that sprouts can arise now, and precisely because there are sprouts now, the seeds of the past can be called seeds. This is the principle of mutual existence at different times.On the other hand, when the seed dies, it is also the time for the bud to grow, and when the bud grows, it is also the time for the seed to die.This proves that the phenomenon of birth and death of buds and seeds is a relationship of mutual existence at the same time.

(2) Causality This relationship of simultaneous coexistence and different time coexistence is actually the so-called causal relationship in Buddhism.For example, the seed is the cause, and the bud is the effect, because there are seeds first, and then the development of buds. This is a causal relationship that exists at different times.For example, if the teacher is the main body, then the teacher is the cause, and the students are the effect. On the contrary, if the student is the main body, then the student is the cause, and the teacher is the effect.This is a causal relationship that exists at the same time.This kind of causal relationship is very intricate. From one perspective, one cause will produce this effect, but from another perspective, this cause will produce another effect.In short, through positive and negative explanations, in fact there is no absolute cause, and of course there is no absolute effect.Therefore, everything in the world has always been like this. From the perspective of time, because of the countless causal and continuous relationships at different times, and from the perspective of space, the countless interdependent relationships are organized into an extremely intricate and intertwined web.This is cause and effect, cause and effect, continuous and continuous, which is called the law of cause and effect.Just like spinning a fire wheel, it goes on and on again and again. I remember that Master Yuan Ying once taught his disciples: "If you want to be free from troubles, you must learn Buddhism. Knowing that there are causes and conditions is not to envy others." We must keep in mind that we can Many troubles are reduced, and the mind and body are at ease.In addition to the current cause and effect in Buddhism, there are also three generations of cause and effect, that is, the relationship between the present life, the past life, and the future life. The author is." The Buddha said the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Causes and Conditions, which is to specifically explain the principle of cause and effect in the three times.From this point of view, the so-called principle of cause and effect is actually the principle of cause and condition.This principle of karma is the only correct explanation of Buddhism for people's subjective world and objective world. This is the basic understanding of the Buddhist outlook on life.

In a Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda built in the Liao Dynasty in Xishan, Beijing, an old brick was found engraved with a gatha: "All dharmas are born by fate, and dharmas are destroyed by fate. My Buddha, the great monk, often says so." In Myanmar In recent years, an ancient pagoda was demolished, and this gatha written in Pali was also engraved on the bricks, which shows that the doctrine of dependent origination has a very important position in Buddhism.But these four lines of gatha were spoken by the Buddha's disciple, Bhikkhu Ma Sheng, to Venerable Shariputra on the way to beg for food.There is a historical story here, which has already been told above and will not be repeated now.

Samana translates as "Qinxi".Righteousness is to diligently practice the three studies of precepts, concentration and wisdom, and eliminate the three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance.The three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance are the most fundamental afflictions of all living beings. They can poison all living beings' dharmakaya, wisdom, and life, so they are called the three poisons. They are the delusional minds of all living beings.The Buddha's determination to cultivate the Tao is to eliminate the three poisons and afflictions. The so-called eradication of delusion and consummation of wisdom means becoming a Buddha, so the Buddha is called a great recluse.It fully demonstrates that whether it is to follow the karma and receive retribution to be a sentient being, or to return to the truth and become a Bodhisattva, it is completely inseparable from the theory of dependent origin and the truth of depending on cause, feeling and effect.This is the law that depends on good deeds to obtain good results, and evil deeds to receive evil rewards. This is an eternal law.In fact, this truth of causality is the fundamental conclusion drawn by Buddha Sakyamuni in the objective reality based on the history of all things in the world, the development of the world of sentient beings, and even the extinction, that is, you will reap melons if you sow melons, and you will reap melons if you sow beans. Dou, good will be rewarded with good, and evil will be rewarded with evil. If there is no reward, the time has not yet come.

The doctrine of dependent origin and cause and effect taught by Buddhism is based on the "Great Wisdom Theory" translated by Master Kumarajiva and the "Ji She Lun" translated by Master Xuanzang. The main teachings of Buddhism are Explain the principle of cause and effect. (3) Three Dharma Seals Mahayana and Hinayana are the two major sects of Buddhism.The Hinayana teachings are based on the Four Agama Sutras, which talk about the three dharma seals, first, all actions are impermanent, second, all dharmas have no self, and third, Nirvana is peaceful.The principle of impermanence and selflessness is the Buddhist interpretation of everything in the universe, life, and everything, and it can also be said to be the general principle of all laws in the world.Impermanence is the principle of the continuation of birth and death. It not only includes the meaning of non-stop birth and death from moment to moment, but also the principle of continuation of cause and effect.Buddhism says that the world has formation, stasis, and emptiness, all living beings have birth, old age, sickness and death, and all things have birth, stasis, change and death, and they are metabolized all the time, changing and migrating there moment by moment, which is called impermanence.What is anatta?Selflessness is the principle that among all dharmas in life, the universe, and the mind-body world, there is no self that can dominate everything.There is no self to be found, which is called all dharmas have no self.Therefore, the "Diamond Sutra" says: "There is no appearance of self, no appearance of human beings, no appearance of sentient beings, and no appearance of life." It shows that the four appearances are all empty, and there is no appearance of self.Because of the delusion and attachment of all beings, all dharmas are impermanent, clinging to be true and permanent, and all dharmas have no self, deluded to have a self, so there are four delusions of self-view, self-ignorance, self-arrogance, self-love, and reversed dreams. The heart, so the karma and the retribution, according to the cause and effect, the cause and effect continue continuously, and are in the six realms of reincarnation.If we want to get rid of the suffering in life and jump out of the six realms of reincarnation, we must use the viewpoint of impermanence and selflessness to cultivate the Tao, cut off the causes of suffering, diligently cultivate precepts, concentration, and wisdom, and eliminate greed, hatred, and ignorance. You will be able to get rid of the cycle of life and death, and realize the partial true Nirvana state of peace and happiness without birth and death.Cutting off thoughts, afflictions, and confusion, and breaking up the suffering of life and death, this is the principle of the Three Dharma Seals of the Hinayana sages.

