Lets use the example of navigating the cycle of grief to illustrate the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination.
1. Ignorance (avijja): The person lacks understanding of the true nature of reality, including the impermanent and subjective nature of all phenomena, including life and death.
2. Mental formations (sankhara): Due to ignorance, the person has formed habitual patterns of clinging and aversion to people, life and situations, leading to attachment and suffering during the grieving process.
3. Consciousness (viññana): The persons consciousness is conditioned by these mental formations, causing them to be unaware of the impermanent and subjective nature of events.
4. Name and form (nama-rupa): The persons body and mind (psychophysical constituents) manifest in a way that is susceptible to feeling emotions such as grief.
5. The six sense bases (salayatana): The persons sense organs (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mind) interact with the external world, leading to grieving reactions and emotions.
6. Contact (phassa): The person encounters situations that trigger the grieving process (e.g., the death of a loved one).
7. Feeling (vedana): The person experiences intense and painful feelings of loss, sadness and despair.
8. Craving (tanha): The person experiences the intense craving to relieve their suffering and to be reunited with the loved one that they have lost.
9. Clinging (upadana): The person clings to the memories of the loved one, and their sense of identity that relates to the relationship that they had with the person or situation.
10. Becoming (bhava): The attachment to the memories, and the sense of identity perpetuates the cycle of grief, leading to anxiety, depression and a sense of “I” that leads to further clinging and suffering.
11. Birth (jati): As a result of this cycle, the person experiences a sense of rebirth, a new reality in which the loved one is no longer present.
12. Old age and death (jara-marana): The impermanent nature of the world in which we live, the emptiness of phenomena, and the subjective nature of events are reinforced by the experience of loss and attachment.
In this example, we can see how the Twelve Nidanas apply to the arising and perpetuation of grief. However, understanding the interdependence of the Twelve Links offers an opportunity to break the cycle of suffering by recognizing the impermanent and subjective nature of all phenomena. Navigating the cycle of grief requires cultivating mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom in order to see through the ignorance and attachment that perpetuate suffering, leading to greater peace and freedom from suffering.

How to break cycle at each point:

Here are a few examples of how one could break the cycle of dependent origination at each point in the context of navigating the cycle of grief:

1. Ignorance (avijja): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by developing an understanding of the impermanent nature of all phenomena. This may involve learning about the Buddhist concept of impermanence (anicca) and reflecting on personal experiences of change and loss.

2. Mental formations (sankhara): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by cultivating awareness of their habitual patterns of clinging and aversion. This may involve developing mindfulness of thoughts and emotions, and recognizing when they are being driven by desires or fears. The person could then work on developing more skillful thought patterns and behaviors that are not driven by attachment or aversion.

3. Consciousness (vijnana): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by developing mindfulness of their perceptions and thoughts. This may involve practicing mindfulness meditation, which can help to reveal the workings of consciousness and increase awareness of how the mind creates its own reality.

4. Name and form (nama-rupa): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by cultivating deeper awareness of the body and mind. This may involve practices like body scan meditation or yoga, which can help to develop awareness of physical sensations and mental states.

5. The six sense bases (salayatana): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by developing mindfulness of their sense organs and how they interact with the world. This may involve practices like mindful breathing, which can help to anchor the awareness in the present moment and reduce reactivity to sensory input.

6. Contact (phassa): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by developing mindfulness of the situations that trigger their grieving reactions. This may involve recognizing the signs of grieving and responding with compassion and patience.

7. Feeling (vedana): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by developing mindfulness of their emotions. This may involve recognizing the impermanent nature of emotions and allowing them to arise and fade away without reacting to them.

8. Craving (tanha): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by recognizing the nature of craving and its connection to suffering. This may involve reflecting on the Four Noble Truths and developing awareness of the source of suffering.

9. Clinging (upadana): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by recognizing the harmful effects of clinging and attachment. This may involve practicing compassion meditation to develop a more open and caring attitude towards oneself and others, and releasing attachment to external forms of comfort.

10. Becoming (bhava): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by recognizing the interconnected nature of all things and the impermanence of all phenomena. This may involve cultivating a sense of equanimity and acceptance, and recognizing that all things are ultimately empty and without inherent self-nature.

11. Birth (jati): To break the cycle at this point, the person could begin by developing a sense of non-self and recognizing that all things arise and cease due to underlying causes and conditions. This may involve reflecting on the Buddhist concept of non-self (anatta) and developing a sense of interconnectedness with all beings.

12. Old age and death (jara-marana): To break the cycle at this point, the person could recognize the inevitability and impermanence of aging and death. This may involve reflecting on mortality and the importance of living in the present moment, with gratitude and compassion for oneself and others.