The importance of dependent-arising
(For every thing to arise, it must depend on something else)

Gradually, our sensitivity will acknowledge the significance of the fact that all phenomena arises out of causes and conditions. That everything has no origination of its own. It is empty of reality, and in that, emptiness is its reality.

Thoughts, as phenomena, also have no existence of their own, and are reliant upon previous thoughts.

That which recognises this is essence. Our essential nature. Essence does not rely on something else, but only its own recognition.

For most people phenomena seem real, and we become very involved in liking or disliking things.
Put simply, we are attracted to the pleasant, and have aversion to the unpleasant. On a relative level, this sounds reasonable enough: it’s how we as humans survive.

However…when we consider our ultimate nature of empty essence, this reasoning is unsatisfactory.

Things do not exist from their own power (they are not self-created), but rely on something else (the right conditions) in order to come into existence. They cannot be said to be truly existent, as they are temporary events on their way back to dust again. Therefore, we needn’t get so attached or distracted by phenomena.

A yogi sees through the illusion.

Having an understanding of dependent-arising is important because whenever a situation arises, we do not see it as absolutely real, and therefore we have less attachment. This doesn’t mean we do not care, but we just give the situation space. We are not enslaved by it.

A yogi sees through the illusion.

Dependent-arising applies to thoughts in exactly the same way – especially thoughts about ourselves…our self image. Most of the time we rely on a social I. This is generated by the feedback we get from others, and so we play that part…always having to keep in character. We play it so well, it affects our facial features, our gestures, our speech, the whole act!

A yogi sees through the illusion.

A yogi sees through the illusion
so as not to be drawn into another’s dream.

However, a yogi will look on the dream with kindness.
That kindness can take many forms.

A yogi sees through the illusion,
recognising its empty essence