Buddhism teaches that all dharmas have no-self. No-self is the absence of self-nature. All dharmas arise with conditions, there are none that can exist autonomously or independently. This is what it means to have no self-nature. By completely understanding these truths, we will genuinely resonate with the Buddhist teaching of no-self.
“All dharmas arise and cease on account of casual conditions”: all phenomena in this world arise because causes and conditions come together and cease when causes and conditions fall apart. They are dependently arising and empty in nature. In order to deeply understand the truth that all dependent arising is empty in nature, we must contemplate it during meditation. To still oneself in meditative contemplation, first settle the body down, sit in a comfortable and stable posture, relinquish all affairs and worries, and let nothing weigh on the mind. Contemplate the empty nature of dependent arising according to the Dharma. This very mind should be clear and lucid, with no wandering thoughts.
An example of contemplation is asking yourself, “If this body becomes sick and in pain, if my head is throbbing and my back hurts…This pain—who is the one in pain? Is it my body that is in pain? Where is this ‘me’?” Ask yourself these questions and consider the answers. This is to contemplate the empty nature of dependent arising. Through deep meditative contemplation, we can break the self-attachment of ordinary beings.
All composites of the four elements are ultimately without a self.
Ordinary beings attach to their physical bodies as the self. Taking the false to be real and substantial, they do not know that the buddha nature, empty nature, bodhi, and nirvana comprise the true self. Thus, they give rise to deluded views, create unwholesome karma, and consequently fall into the cycle of samsara to undergo life and death. In order to help sentient beings break free of samsara, the Buddha taught us to first overcome this self-attachment.
Self-attachment stems from our attachment to wrong ways of thinking and erroneous views. In order to transform these attachments, we must thoroughly contemplate the empty nature of dependent arising. For example, consider how human beings are composites of physical and mental dharmas. Physical dharmas, or form, are material existence; the four material elements that constitute our bodies are earth, water, fire, and wind. Earth refers to what is firm and solid. Our hair, eyes, eyebrows, nails, and bones are considered the element of earth. All earth elements belong to the realm of earth. Our tears, urine, blood, excrement, etc. are considered the element of water. All water elements belong the realm of water. Our body’s temperature and metabolism are considered the element of fire. All fire elements belong to the realm of fire. Our inhalation and exhalation are considered the element of wind. All wind elements belong to the realm of wind. Analyzing like this, we come to understand that the body is an illusory and provisional composite of these four great elements. Causes and conditions come together, thus we have a provisional composite as a physical body. It is without substantial existence. Since the body is a composite of the four elements, it is empty in nature. Fundamentally, a substantial self does not exist, so who is the one in pain?
A human being is a provisional appearance. Male and female are also provisional appearances without substantial existence. Sentient beings attach to their bodies as substantially existent and thus their minds give rise to greed, anger, and sexual desire, clouding their original nature and leading them to create unwholesome karma. Why is this so? Because they do not know that the body is a provisional existence. If they knew it was provisional and illusory, then they would not give rise to attachments. Let’s think about it: when we watch television knowing all its images are illusory, do we still attach to what we see as substantial? Because sentient beings do not know the body is illusory without substantial existence, they form attachments to the body. For example, after waking up in the morning, many people brush their hair, put on lipstick, or wear makeup…this is to mistake the provisional and illusory for the substantial and real.
In the past, we have all been misled by the physical body, attaching to the four elements as substantially existent. Now, we must practice meditative contemplation to overcome this attachment. Realize that the body is a provisional composite of the four elements, empty in nature, and not the true self. Not only are our bodies this way, all external things from tables, rocks, tea cups, mountains, rivers, grass, and trees, are also provisional composites of the four elements. Since this is so, they are all dependently arising, provisional appearances without substantial existence. Their essential nature is the empty nature. This is how we should contemplate.
