Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche makes dependent origination the foundation of Buddhist practice. He opens with a striking contrast: while some traditions claim an external deity controls liberation, the Buddha taught that our suffering and freedom depend entirely on our own karma and actions. The centerpiece is the twelve links of dependent origination, which explains how we remain bound in cyclic existence and how understanding this mechanism produces genuine renunciation—the longing to be free. Rinpoche systematically distinguishes conditioned and unconditioned phenomena, internal from external realms, and shows how emptiness, grasped through the union of method and wisdom, eliminates faults and develops good qualities. Essential for practitioners developing renunciation at any level.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1A – 1991 Easter Retreat – KR.mp3
UUID: da9b1352-a12d-420a-ac33-e544bb90242b
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Wheel of Life
Date: 1991 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,335
We should begin by rejoicing in the fact that we’ve achieved this wonderful human life, which possesses a special capacity that is, it has the potential whereby we can eliminate all our suffering and achieve complete happiness. Though we now possess this this capacity in terms of our human life whereby to achieve happiness and to eliminate our suffering, if we we have to make use of it because it’s impermanent, it’s definitely going to become non existent. So how can we best make use of our human human life? It is in terms of developing healthy attitudes. And this is expressed within our motivation, conduct, and also within our various studies that we in our practice.
And this training that we are seeking to, to work within, if it’s going to be a benefit, a vast benefit, then it must be a type of training which is not simply to serve our own needs only, but in order to bring about happiness for not only ourselves but also for all sentient beings whereby to eliminate the suffering and bring the complete happiness all sentient beings and be able to lead all sentient beings in type of happiness completely bereft of all suffering. Order to actually establish both oneself and others in complete happiness, then it is necessary that I myself eliminate my various faults and bring to consummation my excellent qualities. Otherwise, there’s no way that I can lead others to such a state. Therefore, to such an end, in order to develop all of my excellent qualities, in order to eliminate my various faults, I am going to proceed in training my mind. So, in order to actually eliminate our various faults and bring to consummation our excellent qualities, must understand the various methods and procedures for ridding ourselves of faults and developing excellent qualities.
And once understanding that, then we can actually bring it about in fact. And therefore, with the motivation to benefit, with a vast motivation to benefit others, and as by means of in order to achieve that and to eliminate my faults and to bring the consummation of all my excellent qualities, to develop such a kind hearted attitude for motivation for listening to this present teaching. We are going to cultivate the awakening heart for the next three minutes. So the Buddha in a discourse called the Sūtra on Dependent Arising it said that whoever sees dependent arising, understands dependent arising, realizes dependent arising, sees, understands, and realizes emptiness. Extremely important for us to understand.
That in understanding dependent arising we will understand that all phenomena whatsoever are established in reliance upon other factors than themselves. In understanding dependent arising we understand that all phenomena whatsoever arise dependent upon their parts, in dependence upon their basis of the imputation of designation, and by means of terms and concepts. In realizing dependent arising, we will understand that nothing in realizing this, then we will understand that nothing independently exists. And by means of this realization of emptiness, when as in the case of the bodhisattva, the practice is as a union of method and wisdom, then by through the power of this practice, then all our various faults will be eliminated and we can bring the consummation all our qualities. So an individual who has through the means of a union of method and wisdom has eliminated all their various faults and brought to consummation all their excellent qualities is then termed a Buddha.
Buddha is a Sanskrit word. In Tibetan it is Sangyé. English it’s Buddha or sometimes if we were to translate it very literally it would be clearly evolved one. By an individual who has eliminated all their various faults and brought their consummation all their excellent qualities is able to understand the dispositions, the desires, the qualities in mind of others. Thereby, is able to fit the teaching in accordance with disposition.
Just like a doctor will upon examining the patient prescribe a medicine in accordance with the illness. Likewise, an individual who has eliminated various faults and brought their consummation of their excellent qualities is able to prescribe a particular Dharma as a means to to cure the ills of suffering of each individual and lead them to happiness. So it is said that the understanding of dependence arising is the main method whereby we can understand emptiness. Quoting from a verse by Nāgārjuna when he is discussing dependent where he is discussing dependent arising. In which he said, There is no phenomena which is not a dependent arising.
That all phenomena whatsoever are established through relying upon other. Therefore, nothing is truly existent. Inherently exists. Therefore there is no phenomenon which is not empty of true existence, of inherent existence. That everything which exists whatsoever is a dependent arising.
All existences can be classified into either of two categories. The first is those phenomena which arise dependent upon causes and conditions and those phenomena which are established not relying upon causes and conditions. So, all phenomena whatsoever are either established in dependence upon causes and conditions or established not depending upon causes and conditions these two types of categories. So examples of this this latter category of phenomena, which do not depend upon causes and conditions, would be the space within this room, the vacuity, the space, emptiness, also unconditioned space, space in general. So, the, these are called unconditioned phenomena.
They are unproduced phenomena in the sense that they do not arise dependent upon causes and conditions. The vacancy, the vacuity within this room, the emptiness itself but also space unconditioned space does not rely upon causes and conditions. And then phenomena which arise in dependence upon cause and conditions would be, for example, earth, water, fire, air, this room, trees, sound, people, that all of these are termed compounded phenomena. They’re compounded out of causes and conditions whereas the others are an uncompounded phenomena. They are not compounded out of causes and conditions.
With respect to compounded phenomena, there are again two categories. There are the, there are those phenomena compounded phenomena which are included within the continuum of sentient beings, that is the internal phenomena, and phenomena which are not included within the continuum of sentient beings external phenomena. Examples of this latter category, that is to say, compounded phenomena which are not included within the continuum of sentient beings or persons. We just say the environment, the place, sounds, table, this room. These are not included within the continuum of persons.
