In the commentary to the Majjhima-Nikaya (The Middle Length Discourses) it says, "One who sees dependent origination sees dependently arisen things (paticca samuppanne dhamme).” Such includes the Five Aggregates or the same, the psychophysical individual. This individual lacks any real existence.
Another way of putting the matter of dependent origination is that things or dhamme are not fundamentally, of themselves, real (svabhava). Things are actually empty/inane. We can take this to mean also that the world we view is a grand fictional construction. Things are like a dream, a reflection on the water, etc. This is what Nagarjuna had in mind with the following:
“O saviour! [Since things] are inactive, dependent, empty, dependent arisen like an illusion, you have made it clear that all phenomena are without own-being (svabhava)” (Lokâtîtastava).
And,
“Just as an echo here [in the world] arises dependently upon a sound thus also the [entire] origination of existence is like an illusion (mâyâ) and a mirage” (Acintyastava).
All originations, we always need to keep in mind, are never other than illusory; they are really the substance or dharma manifesting itself without leaving its svabhava or true nature. For example, clay does not leave its nature when a potter fashions it into a clay pot. The clay pot is a dependent origination of the clay/svabhava—the clay pot is also completely illusory.
Bringing this subject down to meditation, our life in this body of ours and the world it is situated in are dependent arisings of true substance or nature (svabhava) that never arises. Now, let us say, the Buddha asks us to see this substance; to attain samadhi. Try as we might we come up with more dependent arisings. This is not good. The mysterious substance eludes us. We are like the little boy in the first picture of the Ten Oxherding Pictures, “Searching for the Ox.” Yes, we do know and understand what dependent originations are. But what we don’t know is exactly from what these originations are composed. This is because this nature or self-nature (svabhava) is signless and without any distinguishing marks. Still, it is most real—absolutely real. But we are still asleep.
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