The Dharma of Dependent Origination Is an Unreliable Dharma

Dependent origination (paratantra) refers to dharmas that can only arise by relying on other dharmas. "He" and "other" are the conditions for a dharma's arising. Therefore, what is dependently originated is a conditioned dharma, a dharma produced by causes and conditions; apart from the conditions it relies upon, it does not exist. When the conditions change, the dharma changes accordingly; when the conditions cease, the dharma ceases accordingly. Therefore, dependently originated, conditionally arisen dharmas are illusory and unreal dharmas, false dharmas, empty, subject to arising, ceasing, and change.

Conditioned dharmas include the five faculties, the six sense objects, and the six consciousnesses. The eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body are conditioned dharmas; they rely on numerous conditions in order to arise, exist, and develop and change. They are unreliable dharmas, so we cannot rely on them completely, cannot always rely on them. When one cultivates to a certain point and completely stops relying on them, the mind becomes empty, and there will be great liberation. The six sense objects are conditioned dharmas, arising, existing, and developing and changing in reliance on numerous conditions; therefore the six sense objects are unreliable and cannot be relied upon. We should gradually free ourselves from dependence on the six sense objects, reducing our craving and attachment to them. When one cultivates to a certain point and completely stops relying on the six sense objects, the mind becomes empty—that is great liberation. What dharma do we rely on in order to have dependence on the six sense objects? Grasping the six sense objects requires the six consciousnesses; after the six consciousnesses discriminate the six sense objects, there arises dependence on them. What dharma grasps the six sense objects and requires the six consciousnesses? It is the manas that grasps the six sense objects, then gives rise to the six consciousnesses, using the six consciousnesses to seize the six sense objects; the manas then grasps the six sense objects again, and again grasps the functions and activities of the six consciousnesses—thus the cycle of birth and death continues unceasingly. The mind that grasps is the manas, which uses the six consciousnesses as tools to seize; in fact, it is still the manas that does the seizing. The six consciousnesses are also conditioned dharmas, arising, existing, and developing and changing in reliance on numerous conditions; they are unreliable dharmas, dharmas that cannot be relied upon. Therefore we should gradually distance ourselves from the six consciousnesses and reduce our dependence on them. When one cultivates to a certain point and completely stops relying on the six consciousnesses, the mind becomes empty, and we will attain great liberation.

To whom are all these truths spoken? They are spoken to ourselves. Who do "we" refer to? Who does "oneself" refer to? Both refer to the manas. The six consciousnesses are messenger soldiers, responsible for conveying this information to the manas to be known; what to do and where to go is decided by the manas, which makes the decisions. If this information remains only with the six consciousnesses and is not conveyed to the master, the manas, then this information is of no use; it cannot influence or change the master's intentions and choices, and everything will remain as before, with the cycle of birth and death continuing endlessly.

How can these truths and this information be conveyed to the manas? Cultivate meditative concentration (samādhi); contemplate and practice contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) within meditative concentration. The deeper the meditative concentration, the better the effect of the transmission, and the more the manas can absorb and digest this information, and the more it can change its intentions. Then all ignorance and grasping will vanish completely, and one will be liberated from all dharmas, with no more suffering of birth and death.