DHARMA TEACHINGS

Question and Answer with Sidney Piburn and a Snow Lion Customer

Dear Snow Lion,
On page 192 of Dzogchen: Heart Essence of the Great Perfection, it states that appearances dispel the extreme of existence and emptiness expels the extreme of non-existence. A customer questioned this and wouldn't believe me when I explained it. Do you have a Prasangika source that explains this twist on the usual presentation?

Dear Reader,
Yes. In addition to hearing the Dalai Lama present this view or twist orally on many occasions, his presentation of this view can be found a number of times in Kindness, Clarity, and Insight (pages 77, 154, and 164 for example - see below - as well as many places in his other books).

The general argument goes: Emptiness (understood as the meaning of dependent arising) is the mode of existence of objects. Therefore objects are able to exist because of their emptiness (eliminating the extreme of nihilism). Emptiness makes the existence of phenomena and change possible. On the other hand. Because objects can only exist dependently, the very fact of their existence dispels the extreme of eternalism.

The Dalai Lama really likes this presentation. The other way assumes inherent existence of both phenomena and emptiness - sees them as things contradicting each other, as mutually exclusive - rather than seeing appearance and reality as compatible - as two sides of the same coin - as the union of the two truths.

Kindness, Clarity and Insight

p. 77
"When you have become familiar with the reasoning of dependent-arising, the mere fact that something exists is sufficient reason for its being empty of inherent existence. However, since in most systems the fact that something exists is taken to indicate that it exists from its own side and is not empty of inherent existence, we use the reasoning of dependent-arising, reflecting on its implications."

p. 154
"When, from within the sphere of emptiness, cause and effect appear in dependence upon emptiness in the sense that dependent-arisings are feasible because of emptiness, it is as if the dependent-arisings of causes and effects appear from or are produced from emptiness. When in dependence upon emptiness you understand the feasibility of dependent-arising, you are released from the two extremes.

Thus, the understanding of emptiness itself helps you to avoid the extreme of non-existence. Also, when you understand that dependence upon causes and conditions, parts, or a designating consciousness contradicts inherent existence, that very understanding of dependent-arising will help you to avoid the extreme of over-reification of existence. Once the meaning of emptiness appears as dependent-arising such that what is just empty of inherent existence appears as cause and effect, it is impossible for the mind to be captivated by an extreme view reifying what does not exist or deprecating what does exist."

p. 164
"When the meaning of the emptiness of inherent existence appears in the context of dependent-arising, the extreme of utter non-existence is avoided. When dependent-arising is understood as the reason why something is empty of inherent existence, the extreme of the reification of existence is avoided. To ascertain the view of the middle way, it is necessary to be free from these two extremes of utter non-existence and reification of existence into inherent existence".