Dependent Arising of Suffering - Chain of Causality with 12 Links

This section presents an overview of the Dependent Arising of Suffering. Complete the readings, video lectures, and meditations below to learn more.

Section 1: Outer & Inner Phenomena

In this section, we explore the 12 Links as (1) the Four Noble Truths and (2) as a non-linear template for understanding experience at microcosmic level of a single action and a single lifetime.

Video: 

Watch Greg’s “Dependent Arising: Outer & Inner Phenomena” (25m) on the downloadable video here or the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch Greg’s “12 Links and Four Noble Truths” (1h8m) on the downloadable video here or the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch Greg’s “Meditation for 12 Links & Four Truths” (14m) on the downloadable video here or the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

Audio: 

• Listen to VDKR’s talk on Interdependence, NSS 2005 (52m) on the Interdependent Origination Playlist (VDKR) 

Section 2: 12 Links Template 

Read description of the Twelve Links in Three Lifetimes and in one action  by Thrangu, (pp. 1–34) The Twelve Links of Interdependent Origination (Time estimate: 60m)

Video: 

• Watch “12 Links Template” (1h25m) on the downloadable video here or the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch “Macrocosmic Applications” (8m) on the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch “Three Lifetimes” (1h27m) on the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

Section 3: The Twelve Links in Personal Terms

Video: 

• Watch “Meditation: Results of Past Life Karma” (10m) on the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch “Meditation: Feeling vs. Craving” (10m) on the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch “Meditation: Craving vs. Ignorance” (14m) on the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch “Meditation for Template: Tracing Back” (20m) on the downloadable video here or the Panopto video here. Or, audio here with slides below.

• Watch this  Lecture Video (1h52m) on ten dense lecture slides using a personal example in the template of 12 links to analyze a recurring painful experience from his life. If you prefer to listen to the audio without the video, you should first read through these slides here which are complex and not included in the cumulative class slides, and then listen to the audio lecture here.

Section 4: Traditional Teachings on Twelve Links 

Reading: 

• Read the English translation of the “Interdependence” Mipham’s Gateway to Knowledge. It is the text that VDKR is teaching from in the following talk and the basis for the Explanation in Thrangu Rinpoche’s teaching. By giving you those two teachings to listen to first, you are now ready for the challenge of reading a real, live Tibetan text in translation, which is usually less user friendly than Thrangu or Kongtrul Rinpoche… but an important hurdle to get over.

Audio: 

• Listen to Interdependence, NSS 2017/talk 5: parts 1 and 2 (2hrs) on the Interdependent Origination Playlist (VDKR) 

Section 5: Traditional teachings on Twelve Links (continued) 

Audio: 

• Listen to Interdependence, NSS 2017/talk 9: parts 1& 2 (2hrs) on the Interdependent Origination Playlist (VDKR) which is based on Mipham’s chapter that was read last class.

• Listen to Interdependence, NSS 2017/talk11  (27m) on the Interdependent Origination Playlist (VDKR)