Vipassana
Literally meaning "insight" or "direct perception," vipassana refers to one of the two major forms of Buddhist-inspired meditation, or bhavana. The aim of vipassana is the development of insight into the nature of perceived reality through full awareness of the mind and body. It assumes the practitioner has learned the practice of samadhi, or calming meditation. In Theravada practice it is approached through regimented meditative practices. In Mahayana Buddhism it indicates analytical study of phenomena, which should give understanding of the nature of the world, its emptiness (sunyata).
Theravada teachers traditionally teach vipas-sana techniques during seven-week retreats, often at monasteries. These today are offered in shorter one- to two-week sessions. A large portion of the time is often spent in total silence, with the object of focusing attention on sensations, impressions, and the internal. Through painstaking self-observation of internal phenomena the practitioner becomes aware of the links between the outside world and mental phenomena.
Vipassana International Academy
The Vipassana International Academy in India is the central structure of the association of centers that teach vipassana meditation in the tradition of Satya Narayan Goenka. Of Indian heritage, Goenka was nevertheless born (1924) and raised in Burma (Myanmar). As a young man he met the Burmese meditation master U Ba Khin (18991971), founder of the International Meditation Centre, with whom he studied for 14 years. Goenka then moved to India and in 1969 and began teaching vipassana.
Over several years he worked toward establishing a permanent center for teaching and in the mid-1970s land was purchased at Igatpuri, Maharashtra, not far from Mumbai. As the site was developed, he named it Dhamma Giri (or Mountain of Dhamma). The first classes were held at the Vapassana International Academy, the initial facility at Dharma Giri, in December 1976. By the end of the century, upward of 20,000 people a year were taking courses at the academy. In 1982 Goenka began to appoint assistant teachers to assist him in his work. in 1985, he founded the Vipassana Research Institute, also located at Dhamma Giri. The institute conducts research into vipassana meditation and translates Buddhist literature, especially works from Pali, and publishes a variety of books and other literature.
As people visited the academy, vipassana centers associated with it have emerged throughout southern and Southeast Asia and in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and Nepal. Currently, there are approximately 50 centers affiliated with the academy.
Virya
Virya, "strength" or "zeal," describes the power and effort needed to transform impure events or tendencies into positive ones. Rather than physical strength, it refers to the strength of character required for sustained effort. Virya is key in any cultivation path such as Buddhism. Virya is one of the eight parts of the Eightfold Path and one of the five (or 10) paramitas, or perfections.
Wang Bi (Wang Pi)
(226-249 c.e.) Chinese philosopher and commentator on the Daoist classics
Wang made his contributions to Chinese thought primarily through his commentaries to the Daodejing and the Yijing (Book Of Changes), both of which remain authoritative to this day. In his commentary to the Daodejing, Wang views Dao as equivalent to the primordial source of all things. This source (wu, "nonbeing" or "nothing") is the ground from which Being (you) arises. Language, however, can only describe actual things, not their source. Hence, wu cannot be truly named but must remain "nameless," the "origin of the ten-thousand thing" (Daodejing, 1). As Wang comments, "The ultimate of the truly real cannot be named. ‘Nameless’ is indeed its name." This decidedly ontological interpretation of the Daodejing has had tremendous influence on Chinese philosophy, becoming the basic metaphysical scheme taken up by Chinese Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism. Wang also was one of the first thinkers to interpret the Yijing as a book of "wisdom" rather than just a divination manual, opening that work to much deeper philosophical exploration. In addition, he also left behind a partial commentary to the Analects entitled Resolving Uncertainties in the Analects (Lunyu shiyi) that uncovered important philosophical depths to the work that had been previously overlooked.
Wang Bi holds a curious place in Chinese history. He is generally considered the first truly onto-logical thinker, that is, a person self-consciously focused on understanding issues of "being" and "nonbeing." He also had a reputation as something of an enfant terrible—a reputation fueled by his alleged egotism and undeniable brilliance. He is one of the main representatives of xuanxue ("mysterious/dark learning"), the more or less philosophical side of the post-Han intellectual movement known as "Neo-Daoism." Wang Bi traveled in the highest intellectual circles of his day, impressing his elders with his insights and understanding. He died of an unknown illness at the young age of 24.
There is little doubt that Wang Bi ranks among the most important of China’s many philosophers. Wang Bi, as did other thinkers who were part of the xuanxue movement, sought the deeper meaning of Daoist texts such as the Daodejing and the Yijing. He also imprinted himself on Chinese history, leaving several anecdotes concerning his "Dao" much like those of other noted personalities (e.g. Laozi, Zhuangzi).
