Dependent arising is the backbone of the Buddha's doctrine -- all the other lessons he taught relate to it, or refer to it in some way -- yet it is the least understood. There is a confusion of theories as to its meaning: is it about three lives, or one? about rebirth or moment-to-moment creation of the ego? Yet when dependent arising is seen in the light of the central myth of the Buddha's day (the creation of First Man and how that relates to our creation of self) the whole structure becomes much clearer, and many of the points of confusion are straightened out. People have long asked, for example, how the 'actions' of the second step precede consciousness in the third, or why we seem to be being told that we would want to completely stop consciousness, and contact with the world, and feeling. All these questions are easily answered when we see where the structure came from, and what the lesson is really about.

The Harmony of Emptiness and Dependent-Arising is a commentary to Tsong Khapa’s The Essence of Eloquent Speech, Praise to the Buddha for Teaching Profound Dependent-Arising. The subject of the work concerns two important themes of Buddhist philosophy: emptiness and dependent-arising. All schools of Buddhism expound theories of emptiness and dependent-arising, but their interpreptations vary greatly and are even contradictory. Here Ven. Lobsang Gyatso, very skilfully explains these two theories through logical analysis combined with simple and wonderful illustrations. Late Ven. Lobsang Gyatso was born in Kham province, Tibet, in 1928 and educated at Drepung Monastic University. He escaped from Tibet in 1959 and was one of the first trained Tibetan teachers in exile and was also a member of the Tibetan Textbook Committee of Council for Tibetan Education. In 1973, with the blessing of H. H. the Dalai lama, he founded the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala. He has toured and lectured in many countries of the world, and has authored many books and articles. Above all, he is a meditation master, who lives his life according to the Buddhist philosophy of wisdom and compassion.

An accessible and demystifying look at the Dependent Origination and Emptiness as described in the suttas of the Pali Canon and in Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamaka-karika.

This book brings important new dimensions to the interface between contemporary Western science and ancient Eastern wisdom. Here for the first time the concepts and insights of general systems theory are presented in tandem with those of the Buddha. Remarkable convergences appear between core Buddhist teachings and the systems view of reality, arising in our century from biology and extending into the social and cognitive sciences. Giving a cogent introduction to both bodies of thought, and a fresh interpretation of the Buddha's core teaching of dependent co-arising, this book shows how their common perspective on causality can inform our lives. The interdependence of all beings provides the context for clarifying both the role of meditative practice and guidelines for effective action on behalf of the common good.

One of Tibet’s great scholars presents the Buddha’s profound teachings on the laws of karma and dependent arising. In the Rice Seedling Sutra, the Buddha unpacks the law of cause and effect. He notes how in the natural world, a seed becomes a sprout, which produces a flower, which bears fruit. A seed has no intention to sprout; when the right conditions are assembled the fruit arises. Similarly, when our senses encounter an object, a sense consciousness arises naturally, without our intending it. This, says the Buddha, is also how karma works and how actions performed out of ignorance create suffering, whether we want it or not. And this same law of causality also governs enlightenment—when the right conditions are assembled, awakening is assured. In many sutras like this one, the Buddha explains that to understand his Dharma is to understand dependent arising. Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe explores dependent arising, and the corollary teaching of emptiness, through this sutra and others. Commenting on the works of Indian masters such as Shantaraksita, he shows how belief in a creator god is incompatible with dependent arising, and by illuminating the teachings of Nagarjuna and Chandrakirti, he shows how we do—and do not—exist. Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe was among the last generation of scholars to be trained in Tibet before the Chinese occupation. He has been teaching Westerners for decades, having worked with top scholars in the United States, and he is especially familiar with this sutra, having translated the commentary by Kamalasila into Hindi. Here his deep familiarity, combined with his extensive command of the Buddhist scriptures, allows him to present the Buddha’s words in a rich and authoritative context.

A renowned Buddhist master digs into the idea of interdependency—the very core of the Buddha’s teachings. Under the Bodhi Tree takes us back to the principles at the heart of Buddha’s teachings—conditionality and dependent co-arising. Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikkhu makes the case for dependent co-arising as a natural law, and builds a compelling presentation from there of Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and practice. Basing himself squarely on the Buddha’s own words as preserved in the Pali Canon, he brings clarity and simplicity to what is typically a thorny philosophical knot. By returning dependent co-arising to its central place in Buddhist theory and practice, Ajahn Buddhadasa provides perspective on the Buddha’s own insights and awakening. Under the Bodhi Tree is another excellent entry from one of the most renowned Buddhist thinkers of modern times. For students who wish to study further, a companion guide is available from liberationpark.org.

Arising and emptiness are the two essential Buddhist concepts, which when understood, lead to the highest school of Buddhist philosophy.