Detailed Analysis of the Mechanism for Samsara

True sufferings can be understood in terms of the three scopes of motivation outlined in the lam-rim graded stages of the path to enlightenment:

Initial Scope

With an initial scope, we aim to attain a better rebirth because of fear of experiencing the worse rebirth states, we focus on avoiding the suffering of unhappiness (the suffering of suffering), especially of the worse rebirth states.

Intermediate Scope 

With an intermediate scope, we aim to gain liberation from uncontrollably recurring rebirth altogether. Motivated by a determination to be free (renunciation of all suffering and its causes), we focus on ridding ourselves completely of not only the suffering of unhappiness, but also the suffering of change (ordinary happiness that doesn’t last, never satisfies, changes into unhappiness, etc.) and the all-pervasive suffering (khyab-par ‘du-byed-kyi sdug-bsngal) of uncontrollably recurring tainted aggregates (samsara) that are the basis for experiencing the sufferings of unhappiness and change.

Animals aim to eliminate the suffering of unhappiness. Many religions aim to eliminate the suffering of ordinary happiness by attaining the bliss of heaven or paradise. Many non-Buddhist Indian systems aim to eliminate uncontrollably recurring rebirth. But even if they assert ignorance as the cause of such rebirth and that correct understanding will bring liberation, they do not attain a true stopping of rebirth. This is because they do not correctly identify the true cause of this all-pervasive suffering, nor do they correctly identify the true pathway of understanding that will eliminate that cause. Because of that, they do not attain a true stopping of uncontrollably recurring rebirth.  

Advanced Scope

With an advanced scope aim, we focus on ridding ourselves of the inability to fully help all limited beings rid themselves of their experience of the three types of suffering. Our love, compassion and bodhichitta aim (to attain enlightenment in order to be best able to help everyone attain liberation and enlightenment) motivate us to rid ourselves of this inability. The suffering of this inability arises because our limited minds make everything appear to have self-established existence (rang-bzhin-gyis grub-pa), independently of each other. Because of that, we do not fully know behavioral cause and effect and therefore do not know how best to help all beings.

The true cause or true origin of suffering is unawareness (ma-rig-pa) or ignorance, namely unawareness of two facts: behavioral cause and effect and how we and others exist.  Either we simply do not know these facts or we know them in an inverted manner, contrary to fact.

The true cause of the suffering of unhappiness is unawareness of behavioral cause and effect. On the basis of this unawareness, we develop disturbing emotions (nyon-mongs, afflictive emotions), such as longing desire, anger, and naivety (gti-mug). These disturbing emotions bring on the type of compulsiveness of karma that drives us to act, speak or think in destructive ways. The karmic aftermath of destructive behavior ripens into our experiences of unhappiness.

The true cause of the suffering of change, in other words the true cause of ordinary happiness, is unawareness of how we and others exist and not being under the influence of disturbing emotions. This unawareness underlies the suffering of unhappiness as well. Unawareness of how we and others exist brings on and is accompanied by grasping for an impossible soul of persons (gang-zag-gi bdag-‘dzin). This grasping leads to and is often accompanied by disturbing attitudes (nyon-mongs lta-ba-can) concerning ourselves. These disturbing attitudes lead to the compulsiveness of karma that drives either destructive behavior (when also accompanied by unawareness of behavioral cause and effect and by disturbing emotions) or constructive behavior (when not accompanied by either of these two.)  

A common example of such compulsive constructive behavior is being a perfectionist, with the attitude of “I must be perfect, I must be ‘good.’” Because of such a syndrome, we neurotically are always cleaning our house, washing our hands, correcting the paper we’re writing for school, being stiff in our good behavior because of being afraid of not being good enough and making a mistake, etc. Although we might experience temporary ordinary happiness at having washed our hands, for instance, that happiness quickly turns to dissatisfaction and unhappiness, and we compulsively have to wash them again.

This unawareness of how we and others exist is also the true cause of the all-pervasive suffering of uncontrollably recurring tainted aggregates. “Tainted” (zag-bcas) means they derive from unawareness of how we and others exist. Before attaining liberation, such aggregates are also known as tainted, obtainer aggregates (zag-bcas nyer-len-gyi phung-po) – “obtaining” (nyer-len) means that they contain within them the unawareness that will perpetuate and bring on or obtain for us the aggregates of further uncontrollably recurring rebirth. This all-pervasive suffering is what we need to rid ourselves of in order ultimately to be rid of the suffering of unhappiness and the suffering of change. That is because it is on the basis of tainted aggregates that we experience these two types of suffering.