Wang Changyue (Wang Ch’ang-yueh)
(d.1680) Daoist monk and abbot of the Baiyun Monastery
Wang Changyue was responsible for the renewal of Quanzhen Daoism, and especially the Long-men school, in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Wang decided to seek the Dao—in other words, embark on a spiritual journey—in the final days of the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty. According to legend Wang met the Quanzhen Dao ordination master Zhao Zhensong and was accepted by him as a disciple. However, Zhao refused to transmit the true teachings. They separately wandered an additional 10 more years. When they met again, in 1628, on Mt. Jiugong in Hubei, Zhiao relented and agreed to transmit the liturgy to Wang.
In 1655, after the military triumph of the Man-chu forces over the Ming, Wang settled in Beijing. The fighting had emptied the Baiyun Guan, the major Quanzhen temple in Beijing, except for one caretaker. He invited Wang Changyue to live there. Wang then set about building an organization. Importantly, he established an ordination process for Quanzhen monks.
Wang was able to promote Longmen Daoism because he imposed a strict discipline on followers that was in accord with the ruling Qing dynasty’s wishes. The Qing’s Manchu rulers in general looked on Daoism with suspicion, largely because they suspected it served as a conduit for people dissatisfied with the advent of their new dynasty. Wang lessened their concerns by imposing strict monastic guidelines. He also put a renewed emphasis on the Southern traditions of inner alchemy. Under Wang Changyue’s leadership Longmen set up a presence in many traditional Daoist centers throughout China, including West Mountain (Xishan) in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, and Mt. Wudang in Shanxi.
Wang Chongyang (Yangqun, Wang Zhe, Wang Ch’ung-yang)
(1112-1170) founder of Quanzhen Daoism
Wang Chongyang is one of the great synthesizers in Chinese religious history. He mixed Daoist, Buddhist, and Neo-Confucianism concepts into a powerful school, Quanzhen Daoism. As were many Daoists, Wang was originally a member of the literati during the Jin dynasty (1115-1234). This was a period of sudden political dislocation, with the passing of the Song (960-1279) dynasty and the advent of a new dynasty ruled by foreigners. Wang had retired to a solitary life in the mountains, when he had several meetings with such immortals as Lu Dongbin. Impelled to start a tradition of teaching, he developed a syncretic mixture of practices and morality well suited to the times.
Wang’s Quanzhen, or Complete Perfection, sect put greatest emphasis on self-cultivation and less emphasis on intricate visualization exercises, elaborate rituals, or talismanic magic. The particular goal was to refine the body’s energies through the practices of inner alchemy (neidan.) Wang called his meditative practice jing zuo, "quiet sitting," a term probably borrowed from Chan Buddhism. He also borrowed an emphasis on the Confucian virtue of filial piety and ascetic practices. in particular Wang taught abstention from sex, alcohol, and strong vegetables (called the wu xin). He and his disciples lived a rustic lifestyle.
When he died in 1127 there were around 15 followers. The subsequent growth in the Quenzhen sect of Daoism was managed by his successors.
Wang Yangming (Wang Shouren)
(14721529) action-oriented Chinese philosopher
A well-known scholar, official, and historical figure in Chinese history, Wang Yangming was also a religious innovator. Under his leadership Neo-Confucianism was transformed into a large-scale religious movement, something that in its mass appeal appears quite modern to us. Although the philosophical system of Zhu Xi (1130-1200) became state orthodoxy, it was challenged in some quarters during the Ming dynasty (13681644). Throughout the Ming, Chinese society was becoming more complex; literacy was spreading, commercial activity was on the rise, and there was tremendous growth in international trade and craft specialization. The new problem that dominated intellectual circles was how one could be engaged in this complex world yet achieve the self-integration of a sage. The answer was supplied by an extraordinary teacher named Wang Shouren (later dubbed Yangming—"bright clarity"—by his disciples). Wang directly challenged Zhu’s metaphysics and ideas on cultivation, sparking much debate among those who followed. His philosophical "protest" to the state institutionalization of Zhu’s ideas left the way open for more individualistic, mystical approaches to life.
