The Heart Essence of Interdependent Origination

Interdependence, or dependent origination, is the causal system behind all phenomena. It is the reason for everything – happiness, suffering, birth, death, and future experiences. By understanding how all phenomena arise interdependently, we can cultivate the causes of happiness, eliminate or reduce suffering, and gain insights about the mechanism for consciousness’s experience during the dying process and beyond.

In seven four-line verses, Nagarjuna illuminates the heart essence of dependent origination. While brief, Nagarjuna’s insights into the mechanism of interdependence are extraordinary and complete. By hearing, contemplating and practicing these teachings, we learn how to carry suffering and fear onto the path. As the negativity in our mind and life subsides, love and compassion effortlessly unfold, and what to do at the time of death becomes clear. For those seeking to understand the essence of interdependent origination, this teaching offers invaluable guidance.