The Law of Dependent Origination
Dear friends, hello everyone!Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
Today, I’d like to share a profoundly important yet often overlooked core concept of the Dharma: Dependent Origination. Its significance far exceeds our imagination.
First, what is Dependent Origination, and why is it so vital? Dependent Origination sparks our interest, motivation, and genuine connection to the Dharma. When we lose that sense of connection to the Dharma or our master, it’s often because we lack this “condition of arising.” Many of us, myself included, have overly relied on our own understanding, thinking, “I’ve got this,” or that the teachings are easy to grasp. However, merely understanding the principles doesn’t ensure they take effect in practice or manifest their transformative power.
This is a common challenge on the path of learning the Dharma: losing enthusiasm. When the condition of Dependent Origination is depleted, we enter a state of “no feeling.” Even with shelves full of scriptures, we lack the heart to read them, let alone realize their truth. We may know that offerings bring benefits, but in our busyness, we forget because there’s no continuity. We might think, “I’m fine now,” but once the benefits fade, they’re gone, as we haven’t sustained the condition of Dependent Origination.
So, how do we cultivate and maintain this precious Dependent Origination? It requires continuous “service and offering.” True service means taking on the master’s work, acting on their behalf with wholehearted dedication, without seeking recognition. This selfless commitment is the most sublime form of Dependent Origination. Merely learning the teachings creates a gap between knowing and truly integrating them through service and offering, which brings about a genuine response.
The compassion of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is boundless, but we must not be deluded and forget our responsibilities. It’s like an electrical socket on the table, ready with infinite power, but if we don’t plug in, the electricity remains inaccessible. That socket is Dependent Origination.
Thus, from the moment we make a vow, every step forward is about Dependent Origination—endless Dependent Origination, endless service and offering. Each practice, each act of giving, builds and strengthens this condition. When we notice a lack of enthusiasm or joy in the Dharma, it’s a sign that our condition is insufficient. At such times, we should “quickly make offerings,” no matter how small, for no act of offering is insignificant.
The importance of Dependent Origination often requires personal experience and repeated validation to truly understand. We may know it’s important intellectually, but without applying it, it remains a concept, unable to break through obstacles or resolve deep afflictions. Yet, when we act and offer, even the greatest barriers can be overcome.
Let us always remember that Dependent Origination is the key throughout our entire journey to Buddhahood. It’s not just a gateway for beginners but a principle even Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattvas must constantly uphold. We must eternally build and maintain our connection with the master through ceaseless service and offering. Without this condition, we lose the opportunity to connect with the master. Even with scriptures in hand or recordings in ear, we’d be groping in darkness, perhaps even feeling aversion.
May we transform this profound understanding of Dependent Origination into action, keeping our passion for the Dharma alive and our motivation boundless, ultimately leading to perfect realization! Thank you all!
