Facing Reality and Embracing Truth with the Twelve Nidanas of Dependent Origination

Lets use the example of Denial to illustrate the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination.
1. Ignorance (avijja): The person lacks understanding of the true nature of reality, including the transitory nature of phenomena and the mechanisms of their denial.
2. Mental formations (sankhara): Due to ignorance, the person has formed habitual patterns of denying their emotions, thoughts, or behavior.
3. Consciousness (viññana): The persons consciousness is conditioned by these mental formations, making them prone to denial.
4. Name and form (nama-rupa): The persons body and mind manifest in a way that is susceptible to denial.
5. The six sense bases (salayatana): The persons sense organs (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mind) interact with the external world.
6. Contact (phassa): The person encounters a situation or stimulus that triggers their need for denial.
7. Feeling (vedana): The person experiences anxiety, discomfort, or other unpleasant feelings when confronted with their issue or situation.
8. Craving (tanha): The person develops a craving to avoid or escape their feelings, which leads to denial.
9. Clinging (upadana): The persons attachment or identification with their avoidance, and denial intensifies.
10. Becoming (bhava): This clinging to the habit of denial reinforces the persons mental formations and karmic tendencies.
11. Birth (jati): The persons denial manifests in a form of distorted perception of their reality, avoiding or escaping the issue, further entangling them in samsara.
12. Old age and death (jara-marana): Unaddressed denial can lead to physical, mental, and emotional suffering and perpetuate negative consequences in future situations or even future lives.
In this example, we see how the Twelve Nidanas can relate to the arising and perpetuation of the habit of denial. By understanding the dependent origination of denial and recognizing the interdependence of the Twelve Links, a person can cultivate self-awareness and work towards breaking the cycle of denial, ultimately leading to greater acceptance and freedom from suffering.

How to break cycle at each point:

Certainly! Here is an overview of how one could break the cycle of dependent origination at each point in the context of denial:

1. Ignorance (avijja): The first step in breaking the cycle of denial is to acknowledge that one is in denial and gain a deeper understanding of the true nature of the situation. This involves developing self-awareness and increasing ones knowledge and understanding of the issue at hand.

2. Mental formations (sankhara): To break the cycle of mental formations that lead to denial, one can cultivate the habit of facing difficult situations and emotions rather than avoiding or minimizing them. This can involve seeking support from others or practicing self-reflection and introspection to identify patterns of denial.

3. Consciousness (viññana): Developing mindfulness and awareness of ones thoughts and emotions can help interrupt the conditioned patterns of consciousness that lead to denial. Practicing meditation and other mindfulness techniques can develop the ability to observe ones thoughts and emotions without reacting to them, creating space for greater understanding and insight.

4. Name and form (nama-rupa): In the context of denial, breaking the cycle at this point involves recognizing the ways in which the mind and body are conditioned to react to certain stimuli with denial. Developing greater self-awareness can help to disidentify from this conditioning and work towards changing it.

5. The six sense bases (salayatana): To break the cycle of denial at this point, its important to develop a healthy relationship with perception and sensory experience. This involves practicing awareness of ones senses, cultivating the ability to observe without reacting, and developing skills to work with difficult emotions or sensations.

6. Contact (phassa): Addressing denial at this point involves recognizing and accepting the realities of the situation, rather than avoiding or denying them. This can involve seeking support, gathering information, or taking other actions to face the problem.

7. Feeling (vedana): To break the cycle of denial at this point, its important to practice being present with difficult emotions and sensations rather than avoiding or denying them. This can involve developing self-compassion, seeking support from others, or working with a therapist or counselor.

8. Craving (tanha): To break the cycle of craving that leads to denial, its important to cultivate a healthy relationship with uncomfortable emotions and sensations. This involves developing the ability to observe them without reacting or seeking to escape them.

9. Clinging (upadana): Addressing clinging to denial involves developing greater self-awareness of the patterns of denial and working towards changing them. This may involve seeking support or taking specific actions to address the situation.

10. Becoming (bhava): To break the cycle of becoming that results from clinging, its important to work towards acceptance of the situation and taking actions to address it rather than continuing to deny or avoid.

11. Birth (jati): Breaking the cycle of birth at this point involves recognizing the ways in which denial has shaped ones perception of reality and working towards greater acceptance and understanding of the situation.

12. Old age and death (jara-marana): Addressing denial at this point involves working to address the root causes of the issue, reducing the potential for ongoing suffering in future situations.

In conclusion, breaking the cycle of denial involves cultivating self-awareness, practicing mindfulness and other techniques for observing ones thoughts and emotions, and working towards greater acceptance and understanding of the situation. By breaking the cycle of denial, one can reduce suffering and achieve greater freedom and peace of mind.

Conclusion

Submit A Comment