The Essence of Dependent Origination and Emptiness

Dependent origination and emptiness is observed from the perspective of the emptiness of the Hinayana Dharma, referring to all phenomena produced by the Tathagatagarbha—all conventional dharmas—not from the perspective of the Mahayana Tathagatagarbha. All phenomena in the conventional realm arise due to causes and conditions; their forms and substances are empty, subject to birth and death, decay, impermanence, unobtainable, and ungraspable. This describes the nature of conventional phenomena from the Hinayana perspective. Here, the cause is the source that initiates all phenomena, which can also be said to be the karmic seeds from past actions, including the three types of karma: virtuous, non-virtuous, and neutral. Conditions are the people, things, and environmental factors that facilitate and assist the manifestation of karmic seeds into karmic results. When causes and conditions are complete, the karmic result is realized. Only the seventh consciousness exists without cause or condition; however, the existence of the seventh consciousness does have a cause, which is the single thought of ignorance within the seventh consciousness. If this single thought of ignorance is extinguished, the seventh consciousness will cease to exist. The existence of the seventh consciousness has no condition; it has existed since beginningless kalpas, with no discernible supporting condition for its arising. Therefore, the seventh consciousness has no beginning, and since ignorance has no beginning, it is called beginningless ignorance.

Since all phenomena are dependently originated and empty in nature, and since causes are also empty and subject to birth and death, and conditions are also empty and subject to birth and death, when causes and conditions cease, all phenomena cease. This does not involve the Mahayana Tathagatagarbha Dharma nor address the fact that all these phenomena are produced by the Tathagatagarbha; hence, it is called the emptiness of the Hinayana. If the Tathagatagarbha is not involved, the emptiness of all phenomena fails to reach the fundamental point, making it seem as if phenomena exist and therefore are dependently originated and empty. However, from the Mahayana Tathagatagarbha perspective, all phenomena are the Tathagatagarbha; there are no substantial phenomena. All phenomena are unarisen, hence unceasing, for they are but transformations of the Tathagatagarbha—then what is born and what can be extinguished? Nothing exists outside the Tathagatagarbha.

The emptiness of the Hinayana is an emptiness of decay and destruction, while the emptiness of the Mahayana Tathagatagarbha is the empty nature of the mind, which is neither born nor ceases. The two are fundamentally different and should not be conflated. Dependent origination and emptiness refers to the nothingness of the Hinayana Dharma; it has not yet touched upon the cultivation essence of the Mahayana Tathagatagarbha Dharma. Therefore, dependent origination and emptiness is incomplete, and one must still realize the ultimate meaning and essential nature of all worldly phenomena.

After attaining the fruition of Arhat or Pratyekabuddha, one must then turn to the Mahayana path to cultivate the Tathagatagarbha Dharma. Upon realizing the Tathagatagarbha, one gradually contemplates and practices the five aggregates of worldly phenomena, thereby understanding the relationship between the five aggregates and the Tathagatagarbha, the truth of the birth and cessation of the five aggregates, thoroughly penetrating the essence of the Tathagatagarbha and the substance of the five-aggregate world. Only when ignorance is completely extinguished can one attain Buddhahood. Merely realizing the dependent origination and emptiness of the five-aggregate world is only attaining the emptiness of the Hinayana; it is insufficient for attaining Buddhahood.