For example, say we see a tree. Its leaves are green, vibrant, and verdant. We like this tree a lot, but through analysis, we understand that this tree is a provisional composite of the four elements. A tree’s leaves, bark, roots, flowers, and fruit are solid and stable; they belong to the element of earth, which pertains to the realm of earth. A tree has sap, which belongs to the element of water and pertains to the realm of water. Trees contain energy that can be ignited with friction. This belongs to the element of fire, which pertains to the realm of fire. Trees also undergo respiration; they release oxygen during the day and Co2 during the night. This belongs to the element of wind, which pertains to the realm of wind. Therefore, a tree must have earth, water, fire, and wind for it to exist. If a problem were to arise with these elements, or they were to disintegrate, the tree would die. For instance, a tree’s bark is considered the element of earth. No matter how big the tree is, if someone were to peel off a circle of bark around its trunk, thus damaging and impeding the element of earth, the tree would have no way to transfer nutrients and die quickly as a result.
By observing these truths, we will understand that trees are provisional composites of earth, water, fire, and wind. They are provisional appearances, provisional existence. Not only are trees like this, but also flowers, grass, and all foliage.
Contemplate dependent arising, overcome illusory attachments.
Sentient beings take composites of the internal four elements to be their bodies, and composites of the external four elements to be real and substantial, which is attaching to provisional existence as true existence. Thus, they have notions of “me” and “mine,” and lose the original mind. This is a type of distortion. If we want to transform these distorted views and attachments, we must practice contemplation in meditation and analyze the truth that all dependent arising is empty in nature. To analyze is to contemplate; contemplate that the internal four elements of the body are empty; the external four elements of the world are also empty; the appearance of monastics is empty; the appearance of laypeople is also empty. The appearances of male and female are empty. Every blade of grass, every single tree, all beings born from wombs, eggs, moisture, or transformation, and all material existence are provisional composites of the four great elements—they are all dependently arising and empty in nature.
Specifically contemplate this truth in meditation. Not just one time, but two times, three times, ten times…from ten times to a hundred times, from a hundred to a thousand, from a thousand to ten thousand. Contemplate over and over again. Repeatedly contemplate this truth, and always keep this very mind present and undistracted. Constantly contemplate this teaching: when our contemplation reaches a certain resonance, this very mind will become subtler and subtler, innate wisdom will manifest, and we can eradicate our afflictions, or even attain a state of samadhi.
With this understanding, we must contemplate the teaching in our daily lives. Follow the Buddhist wisdom of listening to, contemplating, and practicing the Dharma; finally resonating with the truth of emptiness through contemplation is attainment. In the past, when the Buddha gave a teaching, his disciples would use the method of listening, contemplating, and practicing to cultivate the Dharma. By resonating with the Dharma through contemplation, they would instantaneously realize the empty nature and attain the fruit of stream-enterer and the pure Dharma eye. Those with good spiritual capacities could even attain the fruit of arhatship.
In Buddhism, the pure Dharma eye refers to the eye of wisdom seeing the truth without obstruction or doubt. Knowing that all worldly dharmas are dependently arising, empty in nature, illusory and insubstantial, our minds are free of attachment, or at the very least without sexual desire. In this way, the six senses gradually become purified. Also, when we see the beguiling world outside with this contemplative wisdom, our wisdom mind immediately gives rise to the awareness of reflection: no matter what we see, “all appearances are illusory,” their essence in itself is the empty nature. Reflecting like this, we can transform our afflictions right away and cease to be driven by external conditions.
If we do not understand these truths, as soon as this very mind makes contact with external circumstances, it will grasp at them, raising thoughts from day to night, always discriminating and forming attachments: this is good, this is bad, and so on. Once our mind becomes attached to external circumstances, it is very difficult to turn around. So once we understand, we must practice meditative contemplation to overcome our attachments and purify our mind.
Buddhism teaches us to reflect on the truth of fundamental awareness with the wisdom of wakening awareness. The one listening to the Dharma right now and beginning to understand the emptiness of dependent arising is wakening awareness. That is, our awareness begins to awaken; we begin to awaken ourselves to the truth that all dharmas are empty in nature.
