Xuan Zang (玄奘) was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who traveled to Nalanda Monastery (a renown Buddhist University) in the seventh century. He took part in a religious debate here and demonstrated his knowledge of many Buddhist schools. “Mahayana” Buddhism was very popular there. Before arriving at Nalanda, Xuan Zang also met many non-Mahayana monks, including Prajnakara (般若羯羅 or 慧性), a monk with whom Xuan Zang studied early Buddhist scriptures. He acquired the important text of the Mahāvibhāṣa (大毗婆沙論) from Prajnakara, which he later translated into Chinese.
According to Xuan Zang, the main difference between “Mahayana” and non-Mahayana Buddhism is: “Mahayana” think that the world and also human perception of the world are all illusions (色即是空 空即是色 受想行识 亦复如是), whereas non-Mahayana follow the early Buddhist scriptures that the world material (rupa) are real but human perception (nama) of the world is an illusion. Namarupa (名相) is sometimes translated as mentality-materiality.
Illusions are impermanent. Impermanence is suffering. Each of us owns something, but losing them later is a certainty. Birth, ageing, sickness, death, association with the disliked, separation from the beloved ones, and not getting what one wants are the seven types of suffering. One will not perceive it as suffering if he realizes that he owns nothing, therefore is incapable of losing anything. The common perception of owning something is an illusion, although that something is real. This real thing is also impermanent; therefore, it is not wrong to consider it as an illusion. The body and mind are impermanent, therefore not fit to be considered as “I, mine, or myself”. In fact, everything is empty of a self. Everything arises due to conditions, and everything ceases when the conditions disappear. Everything is like a shadow of another “object”; that “object” is simply the shadow of another. Everything and everyone is helpless, having no freewill to walk or rest as he wants. The perception of having freewill is an illusion. A person’s body is made up of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind; no different from every “shit” in the world. It doesn’t fit to be considered as “I, mine, or myself”. It is an ego to think that you and I are superior or inferior to anything in the world. Everyone is as helpless as a H2O molecule in the river, being pushed around. Therefore, we should forgive everyone and show compassion for his helplessness. Changing of the world is beyond the control of anything and anyone. The Buddha taught us to contemplate the Three Marks of Existence: suffering, impermanence, and non-self. This is another way which can lead to cessation of suffering.
Dependent Origination is the Buddha’s teaching on how personal phenomena arises within the environment of anicca, impermanence. The entirety of the Dharma is to bring understanding of Four Noble Truths. It is within the context of Four Noble Truths that understanding of Dependent Origination develops. Understanding Dependent Origination brings awareness of the relationship between the Five Clinging-Aggregates and the impermanent phenomenal world.
The Five Clinging-Aggregates are physical and mental factors that through individual intentional clinging a personality is formed. This self-created ego-personality perceives that it is a permanent, substantial, and sustainable self. Once formed the ego-self tenaciously insists on establishing it’s “self” in every object, event, view, and idea that occurs.
Dependent Origination directly shows the 12 causative links that determine the experiences of a self-referential ego-personality. In the Paticca-Samuppada-Vibhanga Sutta, the Buddha presents the 12 causative links of Dependent Origination. Each of these 12 links are required, or “dependent” on the prior condition in order to give rise to a “self” that will experience dukkha. Rooted in ignorance, (of Four Noble Truths) it is through a continued confused and deluded “wrong view” that “anatta” continues to establish itself in every object, event, view, or idea that occurs. This is known as continued “I-making,” or simply, conceit.
Suffering is not the fault of oneself, not the fault of another, not the fault of both oneself and another, not the fault of neither oneself nor another. Reality is what it is. The Right View is to see reality as it is instead of wishing reality to be what one wants to see. Nobody has freewill, because nobody can stay calm under any circumstances. Only an Arahant has freewill.
RESILIENT KID 