Let us look at the true origin of all-pervasive suffering more closely. It is explained through the mechanism of the twelve links of dependent arising.

Link One: Unawareness

The first link of dependent arising is unawareness, specifically unawareness of how we and all beings (all individuals) exist. This unawareness includes both doctrinally-based unawareness (ma-rig kun-brtags) and automatically-arising unawareness (ma-rig lhan-skyes).

• Doctrinally-based unawareness arises from having learned and accepted the explanations of a non-Buddhist Indian philosophical system or, according to the Gelug Prasangika tenets, the explanations of any of the non-Prasangika Buddhist tenet systems.
• Automatically-arising unawareness is experienced naturally by everyone, including insects. No one has to teach us them.

In both case, we either don’t know how we exist or we know it in an inverted way. Except when we focus non-conceptually on voidness (emptiness), this unawareness accompanies every moment of our cognition, both conceptual and non-conceptual. We experience that unawareness as insecurity; and feeling insecure, we intermittently develop disturbing emotions and attitudes. These mental disturbances are states of mind, which, when we develop them, cause us to lose our peace of mind and self-control. 

Disturbing emotions include:

• longing desire, with which we exaggerate the good qualities of something or someone or add good qualities that are not there and then strongly want to acquire that thing or person in the hope that it will make us secure
• anger, with which we exaggerate the bad qualities of something or someone or add those not there, and want very strongly to rid ourselves of that thing or person in the hope that that will make us secure
• naivety, with which we deny behavioral cause and effect or understand it in an inverted manner, so that we believe either (1) there are no consequences of our behavior, so we imagine we can be secure because we are not affected by what we do, say or think, or (2) we believe that happiness and security will come from destructive behavior.

Disturbing attitudes include a deluded outlook toward a transitory network (‘jig-lta), which, according to the abhidharma teachings, casts the net of “me” and “mine” onto various aspects of the aggregate factors of anything that we experience. According to Tsongkhapa, it casts onto the conventionally existent “me” the net of “me as identical with the aggregates” or “me, the possessor of the aggregates as ‘mine.’”

Link Two: Affecting Impulses

The second link, affecting impulses (‘du-byed), refers to the compulsive impulses of karma that affect what we do. Because disturbing emotions and attitudes, based on unawareness, cause us to lose self-control, then when we feel like acting destructively (for instance, saying something nasty to someone), compulsiveness takes over and we act destructively. Or when we feel like acting constructively in a neurotic manner (for instance, cleaning the house yet again, or correcting our paper yet again), compulsiveness again takes over and we act compulsively constructively.

Link Three: Loaded Consciousness

The third link, loaded consciousness, refers to the consciousness on which the karmic aftermath from our compulsive behavior is an imputation. The karmic aftermath includes negative potentials (sdig-pa), positive potentials (bsod-nams, “merit”), and karmic tendencies (sa-bon, seeds). The Mahayana systems also include karmic constant habits (bag-chags).

The consciousness loaded with these karmic aftermath as imputations carries over into future lives and, from this aftermath, develop the five aggregate factors of the fetus, if we are to be reborn as a human. The imputations on the loaded consciousness include not only the karmic aftermath, but also the potentials for the components of the aggregates of distinguishing (‘du-shes; recognition), feeling a level of happiness and other affecting variables (‘du-byed). The unspecified (lung ma-bstan) components of these aggregate factors (those components that Buddha did not specify as being either constructive or destructive, but which can be either of the two depending on what other factors accompany them) are the ripened results (rnam-smin-gyi ‘bras-bu) of this aftermath and constitute all-pervasive suffering. As such, they are the basis for experiencing the suffering of unhappiness and the suffering of change. The development of these aggregate factors is described by the next four links.

[See: Causes, Conditions and Results.]

Link Four: Nameable Mental Faculties with or without Form

The fourth link, nameable mental faculties with or without gross form, refers to the consciousness aggregate before it is differentiated into the various types of consciousness (sensory, mental). 

As the basis for that consciousness (unless we are born in the plane of formless beings), the form aggregate, for instance, when constituted by a joined human sperm and egg, is also present at this stage, before it differentiates to the point at which there are the various cognitive sensors (dbang-po).