Wang himself led a very colorful life. After attaining his jinshi degree, the highest scholarly attainment, he held many official posts over his career, including that of general. It seems that he ran afoul of the throne, however, and was publicly flogged before being banished to the southwestern frontier. According to later accounts, it was while in exile that he had an intuitive awakening after failing to realize the principle of bamboo according to Zhu Xi’s method of "investigating things." Wang recognized the intuitive moral knowledge residing within each person—an idea directly contrary to Zhu Xi’s insistence that principle is realized through careful, rational investigation entailing years of study. For Wang principle exists in each person’s mind. We need only clear away the obstructions (e.g., selfishness, material desires) to let this inborn knowledge rise to the surface.
Wang’s teachings became the basis of a new school of Confucianism called the "New Learning of the Mind-Heart" (xinfa). His primary focus was on the original unity of the mind-heart with heaven, earth, and all things. Wang held that there exists a natural empathy within us, an "innate knowing" (liangzhi). There is no need to study principles as if they exist "outside" the mind. Instead, one should start from the basic, ontological unity and expand on it through moral self-cultivation. As Wang notes, "The original substance of the mind is nothing other than the heavenly principle . . . It is your True Self. This True Self is the master of your physical body. With it, one lives, without it, one dies." Here he is clearly using Daoist and Buddhist terms yet giving them a Confucian "spin."
Wang’s philosophy has a strongly activist bent. Wang saw it as the basis for moral action and disliked the practice of "quiet sitting" (jing zuo), a form of meditation advocated by many teachings such as Neo-Confucianism and Quanzhen Daoism. Moral action is just the natural extension of one’s innate knowing. For example, filial piety (xiao) is part of human nature but one may only be said truly to know it by observing it in one’s own life and actions. For Wang, moral principles are innate; sagehood is thus open to all. He even speaks in places of the "streets filled with sages." Sagely cultivation is not just the special province of the elite. We all can (and should) cultivate our moral nature in our daily affairs, not as an endeavor detached from real life. Wang’s own writings show this practical focus and he had specific recommendations for local schooling, community organizations, and common defense.
Overall Wang Yangming was a very dynamic, charismatic personality. His was a truly popular movement open (at least in theory) to far greater social participation than Zhu Xi’s school. Wang and his school exerted tremendous influence on Ming society, and his followers extended his views into new areas. Some even turned to Daoism and Buddhism while others questioned the traditional hierarchy of Chinese society.
War and violence
The injunction against killing is one of the first precepts, a vow taken by all monks as well as lay Buddhists. In the Brahma Net Sutra the individual is forbidden to participate in war or rebellion, or to possess weapons or even observe fighting. Yet Buddhism has in many times and situations been reinterpreted to allow killing. King Duttha-Gamani of Sri Lanka used a Buddha image to lead troops into battle. In China Fa Zang led 50,000 troops into battle in 515 c.e., saying each soldier who killed an enemy would become a bodhisattva. And monks from the Shaolin Temple helped the Tang dynasty founder gain power. in the Ming dynasty monks from another Shaolin temple, this one in Fujian, fought against Japanese pirates with their faces painted blue. Fighting monks were even more common in Japan and Korea.
What justifications from the Buddhist sutras can be found for involvement in fighting? The French scholar Paul Demieville has pointed out that the Mahayana Buddhism version of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra tells how the Buddha, in a previous life, was forced to kill Brahmins in order to protect Buddhism and, ironically, to protect the Brahmins from the damnation that harming Buddhism would incur. Protecting the Dharma at all costs was justified, even if it meant opposing the precepts. Here is very powerful justification for involvement in violence.
Another rationalization for violence is to save other lives. The great Yogacara Buddhism scholar Asanga noted in the Yogacarabhumi that a bod-hisattva who killed in order to prevent further killing would gain merit if he had a mind of compassion (karuna) while performing the act. Again, there is a story from the Jnanottara-bodhisattva-pariprccha Sutra of the Buddha’s killing a bandit in order to save the lives of 500 merchants.
A final argument, as listed by Demieville, was metaphysical. Since in orthodox Buddhist philosophy the individual had no actual "soul," there was no true loss when someone was killed. one passage in the Ratnakuta Sutra describes how the bodhisattva Manjusri pretends to stick a sword into the Buddha. The Buddha then approves, saying this shows that Manjusri understands there is no substance or reality to the Buddha; there is neither sin nor sinner.
These arguments help explain the support of some modern Buddhists and associations for warfare in certain cases.
Wat
The wat, the name used for a monastic complex, is the central institution in Thai and Laotian traditional culture and continues to serve as the symbolic center of most communities. As Buddhism spread into Thailand and the surrounding countries, the monastery became the place where social life and village activities were concentrated.
