icouldiwill, the inner journey: The Wheel of Dependent Origination

Here is why there is so much suffering, why even when we feel whole and happy there is something in us which is not happy. This is the wheel of dependent arising from Buddhism. It is a chain of things which create a facit circle which we unconsciously follow and which lead to suffering. To be free from suffering we need to break this chain. Although basically it is very simple to do it (like “be here now”) it is also very hard since we are in a way ‘addicted’ to the way things go. This wheel and each of its elements are subject to years of studying. I will not attempt to explain them here but you can find material on the subject pretty easily (see links at the end). This is also usually one main subject of teaching in most meditation courses.

I hope the time we will break our chains and find our peaceful center comes without too much suffering.

Paticcasamuppada- The wheel of dependent origination

Ignorance leads to Contact

Contact leads to Feeling

Feeling leads to Craving

Craving leads to Attachment

Attachment leads to Becoming

Becoming leads to Birth

Birth leads to Suffering

Suffering leads to Ignorance

(On many wheels the path between Ignorance and Contact is also expanded to Ignorance leads to Concoction leads to Mind-Body leads to Six Sense Organs leads to Contact)

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Buddhists seem to love numbering things and here is the Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right Understanding,

2. Right Aim,

3. Right Speech,

4. Right Action,

5. Right Livelihood,

6. Right Effort,

7. Right Mindfulness,

8. Right Concentration

And here are the Ten Fetters tying us to the cycle of existence:

1. Personality belief,