Link Five: Stimulators of Cognition

At the stage of the fifth link (stimulators of cognition (skye-mched)), the consciousness aggregate has differentiated into:

• the six types of consciousness (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind consciousness)
• the mental consciousness has developed to become the mental cognitive sensor

The form aggregate has differentiated into:

• the five types of physical cognitive sensors (photosensitive cells, sound-sensitive cells, smell-sensitive cells, taste-sensitive cells, the physical sensation sensitive cells)
• the six types of cognitive objects (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, physical sensations and all changing phenomena that can serve as objects of mental consciousness).

Primitive cognition merely of cognitive fields occurs at this stage.

Link Six: Contacting Awareness

At the time of the sixth link, the aggregate of distinguishing and some components of the aggregate of other affecting variables ripen from their potentials and start to function:

• With the mental factor of distinguishing, we can distinguish specific objects within a cognitive field.
• With the mental factor of contacting awareness (reg-pa), we differentiate contact with these objects as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.

In terms of the various types of karmic results, the experiences of the various types of contacting awareness are results that are similar to what we have experienced previously (myong-ba rgyu-mthun-gyi ‘bras-bu).

Link Seven: Feeling a Level of Happiness

The sixth link, feeling a level of happiness, refers to the feeling aggregate, which is the mental factor that experiences pleasant contacting awareness of an object with ordinary happiness, unpleasant contacting awareness of an object with unhappiness, and neutral contacting awareness of an object with a neutral feeling. The feeling aggregate is a ripened result of karma and, as such, is unspecified – neither constructive nor destructive – as are all ripened results. Note that this feeling of unhappiness is the suffering of unhappiness and this feeling of ordinary happiness is the suffering of change.

Although they are not included as part of the twelve links, the constructive, destructive and other unspecified components of the aggregate of other affecting variables, such as love, patience, longing desire, anger, concentration, intelligence, and so on, also develop from each of their respective potentials or tendencies, which are also imputations on the loaded consciousness.

The next three links refer to what occur at the end of a lifetime, regardless of how long that lifetime may be. The first two are disturbing emotions and attitudes at the time of death that activate the third of these links, throwing karma (‘phen-byed-kyi las): the compulsive impulse that perpetuates uncontrollably recurring rebirth by “throwing us” into another rebirth. These activators of throwing karma are what we need to rid ourselves of in order to stop uncontrollable recurring rebirth with the all-pervasive suffering of more tainted aggregates.

Link Eight: Thirsting

The eighth link, thirsting (sred-pa), is usually translated as “craving,” but the original Sanskrit term “trshna” actually means “thirsting.” It is a subcategory of longing desire and arises in response to link seven, the aggregate of feelings. In general, longing desire is the wish to acquire something, based on regarding the object as pleasant and attractive by its very nature. It is preceded by a conceptual cognition that interpolates (projects) something on the object. Interpolation (projection) (sgro-‘dogs) is an exaggeration of the good qualities of something that are there or an addition of good qualities that are not there. Thus, interpolation is accompanied by the mental factor of incorrect consideration (tshul-min yid-la byed-pa). It is also accompanied by grasping for impossible existence, for instance grasping for self-established existence (rang-bzhin-gyis grub-pa).

There are three types of thirsting

• Thirsting in relation to what is desirable. This is the thirst not to be parted from tainted ordinary happiness. It is preceded by an exaggeration of the good qualities of ordinary happiness and of not being parted from it. Good qualities (yon-tan) in the case of a “non-parting” refers to the length of time that a state of not being parted from ordinary happiness lasts. The incorrect consideration involved here is that both ordinary happiness and this state of not being parted could last forever. It is like when we are very thirsty and have a sip of water and then, because of thirst, we don’t want to be parted from the glass or bottle. We don’t want it to be taken away.
• Thirsting because of fear. This is the thirst to be parted from unhappiness. It is preceded by an exaggeration of the good qualities of the state of being parted from unhappiness by ordinary means and interpolates that if we replace it with ordinary happiness, which we interpolate as being able to last forever, then the unhappiness will never return.
• Thirsting in relation to higher planes of compulsive existence. This is thirsting for the neutral feeling that we are experiencing in a state of deep meditative absorption associated with the form or formless planes of existence not to degenerate (mi-nyams). On an ordinary level, perhaps we can think of the thirsting that might occur when we are drugged on a painkiller and we thirst for that neutral feeling not to wear off. Again, this thirsting is preceded by an exaggeration of the good qualities of the neutral feeling and its non-degeneration, and interpolates that the neutral feeling and the non-occurrence of its degeneration could last forever. Underlying this thirsting, however, is nervousness that we will experience unhappiness and unsatisfying ordinary happiness in the future.  