Here holy days and secular celebrations would occur and young boys would go through some of their manhood ceremonies.
Monasteries typically have a hall in which ceremonies are performed and living quarters for the monks. There may also be a stupa for relics, a bell tower, a library, a preaching hall, and/or a crematorium. Many wats have a school for children and youth and increasingly in the modern world a room for literature distribution. The wat’s community is headed by an abbot. in Thailand, there are two distinct types of wats, the royal wats supported by public funds, and the community wats supported by private funds. The many wats of the Thai Forest Meditation Tradition are community wats. Of Thailand’s more than 28,000 wats, less than 2 percent are royal wats; however, among these are most of the large, more artistically notable, and famous ones.
On the average about a dozen men (monks and novices) reside at the monastery, along with some young boys who might live there while attending school. Almost all young males live for a short time at a wat, as a symbolic joining of the sangha is part of the recognition of their coming of age.
Watts, Alan Wilson
(1915-1973) American writer on Buddhism and Zen
Watts, a major spokesperson for Zen Buddhism in the 1950s and 1960s, was born in England. As a young man he found his way to the Buddhist Society in England, where he was introduced to Zen Buddhism by the society’s president, Christmas Humphreys, and the writings of Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki. He was but 19 years old when he wrote his first book, The Spirit of Zen (1935).
He moved to the United States in 1938 and shortly thereafter married Eleanor Everett, the daughter of Ruth Fuller Everett (who as Ruth Fuller Everett Sasaki would later have an outstanding career as a Buddhist leader). As World War II progressed, Watts entered Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and upon completion of his coursework in 1945 was ordained in the Episcopal Church.
In 1951 he moved to San Francisco as an instructor at the American Academy of Asian Studies. While there he encountered the founders of the "Beat" movement, many of whom, such as the poet Gary Snyder, were identifying with Beat Zen Buddhism. He also became one of the pioneers of the psychedelic culture being advocated by Timothy Leary (1920-96) and Richard Alpert (1931- ) (later known as Baba Ram Dass).
Watt’s wide-ranging interest in Eastern religion, mood-altering drugs, and counterculture themes became the focus of a series of books beginning with The Wisdom of Insecurity (1951), which made him one of the most popular spokespersons in the cause of developing a new American spirituality apart from traditional Christianity. Always at the core of his writings, however, was his appropriation of Zen, most clearly presented in his The Spirit of Zen (1958) and The Way of Zen (1968). Shortly before his death he issued his autobiography, In My Own Way (1973).
Watts’s work has been carried on by the Society for Comparative Psychology.
Wesak (Vesak)
In early, if extracanonical, accounts of Sakyamuni Buddha, his birthday, the day of his enlightenment, and his parinirvana (death) are all said to have occurred on the same day, the night of the full moon of Vaisakha, the second month of the Hindu calendar (usually in May of the Western calendar). Traditionally, Wesak was primarily an event remembered by Theravada Buddhists and its celebration became the most important festival of their year. it was a time to remember the birth and death of Buddha, but eventually the celebration of his enlightenment moved to the fore. In the 20th century it became a favorite celebration within most Buddhist traditions, especially in the West.
The celebration of Wesak includes both a formal and an informal aspect. The formal part usually includes a procession by the monks, the presentation of an offering, and the chanting of sutras. In more recent times, the ceremony often includes a talk on some aspect of the dhamma (Dharma) and the bathing of a statue of the Buddha. in the evening of the full moon, a Vaisakha Puja (sacramental offering) celebrates the Buddha’s birth.
The informal part of Wesak allows lay believers to take the lead and may include events over several days. Celebrations include liberal amounts of food and drink, artistic and cultural performances, and possibly academic discussions of Buddhist history and theology. This more informal part usually begins immediately after the more formal rituals.
As Buddhism has taken its place within the world’s religious community and as many Buddhists have moved from predominantly Buddhist lands to settings around the world, Wesak has taken on new functions as a platform for interaction between Buddhists of different sects and ethnic groups and a showcase for dialogue between Buddhists and their non-Buddhist neighbors. These functions have become very important in the West, where Buddhists often exist as a beleaguered minority. In 1998, Wesak was accepted as the official Buddhist holiday by the united Nations.
In Korea, Wesak is known as the Festival of the Lanterns. Along with the normal rituals conducted at Buddhist temples, paper lanterns, decorated with Buddhist symbols and inscribed with wishes for a long life, are hung in the temple courtyards and are featured in parades through the street. The festival was designated as a Korean national holiday in 1975.