Here I will tell a story about Shakyamuni Buddha who gave up his whole body and asked for half a verse when he was practicing in the causal ground.Shakyamuni Buddha, before immeasurable kalpas, had one life as a solitary enlightenment, practicing asceticism in the deep mountains and poor valleys.When I was sitting quietly and working hard, I suddenly heard voices coming from afar.After listening carefully, it turned out that it said: "All things are impermanent, and they are the law of birth and death."This Dujue, after listening to it, thought about it carefully. The truth of these two sentences is really very important for practitioners.It means that everything in the world is the law of birth and death, just like the flowers in the sky, the realm in dreams, the illusion of impermanence, and the change of birth and death.He was very happy when he heard this rare French, but he thought that these two sentences alone were only half of the truth, and there were two more sentences below.So I went to look for the speaker, but I couldn't find it for a long time. Later, in the deep mountain forest, I saw a ghost king with teeth and red eyes, looking for something to eat there.The solitary consciousness asked him: "Ghost king, did you see anyone talking here just now?" The ghost king said: I was the one who recited the two gatha just now.Dujue said: I think the two sentences you read are incomplete, only half, and there must be half. Could you please read the following two sentences to me again?The ghost king said: You want to listen to the next two sentences, haha!It's not that easy, you know the Dharma smells bad.If you want to listen to the next two sentences, then you should make offerings, and I will tell you.In order to urgently ask to hear the truth of the following two sentences again, Dujue said to the ghost king: "In the deep mountains, remote and uninhabited, I am practicing asceticism here, and I have nothing to eat. Just wait a moment, I will arrive Go to the mountains and pick some fruits to make offerings to you!" The ghost king said: I don't eat fruits, I want to eat animals with live blood.Dujue said: Ah!This is too embarrassing for me, bloody animal, I can't find it for you to eat.If I offer you blood-activating things, I will violate the precept of killing, which is really impossible.The ghost king said: You can't do it, there are two most important magic tricks, I won't talk about them.This solitary mind was in a difficult situation, and thought about it, what should I do?In order to seek the Dharma, he had no choice but to risk his life.So he said to the ghost king: "Okay!"If you want to eat blood-invigorating food, tell me now, and after I hear it, I will offer you my body to eat. It is fresh and blood-invigorating. Are you satisfied?Please speak quickly.The ghost king said again: I don't believe it, you will give me your own body to eat, how can there be such a good person!After I said the following two sentences of Dharma, you escaped, and I didn't draw water from the bamboo basket in vain.Dujue said that I am a Taoist, my words are as heavy as a mountain, and I never lie. If you tell me, I will make offerings to you.The king of ghosts said the last two sentences in French, "Birth and cessation are gone, and extinction is joy." After hearing this, the solitary enlightenment immediately became enlightened and understood the fundamental truth of this gatha.It means that practitioners who can realize that all things in the world are impermanent and selfless can practice diligently and get rid of the false thoughts and attachments of birth and death. The blissful realm of immortal nirvana.Therefore, I feel full of Dharma joy, and have gained unprecedented Dharma benefits.So he asked the ghost king to sit down, knelt on the ground, stretched out his head, and asked the ghost king to eat!In an instant, the king of ghosts transformed into a celestial being, and he put his palms together respectfully and said to Dujue: "That's good, good. Taoist, you are the way of a Bodhisattva of good deeds, the outpouring of true essence, and the offering of true Dharma."After these words of admiration were uttered, the heavenly man disappeared.But the few words he said are the gatha that the Buddhas said in the past, "All things are impermanent, they are the law of birth and death, birth and death are already there, and peace is joy." The profound truth in it is the fundamental truth of Buddhism, and it is also It is the principle of the Three Dharma Seals.