Note that thirst for the non-degeneration of a neutral feeling that lacks any unhappiness or ordinary happiness is not the same as renunciation of unhappiness and ordinary happiness. Renunciation is the determination to be free of the all-pervasive suffering of uncontrollably recurring aggregates that are the basis for experiencing the sufferings of unhappiness and ordinary happiness. Renunciation, then, aims for a true stopping of all three types of suffering through the correct understanding of the four noble truths or, more specifically, with a correct understanding of voidness. Therefore, renunciation does not exaggerate the negative qualities of suffering, is not overwhelmed by this suffering and is not accompanied by any disturbing emotions. On the contrary, it entails knowing correctly how to truly rid ourselves of suffering forever, and has the determination to pursue this goal of liberation. Thirsting for the non-degeneration of a neutral feeling, on the other hand, is a variety of attachment and therefore is a cause for perpetuating all-pervasive suffering.

Note also that all three types of thirsting are thirsting for a negation phenomenon (dgag-pa) – a non-parting from ordinary happiness, a parting from unhappiness, and a non-degeneration of a neutral feeling. Like the negation phenomenon “not my mother,” which to know requires knowing “my mother” beforehand, each of the negation phenomenon that are the objects of thirsting entail knowing beforehand the three types of feelings. The partings (bral-ba), non-partings and non-degenerations that we aim for with thirsting are just the endings of these feelings. Unlike renunciation, we are not aiming for a parting attained by applying opponent forces, such as a correct understanding of the four noble truths and, more specifically, a correct understanding of voidness. 

A parting attained by applying opponent forces lasts forever, whereas a parting that is simply an ending of something recurrent is temporary. Note that a temporary ending of something recurrent can happen naturally, like the temporary ending of an episode of anger when it naturally passes, or it can happen by applying ordinary methods, such as meditating on patience and love.

Thus, thirsting is accompanied by several types of incorrect consideration. It incorrectly considers a temporary ending to be an eternal parting. It also incorrectly considers each of the three types of feelings that we are experiencing to be eternal, for instance that ordinary happiness could last forever. In other words, thirsting is accompanied by incorrect consideration of something impermanent to be permanent.

Note also that thirsting to be parting from unhappiness is not the same as anger or repulsion directed toward unhappiness. Thirsting exaggerates the good qualities of being parted from unhappiness, whereas anger exaggerates the negative qualities of not being parted from unhappiness and aggressively wants that state to end.

Link Nine: An Obtainer

The ninth link, an obtainer (nye-bar-len-pa), refers to either an obtainer disturbing emotion or an obtainer disturbing attitude. It is a state of mind that “obtains” for us the tainted, obtainer aggregates of a future rebirth. It arises in response to thirsting and is usually translated as “grasping,” 

There are four types of obtainers:

Obtainer Desire

Obtainer desire (‘dod-pa nye-bar len-pa) is a disturbing emotion and is aimed at some desirable sensory object. For instance, when we are unhappy while experiencing the discomfort of the physical sensation of hunger, we want to experience the taste of delicious food; or when we have ordinary happiness while experiencing the warm physical sensation of being in a comfortable bed, we want to keep that sensation. 

Note that when thirsting is aimed at not being parted from ordinary happiness, obtainer desire is aimed at the desirable sensory object we are experiencing with ordinary happiness. When thirsting is aimed at being parted from unhappiness, obtainer desire is aimed at the desirable sensory object that we want to experience instead and which we wish will make us happy. In both cases, obtainer desire is preceded by an interpolation that exaggerates the good qualities of the desirable sensory object we wish for and incorrect consideration that the ordinary happiness that would accompany our experience of that object will last forever.