Through the 20th century, Western esoteric groups—part of a complex tradition including such practices as occultism, spiritualism, and Rosicrucianism—made an interesting appropriation of Wesak. The Theosophical teacher Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949) proposed that those associated with the Arcane School she founded celebrate three holidays she saw as particularly relevant to the quest for spiritual enlightenment—Easter (full moon in April), the Day of Goodwill (full moon in June), and Wesak (full moon in May). In the 1970s, Bailey’s thought became an important aspect of the New Age movement, and the celebration of Wesak and a ceremonial occasion spread beyond the Arcane School and the several groups that had originated from it.
Wheel of Life
The Wheel of Life is a symbolic illustration of numerous aspects of the Buddhist worldview: reincarnation in the six realms; imprisonment in cyclic existence as a result of ignorance, attachment, and hatred; and responsibility for our own situation,among other things. Although there are many Bud-dhas and gods, no creator god who is responsible for existence is asserted. instead, we are what our own minds have created. Ethical behavior does yield happiness, and wisdom will conquer ignorance. For humans, nirvana is always a possibility.
It is said that the Wheel of Life painting was designed by the Buddha Sakyamuni himself to display his essential teachings in a single illustration. Legend has it that a royal acquaintance of the Buddha, King Bimbisara of Magadha, once received a jeweled gift from another ruler, King udayana. Not having a fabulous gift to present in return, Bimbisara asked the Buddha for advice. The Buddha described this didactic painting to Bimbisara’s court painter. The following stanza is one of those that traditionally accompany it:
Undertaking this and leaving that,Enter into the teaching of the Buddha.Like an elephant in a thatched house,Destroy the forces of the Lord of Death.
It is said that Bimbisara attained nirvana upon seeing it, and it is no wonder that the picture has remained popular even to the present day, gracing the entryways and courtyards of many Buddhist establishments. The Wheel of Life is especially popular in Tibet. its many vivid details combine to present an eloquent and easily understandable view of our universe—the Desire Realm— according to the Buddha.
All the various versions of the painting vividly depict Yama, the king of death and impermanence, clutching a round mirror in his teeth and claws. Reflected in the mirror are 24 aspects of the Desire Realm. Moving outward from the center, these are the three poisons, the two paths of virtue and nonvirtue, the six realms of rebirth in cyclic existence (along with the form and formless realms, not depicted here), and the 12 links of dependent origination. Above Death’s left shoulder stands the Buddha, pointing across the painting to the moon, representing the passing beyond suffering of NIRVANA.
THE THREE POISONS
The Buddhist worldview presents a stark picture of individual responsibility. As the Wheel of Life painting points out, all of the many pleasant and unpleasant events that occur in our lives— including death and rebirth—are the results of our own actions, be they virtuous, nonvirtuous, or neutral. These actions are motivated by the three poisons, of ignorance, desire, and hatred. These three are represented within the central section of the painting by a pig, a rooster, and a snake, respectively.
Looking more closely at these three symbolic animals, we see that they are linked, tails to mouths. This represents their psychological interdependence. The root of karmic actions, ignorance, arises as a precursor to desire and hatred.
THE PATHS OF VIRTUE AND NONVIRTUE
Even under the sway of ignorance, we are not solely nonvirtuous in our actions. Since begin-ningless time, we have inevitably committed physical, verbal, and mental nonvirtues. Nevertheless, there have also been times when we have acted virtuously, thinking of the well-being of others. These two paths of activity, the virtuous and the nonvirtuous, are represented surrounding the innermost circle of the three poisons. on the dark right side we see those who persist in nonvir-tue being pulled down into suffering by demons. on the bright left side those who have forsworn nonvirtue are elevated into the happier realms through the excellent advice of spiritual friends. These fortunate beings have discovered the path to happiness by abandoning killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive talk, harsh speech, senseless chatter, covetousness, harmful intent, and wrong views.
THE SIX REALMS OF REBIRTH
According to the teachings of the Buddha, a person’s body ends at death, but not the continuum of consciousness. instead, impelled by actions motivated by ignorance (karma), a person powerlessly takes another birth somewhere in one of the six realms of existence: the realms of gods, the jealous gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, or hell beings. Much of the Wheel of Life painting is concerned with depicting these realms. Notice that the figure of a Buddha is present in each of the realms, indicating that there is no place in the universe that is abandoned by these enlightened beings.
The Wheel of Life, showing the six births, clockwise from top: gods, jealous gods (firing arrows at the gods), animals, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and humans. Thangka (mineral paints on cotton), kept in the Burat Historical Museum.
