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Mổi Anh
When we investigate, we distinguish two dimensions: the historical or phenomenal—described by concepts and words—and the ultimate or noumenal, which cannot be conveyed by any notion. Any attempt to speak of God, Nirvana, or suchness is bound to fail; theology must become music or thunderous silence, offering direct experience rather than concepts. Even in the historical realm, words fall short (as with describing a kiwi’s taste): the only true transmission is to place the fruit itself in someone’s mouth.
Dependent arising shows us how nothing exists by a single cause. In Buddhism we speak of three modes of “duyên khởi” or causal relationship:
- pháp giới trùng trùng duyên khởi: the cosmos’s many layers of conditions giving rise to a magnolia flower
- A lại da duyên khởi: the store-consciousness (individual and collective) that manifests all phenomena, from currency to fashion
- chân như duyên khởi: the relationship between suchness (tathātā) and the phenomenal—water and waves—where the ultimate cannot be treated as just another phenomenon
Through the practice of “tùng tướng nhập tánh,” we touch the noumenal by deeply engaging the phenomenal. Emptiness liberates us from dualistic traps—one and two, sin and merit, creator and creature—revealing transformation rather than original fall, and impermanence as the ground for continuously cultivating compassion, understanding, and freedom.