In terms of the Hinayana teaching, before seeing the buddha, one must first see the nature of dharmas. Here, the “nature of dharmas” refers to emptiness, or the truth that all dependent arising is empty in nature. Seeing emptiness, one sees the buddha. Upon realizing the empty nature, one’s body and mind reach nirvanic stillness and thus attain liberation. Then how can there be any more afflictions?
Apply the teaching of dependent arising to practice the Bodhisattva Way.
Bodhisattvas, however, see causality differently from shravakas (Hinayana practitioners). While shravakas realize the emptiness of dependent arising, they do not truly understand the nature of provisional existence, but consider the state of emptiness as nirvana and true reality. They grasp at emptiness and abide in this state. Bodhisattvas not only understand emptiness, but also provisional existence. For them, emptiness is not some void apart from provisional existence, rather, it is having no attachments to provisional existence. Because if not for provisional existence, there would be no way to build monasteries and help sentient beings. Consequently, it would be impossible for us to realize the Way. Although we use provisional existence to build monasteries and liberate sentient beings, we must do so without developing attachments to them. Moreover, we must return to nature of the original mind. When this very mind always abides in the stillness of suchness, with the ever-present knowing of awareness, it is the ultimate truth of the middle way, the state of the tathagatha.
An example of using provisional existence is holding a Chan-7 retreat, which is possible only because causes and conditions come together. First, we must have a meditation hall. But without construction workers and carpenters, a meditation hall cannot be built; even if these professionals are available, we still need money to build the hall; in order to raise money, we have to fundraise…these are all causes and conditions. When causes and conditions properly come together, we can readily build a meditation hall. If not, then it would be extremely difficult. From this we can see that building a meditation hall or monastery necessarily involves causes and conditions. We must have all the right causes and conditions, not even one can be missing.
Bodhisattvas understand both worldly dharmas and supra-worldly dharmas are dependently arising. They know the importance of causes and conditions; therefore, they proactively create and develop them. In doing so, they use dependently arising dharmas as expedient means to perform the “work of the buddha.” Then ultimately, they do not abide in these dependently arising dharmas, and their minds form no attachments to them. Thus, they do not become overjoyed in success or raise afflictions in failure. They understand that all things happen on account of causes and conditions coming together.
In Buddhism, we “dedicate merits to the Three Jewels, give credit to other people, but accept and reflect on criticism by ourselves.” If not for Shakyamuni Buddha and the Three Jewels, how would we have a chance to enter monastic life and cultivate the Way? Therefore, we dedicate our merits to the Three Jewels. If not for great masters of the past and sentient beings who support the Dharma, we would have no means to cultivate or build monasteries…all of these are conditions. Although they only exist provisionally, we cannot relinquish these provisional dharmas if we wish to cultivate and spread the Buddhadharma. Therefore, bodhisattva cultivation is to make use of causes and conditions without attaching to them. Buddhism teaches, “When sentient beings rejoice, all buddhas rejoice.” The Bodhisattva Way cannot be separated from provisional appearances and provisional existence—if we relinquish society and other sentient beings, how can we perfect the Buddha Way?
Buddhadharma is here in the world. By understanding this, we can cultivate all wholesome dharmas, while not attaching to them. Although all worldly dharmas are provisional and illusory, that does not prevent us from using the provisional and illusory to cultivate the true and real. We must use all kinds of causes and conditions to reach the goals of benefitting ourselves, other people, and spreading the Buddhadharma. All conditioned dharmas in this world are dependently arising. They are expedient means. Bodhisattvas are ones who wisely and compassionately use, develop, apply, and ultimately do not attach to dependently arising dharmas. They abide in neither emptiness nor existence, but rather in the clear, lucid, and unmoving mind—this very mind that is true reality. If we understand these truths, it is to understand the Buddhadharma of the Supreme Vehicle.