The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in Daily Life: 6 Real-Life Examples of How Troubles Form Step-by-Step
The Buddha taught "Dependent Origination and Emptiness" (緣起性空), and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (十二因緣) are the core key to understanding the suffering inherent in the cycle of life. This concept reveals a complete chain, starting from ignorance, moving through feelings, craving, and clinging, ultimately leading to the creation of new karma and the cycle of rebirth. But this isn't just a profound theory; it's present in everyone's daily life: a thought, an impulse, a word, a decision – each can form the seeds of new "being" and suffering.
The following six everyday examples will help you truly see how the Twelve Links operate in our lives, allowing you to learn how to stop afflictions in the moment.
👔 Example 1: Work Promotion Anxiety
Ignorance (無明): Believing promotion is the only value in life.
Volitional Formations (行): Working excessively, vying for credit.
Consciousness (識): Constantly thinking, "I must get promoted."
Name and Form (名色): Heart anxious, body experiencing insomnia.
Six Sense Bases (六入): Eyes and ears focusing on promotion information.
Contact (觸): Hearing about others' promotions.
Feeling (受): Feeling uneasy.
Craving (愛): Clinging to the idea of "must get promoted."
Clinging (取): Insisting, "Failure if I don't get promoted."
Becoming (有): Creating karma, leading to workplace conflicts.
Birth (生): Unsatisfactory results or new troubles after promotion.
Old Age and Death (老死): Continued anxiety, returning to ignorance.
❤️ Example 2: Couple's Argument
Ignorance (無明): Unable to see one's own clinging.
Volitional Formations (行): Using an emotional tone.
Consciousness (識): Thinking, "The other person doesn't love me."
Name and Form (名色): Heart angry, body trembling.
Six Sense Bases (六入): Seeing the other's attitude, hearing their tone.
Contact (觸): Direct verbal confrontation.
Feeling (受): Feeling hurt, angry.
Craving (愛): Wanting the other person to yield.
Clinging (取): Insisting, "I'm not wrong."
Becoming (有): Escalating into an argument or silent treatment.
Birth (生): Conflict erupts.
Old Age and Death (老死): Relationship growing distant, disappointment.
🍔 Example 3: Failed Diet
Ignorance (無明): Not understanding the importance of health, only wanting to lose weight fast.
Volitional Formations (行): Dieting, using extreme methods.
Consciousness (識): "I must get thin."
Name and Form (名色): Heart anxious, body tense.
Six Sense Bases (六入): Seeing tempting food.
Contact (觸): Actually walking into a restaurant.
Feeling (受): Pleasant sensation.
Craving (愛): Thinking, "Just a little bit won't hurt."
Clinging (取): Loss of control.
Becoming (有): Binge eating.
Birth (生): Weight rebound.
Old Age and Death (老死): Regret, giving up on dieting, back to square one.
📱 Example 4: Social Media Comparison
Ignorance (無明): Believing what others post is their complete reality.
Volitional Formations (行): Repeatedly checking others' updates.
Consciousness (識): "Others are living better than me."
Name and Form (名色): Feeling inferior, restless.
Six Sense Bases (六入): Focusing on screen images.
Contact (觸): Being touched by the images.
Feeling (受): Anxiety, jealousy.
Craving (愛): Desiring the same lifestyle.
Clinging (取): Clinging to "I must be better too."
Becoming (有): Spending money for comparison, taking perfect photos.
Birth (生): Behavior deviating from reality.
Old Age and Death (老死): Feeling empty, falling back into comparison.
👪 Example 5: Parent-Child Conflict
Ignorance (無明): Not seeing the child's need for respect.
Volitional Formations (行): Giving forceful commands.
Consciousness (識): "I have the right to discipline."
Name and Form (名色): Heart worried, body tense.
Six Sense Bases (六入): Seeing the child's attitude, hearing backtalk.
Contact (觸): Arguing with the child.
Feeling (受): Heartache, anger.
Craving (愛): Desiring the child to be completely obedient.
Clinging (取): Clinging to "I'm doing this for your own good."
Becoming (有): Scolding, applying pressure.
Birth (生): Child becoming distant.
Old Age and Death (老死): Relationship imbalance, conflicts often recurring.
🎬 Example 6: Binge-Watching Addiction
Ignorance (無明): Believing binge-watching can cure boredom.
Volitional Formations (行): Clicking play, watching relentlessly.
Consciousness (識): "I must finish this."
Name and Form (名色): Heart excited, body staying up late.
Six Sense Bases (六入): Focusing on visual and auditory senses.
Contact (觸): Plot providing intense stimulation.
Feeling (受): Excitement, emotional impact.
Craving (愛): "Just one more episode."
Clinging (取): Continuously clicking the next episode.
Becoming (有): Staying up late, disrupted routine.
Birth (生): Work mistakes, health damage.
Old Age and Death (老死): Feeling empty, then seeking new shows again.
🪷 Conclusion
From the workplace to family, from personal clinging to entertainment addiction, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination are omnipresent in life. The key lies in whether we can develop awareness during the process of "craving (愛) → clinging (取)" to interrupt the chain. Only then can we find liberation from the cycle of afflictions. This is the true wisdom of the Dharma in the present moment.
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