An Obtainer Deluded Outlook

An obtainer deluded outlook (lta-ba nye-bar len-pa) may be any of three disturbing attitudes, each of which has two varieties. According to Tsongkhapa, these three and the next two obtainer disturbing attitudes focus on the person, the conventional “me,” who experiences thirsting, and latch on to it with a certain type of conceptual cognition, as well as with grasping for that “me” as if it had self-established existence (rang-bzhin-gyis grub-pa). According to the abhidharma tradition, the deluded outlooks focus on the aggregate factors (body, mind, etc.) associated with that “me” and latch on to them with those conceptual cognitions. They also latch on to them with grasping for the “me” experiencing them to exist in the manner of either a coarse or subtle impossible “me” as asserted by the non-Prasangika tenet systems. Let us explain primarily in terms of Tsongkhapa’s presentation.

A Distorted Outlook

A distorted outlook (log-par lta-ba) focuses on the conventional “me” and latches on to it with grasping for its self-established existence and with a conceptual cognition that is a repudiation (skur-‘debs), in other words a denial. The denial may be either:

• a repudiation of behavioral cause and effect. This denial may be simply in terms of this lifetime, which we incorrectly consider to be the only lifetime for this self-established “me.” Or, if we believe in rebirth, this would be the repudiation that, in its next lifetime, this self-established “me” will experience any effects of its behavior in this lifetime. This latter variation would be like imagining that the “hard disc” of our mental continuum will be wiped clean when we die and continue like an empty disc with each rebirth. With the denial of the continuity of behavioral cause and effect, we have the incorrect consideration of something existent to be nonexistent.
• Or a repudiation of any continuity of aggregate factors (a body and mind) associated with the self-established “me” after we die. With the denial of rebirth and imagining that this lifetime is the only one for a self-established “me,” we have the incorrect consideration of something with eternal continuity (namely a continuum of aggregates and a continuum of the state of a self-established “me” being associated with a continuum of aggregates) to be something that comes to an end at death. We could then go on to incorrectly consider that this self-established “me” continues eternally after death, but independently of any aggregates. We might believe that we live on eternally either in a heaven or in a state of liberation as conceived by some non-Buddhist Indian systems. Or we might believe that we pass into a big “nothing” when we die, which is frightening because now “I,” which we still grasp at as having self-established existence, am dead forever.

An Extreme Outlook

An extreme outlook (mthar-‘dzin-par lta-ba, mthar-lta) focuses on the conventional “me” and latches on to it with grasping for its self-established existence and with a conceptual cognition that is either:

• a repudiation of the gross impermanence of death. Thus it has the incorrect consideration that the aggregates (the body and mind) associated with the self-established “me” in this lifetime will last forever, as will the self-established “me” identified with our present body and mind.
• Or the repudiation that there is any continuity of a self-established “me” after death once the present body and mind associated with that “me” come to an end. So there is the incorrect consideration that the continuity of “me” ends with death, now that it is no longer associated with the present body and mind.

Holding a Deluded Outlook as Supreme  

Holding a deluded outlook as supreme (lta-ba mchog-tu ‘dzin-pa) focuses on the conventional “me” with grasping for its self-established existence and with a conceptual cognition that interpolates that holding one of the above variations of a distorted outlook or an extreme outlook will lead to the liberation of this self-established “me” from all suffering. Thus, it has the repudiation that these are false and the incorrect consideration of something false to be true.

According to another explanation, we might accompany this deluded outlook with an incorrect consideration of the aggregates – namely our bodies, and so on. Either we incorrectly consider them as totally pure, clean, and a source of true happiness, or not just that they are impure, dirty and a source of suffering, but that they are repulsive, so we exaggerate their negative qualities. This deluded outlook then focuses on the conventional “me” with the conceptual cognition that interpolates that such an attitude is supreme: we think it is totally true and will lead to the liberation of the self-established “me” if we fully realize it. 

Holding Deluded Morality or Conduct as Supreme 

Holding deluded morality or conduct as supreme (tshul-khrims-dang brtul-zhugs mchog-tu ‘dzin-pa) includes two varieties:

• Concerning deluded morality (tshul-khrims), this deluded outlook is accompanied with the mental factor of morality (ethical discipline) to refrain from some trivial manner of behavior that is meaningless to give up, particularly under the circumstance of dying. An example would be giving up unhealthy food when we are in the final stages of terminal cancer. This deluded outlook focuses on the conventional “me” and latches on to it with grasping for its self-established existence and with the conceptual cognition that interpolates that such morality is supreme and will lead to the liberation of the self-established “me” if we hold it strictly.  
• Concerning deluded conduct (btul-zhugs), this deluded outlook is accompanied with the mental factor of a decisive urge (bsam-pa) that draws us to dress, act, or speak in some trivial manner that is meaningless to adopt in the face of imminent death. Examples of such conduct might be clutching a good luck charm or bathing in the Ganges River before we die. This deluded outlook focuses on the conventional “me” and latches on to it with grasping for its self-established existence and with the conceptual cognition that interpolates that conduct as supreme, with the certitude that it will purify the self-established “me” of anything negative, liberate that “me” from all worries, and definitely deliver that “me” to a better fate.

