The Heart of Dependent Origination

[Luna Arjuna]

Lyrics:

e dharma hetu prabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hyavadat
teṣancha yo nirodhaḥ evam vādī mahāśramaṇaḥ

dvādaśa ye 'ṅgaviśeṣā muninoddiṣṭāḥ pratītyasambhūtāḥ
te kleśakarmaduḥkheṣu saṅgṛhītāstriṣu yathāvat [1]

ādyāṣṭamanavamāḥ syuḥ kleśāḥ karma dvitīyadaśamau ca
śeṣāḥ sapta ca duḥkhaṃ trisaṅgrahā dvādaśa tu dharmāḥ [2]

tribhyo bhavati dvandvaṃ dvandvātprabhavanti sapta saptabhyaḥ
traya udbhavanti bhūyastadeva[tu] bhramati bhavacakram [3]

hetuphalañca[hi]sarvaṃ jagadanyo nāsti kaścidiha sattvaḥ
śūnyebhya eva śūnyā dharmāḥ prabhavanti dharmebhyaḥ [4]

svādhyāyadīpamudrādarpaṇaghoṣa 'rkakāntabījāmlaiḥ
skandhapratisandhirasaṅkramaśca vidvadbhiravadhāryau [5]

ya ucchedaṃ prakalpayatyatisūkṣme 'pi vastuni
pratītyasambhavasyārthamavijñaḥ sa na paśyati [6]

nāpaneyamataḥ kiñcit prakṣepyaṃ nāpi kiñcana
draṣṭavyaṃ bhūtato bhūtaṃ bhūtadarśī vimucyate [7]

pratītyasamutpādahṛdayakārikā ācārya nāgārjunakṛtā samāptā

Translated lyrics:

Of those things that arise from a cause,
The Tathagata has told the cause,
And also what their cessation is:
This is the doctrine of the Great Recluse.

These different links, twelve in number,
Which Buddha taught as dependent origination,
Can be summarized in three categories:
Mental afflictions, karma and suffering. [1]

The first, eighth and ninth are afflictions,
The second and tenth are karma,
The remaining seven are suffering.
Thus the twelve links are grouped in three. [2]

From the three the two originate,
And from the two the seven come,
From seven the three come once again—
Thus the wheel of existence turns and turns. [3]

All beings consist of causes and effects,
In which there is no 'sentient being' at all.
From phenomena which are exclusively empty,
There arise only empty phenomena.
All things are devoid of any 'I' or 'mine'. [4]

Like a recitation, a candle, a mirror, a seal,
A magnifying glass, a seed, sourness, or a sound,
So also with the continuation of the aggregates—
The wise should know they are not transferred. [5]

Then, as for extremely subtle entities,
Those who regard them with nihilism,
Lacking precise and thorough knowledge,
Will not see the actuality of conditioned arising. [6]

In this, there is not a thing to be removed,
Nor the slightest thing to be added.
It is looking perfectly into reality itself,
And when reality is seen, complete liberation. [7]

This concludes the verses on 'The Heart of Dependent Origination' composed by the teacher Arya Nagarjuna.

* * * * *

Performer: Vidya Rao
Lyrics: Verse spoken to Śariputra by Aśvajit (first two lines) / Pratītyasamutpādahṛdayakārikā by Nāgārjuna (rest)
Album: Dharma Nāda