1.2.10. The Cycle of Becoming
“He who sees dependent origination sees the Dharma; he who sees the Dharma sees dependent origination.”
The cycle of becoming (saṃsāra) represents one of Buddhism’s most profound teachings on how beings perpetuate their existence through mental processes. This chapter examines the intricate chain of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) that explains how our sense of self and suffering arise from fundamental delusion through consciousness, feeling, and craving. Understanding this cycle is essential for those seeking liberation, as it reveals how our very existence is self-created and how we might break free from this pattern of becoming.
By the time we are mature enough to seek spiritual wisdom, we are often fully caught up with conditioned existence (saṃsāra). Breaking free is not easy. The Buddha learned that progression wasn’t possible through extreme attitudes. Extreme piety tended to lead to fortunate and blissful rebirths, removing the impetus to develop wisdom. Extreme selfishness led to suffering and animal or hellish rebirths, counterproductive to progress. Thus, Gautama Buddha developed a middle approach (majjhimā paṭipadā), balancing duality and allowing realisation through the stillness of mind.
The Chain of Dependent Origination
The Buddha examined how beings orient themselves toward things and people that bring pleasure, becoming attached to these pleasant feelings. Working backwards, he traced this cycle to its root cause: fundamental delusion (avijjā). This delusion masks true awareness, infecting the mind-heart (citta) and tainting all experience. Delusion gives rise to volition, choices made based on false understanding of reality.
Volition (Cetanā)
Decision arises from the tendency to regard beings as lasting entities, though they are as insubstantial as a vortex of water — merely patterns without true substance. Each decision imparts meaning to experience (perception), reinforcing consciousness.
Consciousness (Viññāṇa)
Consciousness arises through decision-making. Through consciousness, the duality of mind and body appears. The separation of the senses gives rise to craving in multiple forms. Contact arises when sense objects meet sense bases, generating feelings that fuel craving.
Contact and Feeling (Phassa & Vedanā)
Every sense experience is evaluated as pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant. Positive feelings tied to certain people, objects, or experiences create craving. This craving fosters clinging, solidifying attachments that drive the process of becoming.
Clinging and Becoming (Upādāna & Bhava)
Craving leads to clinging and projection of self into future scenarios. As physical decline or loss emerges, the attachment shifts to health, youth, or relief from suffering. At death, these attachments shape the rebirth-linking consciousness (paṭisandhi-viññāṇa), initiating new existence.
The Self-Created Cycle
Dependent arising shows that existence self-perpetuates without any divine agent. The process starts with ignorance, shaping volition, which fuels consciousness, leading to identity formation and craving. This craving projects a future self, creating becoming, birth, aging, and death — endlessly cycling through saṃsāra.
Consciousness arises through choice, but choice itself is conditioned by ignorance. The sense of being — the ‘self’ — is a mental construction that drives suffering. Recognising this allows the practitioner to weaken these links through mindfulness and insight, ultimately reaching liberation.
We will return to Dependent Origination toward the end of the course to explore it in greater depth. Understanding this cycle is essential for any alchemist or seeker aiming to transcend suffering and realise true freedom.
This text is excerpted from the book Nigredo: A Course in Modern Alchemy. The complete book includes additional study guides, resources, and appendices. View the full book here.