Asserting One’s Identity

Asserting one’s identity (bdag-tu smra-ba), or more literally, asserting oneself to be an atman (a soul), refers to a deluded outlook toward a transitory network (‘jig-lta). The transitory network refers to the network of the five aggregate factors (five aggregates).

A deluded outlook toward a transitory network focuses on the conventional “me” with grasping for its self-established existence and latches onto it with a conceptual cognition that interpolates that it is either identical with the aggregates as being “me” or totally separate from the aggregates as a “me, the possessor, the controller, or the inhabitant of these aggregates.” Thus, it is also accompanied with the incorrect consideration of what does not exist as a self-established “me” – namely the conventional “me” – as being a self-established “me.” 

Link Ten: Further Existence

Links eight and nine (thirsting and an obtainer) activate the karmic tendencies for our next rebirth. These activated tendencies are known as “throwing karma” (‘phen-byed-kyi las). In the system of the twelve links of dependent arising, activated throwing karma constitutes the tenth link, further existence (srid-pa). This name is an example of a result, namely “further existence,” being given to the cause, namely the compulsion to continue to exist that throws us into death, bardo and a next rebirth until we die once again.

Link Eleven: Conception and Link Twelve: Aging and Dying

Our next rebirth into which our throwing karma propels our mental continuum is summarized by the eleventh link, conception, and the twelfth link, aging and dying. Conception lasts for only the first instant of the new rebirth. Aging starts from the second moment and continues onwards all the way to the moment of death.

The true origin of all-pervasive suffering, then, is thirsting and an obtainer disturbing emotion or attitude, both of which are based on unawareness of how we and others exist. When we understand this, then we rid ourselves of misconceptions about the true origin of suffering: that our suffering has no cause, or comes from a discordant cause like the economy, or has just a single cause, such as because I’m bad, or that it comes from an all-powerful creator.  

The true stopping of rebirth is such that it never occurs again. Thus, the true stopping of the twelve links on the mental continuum means their removal forever and we understand all the implications of what this means. Firstly, we understand that there is a possibility to eliminate forever uncontrollably recurring rebirth if we remove its true causes. It’s not that there is no stopping of it; it is not that we just suppress the causes (disturbing emotions) by going into deep meditative absorptions or trances; but rather we understand that true stopping means ridding ourselves, completely and forever, of the disturbing emotions and attitudes that are the causes of uncontrollably recurring rebirth. We also realize that just to attain a state of formless absorption in which no suffering of unhappiness or of ordinary happiness occur is not a true stopping since we still have all-pervasive suffering and rebirth. Further, we understand that because of the basic purity of the mind, the causes of suffering are adventitious, fleeting taints and can be removed forever, such that they never recur.

To attain a true stopping of true suffering (namely, a true stopping of the all-pervasive suffering of more tainted aggregates), we need to attain a true stopping of the links that are their true causes. In other words, we need to stop forever any more activated throwing karma (link ten, further existence). To stop that, we need to stop what activates them (the disturbing emotions and attitudes that are link eight: thirsting and link nine: an obtainer). Also we need to stop link two (affecting impulses, the compulsion that affects what we do) which is brought on by disturbing emotions and attitudes. To get rid of these three links, we need to attain a true stopping of link one (unawareness of how we and others exist). We gain this by non-conceptual cognition of the lack of an impossible way of existing of persons.

True pathway minds refer to non-conceptual cognitions of the four noble truths. These non-conceptual cognitions explicitly apprehend the four aspects of each noble truth as what they are, and implicitly apprehend each not to be the four distorted ways of understanding them. Moreover, these non-conceptual cognitions need to be with a mind that has a joined pair of shamatha (zhi-gnas, a stilled and settled state of mind) and vipashyana (lhag-mthong, an exceptionally perceptive state of mind), focused on the voidness of oneself experiencing the four noble truths:

• In terms of true suffering (namely the uncontrollably recurring aggregates), the voidness of oneself as either identical with or totally separate from them as their inhabitant, possessor and controller
• In terms of true origins of suffering, the voidness of oneself experiencing unawareness, disturbing emotions and attitudes, and the compulsiveness of karma
• In terms of true stoppings, the voidness of oneself experiencing them
• In terms of true pathway minds, also the voidness of oneself experiencing them.