The realm of the gods is by far the most glorious. Because of their good karma, the gods live long, pleasure-filled lives. They live in fabulous mansions, their bodies shine from within, and they are adorned with garlands of flowers. Nevertheless, although they are gods, they too are mortal. In the days before they die, they see clearly that they have exhausted their good karma and are destined to be reborn in a lower realm. Their flower garlands wilt, their bodies begin to stink, and the suffering of their final days is terrible.
Next to the god realms are the abodes of the jealous gods. As can be seen in the illustration, in the jealous god realm there grows a tree. The fruit of this tree always falls into the god realms, depriving the jealous gods (asuras) of its beneficial effects. In their jealousy they wage war on the gods, but they are always defeated. They too fall into the lower realms after their death.
The human realm, in the upper left of the circular mirror, depicts our own world. Although we humans must endure the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death, as well as not getting what we want and getting what we do not want, ours is the best realm for religious practice. Humans are smart, logical, and capable of understanding fully the teachings of the Buddha. it is often said that a human physical support is required for the attainment of nirvana.
The animal realm is the only other realm we humans can observe. There are animals on and under the land as well as in the sea. Animals are plagued by a lack of intelligence, by being food for other creatures, and by enslavement to humans, among other problems. Their lives are generally short.
The preta, hungry ghosts, are shown below the human realm. Their lot is to be continually deprived of food and drink. They have large bellies but minuscule mouths. Even on the rare occasions when they find food, they cannot ingest it. Their throats are too small to pass nutriment, and morsels of food catch fire in their mouths. Their environment is barren, hot, and sandy.
Although the hungry ghosts endure terrible suffering, the suffering of the hell realms is far worse. Asanga’s Levels of Yogic Deeds describes eight great hells and a number of neighboring hells. One hell is called the Howling Hell. There, beings who search for shelter are herded into an iron house, where they are incinerated by blazing fires. Death does not occur until the force of nonvirtue has been spent. Hence, it is possible to suffer in the hells for a billion years before release, and even then one might take rebirth in an adjoining hell, such as the Pit of Embers. Still, the sufferings of the hells are impermanent, just as are the causes of rebirth in them.
THE 12 LINKS OF CODEPENDENT ARISING
The outermost section of the Wheel of Life mirror consists of 12 cause-and-effect links called the links of codependent arising. These links describe the process of taking rebirth in cyclic existence. As do the links of a chain, one leads to the next, but should one link be broken the entire process ends.
The first link in the chain is ignorance, represented by a blind mind walking with a cane. ignorance, as we have already seen, refers to misunderstanding how the self actually exists. ignorance is the only link that can be broken, since there is an antidote to ignorance: the wisdom that realizes selflessness.
A moment of ignorance often leads to the next link, action. Actions that are undertaken under the sway of ignorance are virtuous, nonvirtuous, and neutral karmas. These stain the consciousness of the actor. These three links impel a new rebirth.
The fourth link, name and form, is represented by a person in a boat. The boat symbolizes the form aggregate while the person represents the mental aggregates. Within the process of rebirth, name and form are the beginning of a new life in a mother’s womb. The next three links represent the developing child: the six sense fields lead to contact with the world, which in turn leads to feelings (represented vividly by a person with an arrow in his eye). Feelings can be pleasant, painful, or neutral.
When feelings are generated, one becomes attached to pleasant feelings and the wish to avoid unpleasant feelings. Attachment is the eighth link (a person drinking beer), which leads to an even stronger form of attachment called grasping (a monkey taking fruit). These two links are types of desire. Attachment and grasping empower a karmic potential to generate a new life in cyclic existence. This empowered karmic potency is called existence, the 10th link, which will produce another lifetime somewhere in the Desire Realm. The 11th link is birth, and the 12th link is aging and death.
NIRVANA
The first link, ignorance, can be broken through application of its antidote, the wisdom that realizes selflessness. When wisdom eradicates ignorance, actions motivated by ignorance cease. When ignorant actions cease, so too does the staining of consciousness. Without stains on the consciousness, there is no birth as name and form. When there is no name and form, the six sense fields do not develop. Without the six sense fields there are no contact, no feeling, no attachment, and no grasping. Therefore, there is no empowering of existence, and hence no birth. Without birth there is no aging and there is no death. In this way the cycle of rebirth is broken. Suffering is ended for the individual forever. Nirvana, the final liberation, is attained.
