My dear friends,

The fifth precept in Atiśa's "The Best" is:

This precept asserts that the wisdom of emptiness and dependent arising is an antidote to the Three Poisons of attachment, aversion, and ignorance. These root defilements lead to unskillful actions that bring about harm and suffering.

Attachment arises from a desire to possess or cling to things that are perceived as pleasant, and aversion emerges from a desire to reject or push away those that are perceived as unpleasant. Both of these are fueled by ignorance, a fundamental misunderstanding of the true nature of all phenomena – the belief in an intrinsic, independent existence of self and other objects. When we see things as solid, separate, and permanent, we react with clinging, rejection, or confusion, leading to actions that bind us to cycles of suffering (samsara).

The wisdom of emptiness understands that no phenomena possess an inherent, independent nature. Rather, all things arise dependently, interlinked through causes and conditions.Things do not exist by themselves; they do not have a fixed, self-sufficient essence. Instead, everything is part of a web of interdependent relations.

In the context of the Three Poisons, recognizing the emptiness of all phenomena acts as a powerful antidote. Greed and aversion dissolve when we see that there is nothing truly independent or substantial to cling to or reject. For example, if we perceive wealth as inherently valuable and capable of providing lasting happiness, we may be overcome by greed. However, understanding that wealth is not an independent, intrinsic source of joy—that it is dependent on various external conditions—helps release that clinging. Similarly, aversion weakens when we see that the things or people we dislike do not have a fixed, unchangeable nature that makes them inherently bad. Finally, delusion, which clouds our vision and keeps us from seeing reality as it is, dissipates when we grasp the truth of dependent arising and emptiness.

The unity of these two principles is crucial: dependent arising shows how things function in the conventional world, while emptiness reveals the ultimate nature of those things. Holding these two views together allows one to navigate the world without falling into extremes of nihilism (thinking nothing matters or exists) or eternalism (believing things have a fixed, unchanging essence). Understanding this non-dual nature prevents the Three Poisons from taking root, as it eradicates the fundamental ignorance that underlies them.

Therefore, Atiśa's precept that the best antidote is recognizing the emptiness of intrinsic existence is a call to see beyond the superficial appearance of things. This wisdom goes directly to the root cause of suffering: the misconception that things, including the self, have an independent, unchanging essence. When one fully realizes that all things are empty and interdependent, the reactive patterns of clinging, aversion, and delusion are naturally loosened. This brings about a state of equanimity and freedom, paving the way for genuine compassion and wisdom—the qualities of the Bodhisattva path.

In sum, recognizing emptiness is not just an intellectual understanding but a lived realization that transforms how one interacts with the world, breaking the cycle of suffering perpetuated by the Three Poisons.