My dear friends,

Verse 11 of "The Three Principles of the Path" and Gelek Rimpoche's saying both point to the profound relationship between emptiness (śūnyatā) and dependent arising (pratītyasamutpāda). Understanding this relationship is crucial to grasping the essence of the Buddha's insight into the nature of reality.

• Interdependent appearance -- infallible: This line emphasizes that phenomena arise in dependence upon causes and conditions. Nothing exists independently; everything is interrelated and co-arises with other phenomena. This interdependence is an unfailing truth of existence.
• Emptiness -- inexpressible reality: Emptiness refers to the ultimate nature of phenomena, which is beyond any inherent, independent existence. This reality is inexpressible because it transcends conventional conceptualization and language.
• As long as these two seem separate, Buddha's insight is not understood: As long as we perceive interdependent appearance (dependent arising) and emptiness as two distinct or separate realities, we fail to understand the true nature of things. To truly comprehend the Buddha's wisdom, one must see that dependent arising and emptiness are two aspects of the same reality. They are not separate; rather, they explain each other.
• Empty because dependently arising: Phenomena are empty of inherent existence because they arise dependently. Since they depend on causes and conditions, they cannot possess an independent, self-sufficient essence. Their very nature of arising due to other factors makes them empty.
• Dependently arising because empty: The fact that phenomena can arise dependently is because they are empty of inherent existence. If things had a fixed, independent essence, they couldn't interact and give rise to other phenomena. It is precisely their lack of intrinsic nature that allows for the dynamic interplay of causes and conditions.

Phenomena are empty of inherent existence, intrinsic nature, or self-essence. This means that nothing exists independently, by its own power, or in its own right. Instead, everything exists in relation to other things, in a web of interdependence.

Like love and compassion, emptiness and dependent arising are two sides of the same coin. They are not contradictory but complementary:

• Dependent arising reveals how things appear and function in the world through mutual dependence.
• Emptiness reveals the ultimate nature of those things as lacking any inherent, independent existence.

Understanding this unity helps dissolve the dualistic view that separates the conventional from the ultimate. It leads to a direct realization of the Buddha's insight, where one perceives all phenomena as dependently arisen and thus inherently empty, and their emptiness as the very ground of their dependent arising.

Both the verse and Gelek Rimpoche's saying guide us to see that the conventional truth of interdependent phenomena and the ultimate truth of emptiness are inseparable. This realization is crucial for understanding the profound wisdom of the Buddha and the true nature of reality.