Such non-conceptual cognitions with joined shamatha and vipahsyana also need to have the force of either unlabored determination to be free (rtsol-med nges-‘byung; unlabored renunciation) or both unlabored determination to be free and an unlabored bodhichitta aim (rtsol-med byang-sems). “Unlabored” (rtsol-med) means that these minds are generated without need to rely on a line of reasoning or on building up to them in stages. 

Further, our non-conceptual cognitions with joined shamatha and vipashyana and unlabored determination to be free, when also with unlabored bodhichitta, further needs the force behind it of one zillion eons of building up positive force (merit) in order to rid us of doctrinally-based unawareness and a second zillion eons of positive force to rid us of automatically-based unawareness and thus attain liberation. This positive force is built up through constructive behavior motivated by bodhichitta and/or renunciation. 

• Because renunciation is the strong determination to be rid of our own suffering, with the aim of attaining liberation, the positive force built up from acting, speaking and thinking on the basis of renunciation functions to rid us of suffering and its causes. 
• Because great compassion is the determination to help all beings be rid of their suffering, and bodhichitta based on it, aims to attain enlightenment, the positive force built up from acting, speaking and thinking on the basis of great compassion and bodhichitta rids us of suffering in an even more powerful way.

If, with the force of such a mind, we attain non-conceptual cognition of this voidness of ourselves, then because we have rid ourselves of the unawareness of how we exist (link one)

• there is no more link two (affecting impulses of karma) and thus no more accumulation of new karmic potentials or tendencies,
• no more links eight (thirsting) and nine (obtainers) that would activate karmic potentials tendencies that are not yet ripened,
• and so no more throwing karma (link ten) that could give their result the suffering of unhappiness, the suffering of change (ordinary happiness), or the all-pervasive suffering of further aggregates.

So, we understand that there is a pathway leading to liberation; we don’t think there is no way to be freed. We realize that if we understand there is no such thing as an impossible soul of a person, then we understand that we don’t exist as an impossible soul. Then although we want to be happy and do not want to suffer, nevertheless we realize that the one who wishes that is merely the conventional “me.” It is not this impossible “me” that needs to be made secure through disturbing emotions, disturbing attitudes and compulsive karmic behavior, when it is impossible for something that doesn’t exist to be made secure. 

It is when we believe that we exist as an impossible “me” that we thirst for that impossible “me” not to be parted from happiness and to be parted from suffering, etc. We have longing desire for sensory objects that we think will make that impossible “me” happy and secure. We cast the net of that impossible “me” on to ourselves and then imagine that we are either one with the aggregates (we consider our body, for instance, as our true identity), or totally separate from the aggregates, which we use as our habitat, possession and objects to control. We think that this impossible “me” can be liberated by various means, and so on. 

When we understand that there is no such thing as this impossible “me” – it doesn’t refer to or correspond to anything real, then there is nothing backing the disturbing emotions. By means of that realization, the whole chain of twelve links falls apart. It cannot recur, because once we cognize non-conceptually, with a mind that has joined shamatha and vipashyana, unlabored bodhichitta and/or unlabored renunciation, and a zillion eons of positive force, that there is no such thing, then that is a stable realization (rtogs-pa). We are absolutely convinced, and not just on the basis of logic and inference. We attain a true stopping of doctrinally-based unawareness. 

The more frequently we have that non-conceptual cognition and the more we build up the second zillion eons of positive force, the more we weaken the strength of our belief that what automatically arises and appears to be and feels like an impossible “me” corresponds to reality. Moreover, this correct understanding of how we exist is more stable and stronger than the unawareness and confusion. It can be verified by valid means of cognition. 

We attain liberation when we have attained a true stopping of automatically-arising unawareness as well. We attain this when, without any break in continuity, we have alternatingly (1) non-conceptual total absorption on voidness (the total absence of that impossible mode of existence, there is no such thing), during which we explicitly apprehend voidness, and (2) non-conceptual subsequent realization of voidness, during which we implicitly apprehend voidness.