Dependent Arising

By Victor M Fontane

Things have no inherent self-nature; arising and ceasing are dependent on conditions. Those who observe see past experiences like clouds gathering and scattering, while those who don't are imprisoned by them. However, in the present moment, cessation is Nirvana.

The finger points to the moon, but the moon is not the finger. Sentient beings cling to names and forms, but the Dharma realm is originally nameless.

If one takes the finger pointing to the sun as the sun itself, or the finger pointing to the star as the star itself, then truth is obscured by names. Without pointing or making, all phenomena are as they are.

The deluded mind of sentient beings forges names and forms into shackles: before being named, it turns freely with the wind; after being named, it binds itself. Society builds a hierarchical tower based on names, yet claims the high tower as its final destination.

Good and evil are like dew, while true nature is like the ocean. Existence itself is the ultimate answer. Even control and bondage are just a game, and all are the sound of the Dharma realm's tide.