What is the silence of Nirvana?Nirvana is free translated as complete stillness, which means that everything is true and everything is perfect;Nirvana is the path and fruit experienced by Buddhist practitioners. There are four different types. The first self-nature is pure Nirvana. The four sages of bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and arhats will not increase a little, nor will they decrease a little in the six realms of heaven, humanity, asura, hell, hungry ghosts, and animals.Equality and equality, without a little difference and difference, this is called the quiet Nirvana of the self-nature.The second is nirvana, we practice and use the flame of wisdom to burn away the salary of afflictions.Although the bondage of seeing, thinking and afflictions has been broken, the fruit bondage of the physical body still exists.Because there is still the shell of the body, which is the reliance of staged life and death, this is the remaining reliance Nirvana.The third is nirvana without remaining attachments.We practice, use the sharp sword of wisdom to cut off the poisonous snake of affliction, and cut off the two kinds of afflictions of seeing and thinking.Without a cause, there will be no effect. Of course, this Yu Yiguo-bound body must be eliminated.Our body is the root of all suffering. Who else will suffer if the body is gone?The saints of the two vehicles can lose their minds and lose their colors.This is the Nirvana witnessed by Arhats and Pacceek Buddhas, and it is called the Nirvana of No Survival.The fourth is nirvana without abode.When we practice, develop Bodhicitta, and practice the Bodhisattva Way, on the one hand, we use wisdom to break away from dust and sand and afflictions, but we do not live in the eternal nirvana, and on the other hand, we use compassion to save all living beings. Sentient beings, however, do not live in birth and death.This is really: "Follow the destiny without hindrance, Nirvana, life and death are empty".This is the nirvana attained by the bodhisattva, called nirvana without abode.The principle of the tranquility of Nirvana in the Three Dharma Seals of the Hinayana refers to the second Nirvana with remaining attachments and the third Nirvana with no remaining attachments.

(4) One seal What is the Mahayana One Dharma Seal?The teachings of the Mahayana are based on the "Great Collection Sutra" and "Prajna Sutra" spoken by the Buddha. One Dharma seal is the truth of the reality of all dharmas, because the Mahayana teachings are based on the true heart.Reality is true, that is, truth is like the heart, and reality has no false appearance.The true heart is the true heart, not the false heart.Reality has three principles.The first reality is formless.Its noumenon is true and true, without all kinds of variations, illusory illusions of birth and death, that is, neither birth nor death, unshakable equality and unity, which is the truth of truth.The Second Reality is everything.Although the noumenon of reality is empty and empty, and there is no way to get it, it can appear in thousands of different ways according to the conditions. All the appearances, without a single appearance, are not reality.Possessing the four sages and the six mortals, ignoring cause and effect, and all appearances of all things are the principles of conventional truth.The third is that reality has no appearance and no appearance.This truth is true, unchanging and resigned.Just when all appearances appear according to the conditions.But his body is empty and has nothing to get.Just when there is nothing, it is a vacuum that is not empty, yet full of wonderful existence.Just when all appearances appear according to the conditions, but there is nothing but existence, and the noumenon is a vacuum.This means that the vacuum does not hinder the wonderful existence, and the wonderful existence does not hinder the vacuum.The principle of the wonderful existence of this vacuum is like a mirror looking at things. The mirror itself is empty, but it can also show various colors of blue, yellow, red, and white. Although the mirror shows various colors, the mirror is originally empty.But the color that appears in the mirror, if it has a certain color, is wonderful and non-existent, if it does not have a certain color, it is a vacuum and not empty.Therefore, the true truth is the integration of the two truths of the true and the common, and there is no hindrance to the existence of the two.Therefore, the "Avatamsaka Sutra" says: "One is immeasurable, and immeasurable is one, the small is the big, the big is the small." We can understand the truth of the truth, the inconceivable truth that there is nothing and everything, looking back at the present Everything in the world of sentient beings and everything in the world is inseparable from this true truth.So Su Dongpo said it well: "The sound of the stream is the wide and long tongue, and the scenery of the mountain is nothing but the pure body." This is the truth that reality has no appearance and no appearance.

When practicing Mahayana teachings, I understand that all dharmas in the world, no matter whether they are conditioned or unconditioned, mental or physical, etc., are inseparable from the truth of causality. The truth of the extinction of the predestined relationship and the extinction of the Dharma".All dharmas born of cause and condition are conditioned and empty in nature. This is called form is emptiness. It does not return to emptiness after form disappears, but it is empty when it is in substance. Although its appearance is illusory, its nature is true. It is truth and sincerity.Because of reality it can give birth to all dharmas.For example, like Void, its body is empty and nothing. It is because of this that Void can follow the various conditions of light, darkness, clarity, and turbidity, and appear various phases such as light, darkness, clarity, and turbidity. The Shurangama Sutra says: "When the sun shines, it will be bright, if the clouds are clear, it will be dark, if the rain is clear, it will be clear, and if the air is condensed, it will be muddy."They all illustrate the principle that form is emptiness.Nagarjuna Bodhisattva said: "The dharma born of karma, I say, is emptiness. It is also called a false name, and it is also called the middle way."Therefore, although the Mahayana Bodhisattva has attained Nirvana, he does not remain in Nirvana, and he practices the Dharma door of six perfections and four confinement to save all living beings, but he does not remain in appearance. Not empty, full of wonderful existence, all dharmas, only the reality appears according to the conditions, this is called the principle of Mahayana One Dharma Seal.

The theory of the three seals of the Hinayana and one seal of the Mahayana is the most important argument in Buddhist teachings.