Why is that? Because, when these are in any way contacted, no feelings arise either pleasure or displeasure. For example, if we hit the table with a hammer, no feelings arise either pleasure or displeasure, and therefore this for this reason it is not connected to feelings therefore it is called an external phenomena. So, with respect to the dependent arising of external phenomena, we can cite various examples in which these arise dependent upon other. For example, the plant arises in dependence upon a seed, smoke arises in dependence upon a fire, far arises in dependence upon near,, long arises in dependence upon short, the color white arises in dependence upon the color black.
And, with respect to internal phenomena, as we said, these are phenomena which are connected which are included within the continuum of the being. And the in which this is established is that the phenomenon must be connected with the feelings of the being. For example, if we were to cut our finger, we would experience pain. Therefore, the finger is included within the continuum of the being. So, if we were to treat ourselves very gently, we would experience pleasurable feelings.
If we were to treat our hand, for example, very, very harshly, we would experience displeasurable feelings. So therefore, our hand is included within the continuum of the being because it’s connected with feelings. So this is the way in which we distinguish between external and internal phenomena as to whether they are connected with feelings. If they are connected with feelings according to the quality of the experience, we will have a corresponding pleasurable or displeasurable feeling arise from it. If, when we, if we cut our hair, there’s no, we do not experience any feeling.
Therefore, hair is categorized as an external phenomenon. Likewise, when we clip our fingernails we don’t experience any feeling. It doesn’t hurt us. Therefore it’s an external phenomenon but if we get down to the cuticle then it becomes painful and that therefore is considered an internal phenomenon. So, talked briefly about the dependent arising of externals.
Now we’re going to it’s extremely important that we understand the arising of internal phenomena. Within Within the internal phenomena, and in the context of dependent arising, we can again make a coarse categorization of two types of factors. Those factors which serve to propel one within cyclic existence, for example, out of afflictive emotions we engage in various actions, as a consequence of these actions we experience suffering. So, are factors which serve to promote or propel, keep us circling within cyclic existence. Then, there are other factors which serve as aids to liberation, which serve to free us from suffering whereby to achieve a bliss of liberation.
So the Buddha distinguished between these two types of inner factors in terms of dependent arising. Those dependent arising which serve to propel one in cyclic existence, and those types of dependent arising which serve to free one from cyclic existence. So, the determining quality of these two types of dependent arisings is in terms of the quality of our activities, whether these factors are constructive or destructive. Previously in India there were non Buddhists who a religious sect of non Buddhists who worshiped a particular deity Īśvara. And, this particular religion, they asserted the existence of cyclic existence and liberation.
But there, that which propelled one within cyclic existence and that which helped to free one from cyclic existence, that is to attain liberation was dependent upon the caprice of Īśvara. That was to say depending on how Īśvara viewed you that he could either keep you in suffering or send you to liberation. If for example, Īśvara thought of Jampa as being quite a nice guy, then he could, by his desire, could send you to liberation. If he didn’t like you, he could keep you in cyclic existence and keep you suffering. It was in his power.
Within this particular religion they asserted what is called the primal substance. Īśvara, by the power of Īśvara, he could create whatever he desired out of this primal substance. If he thought well, then he could create something very positive. If he was in a bad mood, he could create a very negative type of creation out of this primal substance. So everything was in the hands, whatever was produced was in the hands of Īśvara.
But the Buddha did not accept this. He rejected this. He said that the quality of one’s existence was completely in terms of one’s own activities and with respect to the quality of one’s actions or karma. That out of one’s own activities, the way one acted, the actions one created would determine one’s the positive or negative quality of one’s experiences. Experiences arise, Buddhist set forth the mechanism whereby we are continually turning within cyclic existence.
And this was the teaching on the 12 links of dependent origination. This, the, you know, within the Lam Rim or the Graduated Path to Awakening, there are the three levels of capacity. The being of small, middling, and great capacity. And this teaching on dependent origination setting forth the mechanism by which we are bound to the continuance of our suffering, but also shows us the method whereby we can be liberated from this continuation of our suffering is mainly an object of cultivation of the understanding of the being a middling capacity. But still this teaching on the 12 links of dependent origination is, is said to be the essence of the Buddhist Dharma.
Its practice is extremely profound. It’s very vast and it’s a great benefit to understand it. Why is it so important? Because this practice of the 12 links of dependent origination is also an integral practice of the being of small capacity, middling capacity, and great capacity. That it is related to all levels of practice and therefore is of prime importance.
The of the 12 links of dependent origination so important? Through the cultivation of the understanding of the 12 links, the most important result is the arising of a determination to be free, that is to say renunciation. One develops a longing to be free from cyclic existence. And this of the, this is the first of the three principal aspects of the path, the determination to be free and renunciation. Without cultivating an understanding of the 12 links of dependent origination and understanding the nature of the four noble truths, then one cannot develop renunciation.
Without this longing to be liberated from cyclic existence, there will be no liberation. So mainly it is designed as a means to develop renunciation or a determination to be free. So, the actual literal translation of the word which is oftentimes translated as renunciation, what I usually call determination to be free, is definite arising. And it is the attitude of mind which seeks to definitely arise out of cyclic existence. And this it does by deeply understanding the faults and disadvantages of cyclic existence.
One simply cannot, no longer wishes to remain within cyclic existence. One develops a longing to be liberated from cyclic existence and this is the beneficial result to be derived out of the cultivation of the of the 12 links of dependent origination. That is this determination to arise, definite arising. One sees the faults of cyclic existence and sees one can no longer stand cyclic existence and develops a great longing to be free from it.