Gil Fronsdal returns to the BHNN Guest Podcast for a dharma talk centered on dependent origination and its connection to emptiness, suffering, and the notion of self.
Dependent Origination and Emptiness
Gil invites us all to step through the dharma door of dependent origination. He talks about the connection between dependent origination and emptiness.
“One of the things about being empty is that it allows for new possibilities. So, how do we get empty to make space for something to happen? What’s the value of being empty? And what are the problems of not being empty?” – Gil Fronsdal
Ram Dass explores the emptiness of compassion on Here and Now Ep. 163
The Principle of Dependent Origination (17:30)
Gil explains how the Buddhist teachings on dependent origination are connected to the teachings on suffering and the Four Noble Truths. He covers the principle of dependent origination, and talks about how it can lead to freedom once we understand how it applies to suffering. If we want to find the path of liberation, we must first look at our contributions to our own suffering.
“If you cling, you will suffer. If you let go of that clinging, the suffering stops.” – Gil Fronsdal
Clinging to the Notion of Self (32:00)
Gil talks about how heavily people cling to the notion of self. He explores how dependent origination is good news from the Buddhist point of view, as it can help us be more mindful of the conditions that cause suffering. Gil ends by asking us to consider this teaching not abstractly but in the immediacy of the present moment.
“If you’re involved in an activity of the mind that clings to self, to ‘me, myself, and mine,’ you will suffer. If you can have a self-identity without acting on it and living it and holding on to it, you probably won’t suffer.” – Gil Fronsdal
Images via MJgraphics and @kramyninasvetlana