The Middle Way and the True Dharma
To understand what constitutes the true Dharma, one must first understand the Middle Way. However, since the term "Middle Way" has been interpreted in various ways, you may need to set aside any previous understandings before continuing.
Imagine someone who has never seen a tomato asks you:
- "Are tomatoes green?"
- You might answer, "Not necessarily."
- "Are they red?"
- "Not necessarily."
- "So, are tomatoes not green?" "Are they not red?"
- "Not necessarily."
- "Then, do tomatoes have no color?"
- "They do have color."
You might explain:
"A tomato being green is a partial view. A tomato being red is also a partial view. Saying it is not green or not red is likewise incomplete. Setting aside these partial viewpoints, the correct way to put it is: When unripe, a tomato is green; when ripe, it is red."
Why? Because you know that both colors exist, so you wouldn't answer with an outright "no." And because you know that its color depends on its stage of growth, you wouldn't simply say "yes" either.
You also wouldn't say, "First comes unripe, then comes green" or "First comes ripe, then comes red," because color is merely a phenomenon manifesting throughout the tomato’s life cycle—while causality exists, time itself is not linear in this way. There is no absolute "before" or "after."
Setting aside partial viewpoints—not leaning left or right, forward or backward—one explains things as they truly are: When certain conditions exist, corresponding phenomena arise; when conditions cease, the phenomena disappear. This perspective is the Middle Way, which is precisely the approach of the true Dharma as taught by the Buddha.
In Saṃyukta Āgama 301, the Buddha said to Kātyāyana:
"The world clings to two extremes—existence and nonexistence—both born from grasping onto sensory experiences. Because people grasp sensory experiences, they either adhere to the view of existence or nonexistence.
"If one does not grasp, does not cling, and does not conceptualize an ‘I,’ then when suffering arises, it is known as arising; when suffering ceases, it is known as ceasing—without doubt, without confusion, without relying on others, but through direct knowledge. This is right view; this is the right view established by the Tathāgata."
"Why? The arising of the world is known through direct understanding—thus one does not fall into nihilism. The cessation of the world is known through direct understanding—thus one does not fall into eternalism. This is how one transcends the two extremes.
"The Middle Way is expressed as: ‘When this exists, that exists; when this arises, that arises.’ Namely, with ignorance as condition, volitional formations arise… leading to the accumulation of suffering. With the cessation of ignorance, volitional formations cease… leading to the cessation of suffering."
Understanding This Teaching
People adopt two opposing views—either believing in absolute existence or nonexistence—both rooted in sensory experiences (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, remembering). When sensory experiences arise, individuals become attached, recalling and conceptualizing them as people, beings, material objects, minds, "you," "I," "he," "it," life, world, universe, etc. From this, they develop views of either "existence" or "nonexistence."
If one does not cling, does not recall, does not conceptualize sensory experiences as "this" or "that," does not impose an "I," and has no doubt about the principle that phenomena arise when conditions arise and cease when conditions cease—then one attains the Middle Way, which is right view in the Eightfold Path.
Why? Because when one truly understands how phenomena arise, one will not fall into nihilism or think the world is mere subjective imagination. Conversely, understanding how phenomena cease prevents one from mistakenly believing that the world is intrinsically substantial or objectively permanent.
Through this balanced perspective—neither clinging to extremes nor distorting reality—one sees things as they truly are:
- When this exists, that exists.
- When this arises, that arises.
- When this ceases, that ceases.
- When this is absent, that is absent.
Namely, when ignorance arises, volitional formations arise, leading to suffering such as aging, sickness, death, sorrow, and distress. When ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease, leading to the cessation of suffering.
How Do Theravāda and Mahāyāna Interpret These Principles Today?
Theravāda divides reality into conceptual phenomena and ultimate phenomena. Conceptual phenomena are considered non-existent—mere constructs of the mind—while ultimate phenomena are regarded as objectively real, directly knowable without conceptual reasoning.
These two perspectives are, again, based on grasping sensory experience to form views of “nonexistence” and “existence.” If one does not cling to sensory experiences, could one even define "conceptual" vs. "ultimate" phenomena? Clearly not. Theravāda’s entire framework of theory and practice is built upon this distinction.
With these two views in mind, desire drives people to act—leading them to practice meditation in a way that seeks to eliminate conceptual illusions and directly perceive ultimate reality.
From this practice, corresponding insights arise—called the eighteen insights.
When insight arises, associated feelings, sensations, perceptions, and thoughts also emerge—these are nāma-rūpa (mind and matter).
When nāma-rūpa exists, the six senses arise. When the six senses arise, contact occurs.
With subtle sensory contact, joy arises—termed dhamma joy.
With joy, craving arises. Craving strengthens the desire to deepen meditation and reinforces confidence in this approach—this is grasping through desire and views (taṇhā-upādāna).
Reviewing one’s past practice and continuing the same actions to maintain insight and joy—this is attachment to rituals (sīlabbata-upādāna).
Pride, satisfaction, and identification with insight and joy as achievements, experiences, or states of self—such as believing "I have attained insight," "I have experienced nirvana," "I have become liberated"—this is attachment to self-view (attavāda-upādāna).
Grasping leads to actions that sustain this attachment, generating karmic formations (bhava). These experiences, including sensual absorption (kāmabhava), form-based absorption (rūpabhava), and formless absorption (arūpabhava), all constitute further becoming (jāti).
From karmic and existential becoming, rebirth occurs. With rebirth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, and distress inevitably follow.
Mahāyāna presents additional perspectives—such as viewing reality as emptiness, illusion, neither existence nor nonexistence, both existence and nonexistence, "true emptiness and wondrous existence," or "eternal non-duality." But all of these, too, arise from clinging to sensory experience.
Thus, different meditation methods emerge based on these various views, each leading to corresponding insights, ultimately reinforcing cycles of suffering and distress.
All of this conforms to dependent origination:
- With ignorance, corresponding actions arise.
- With actions, consciousness arises.
- With consciousness, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, and distress follow.
Thus, none of these methods lead to liberation—they perpetuate cyclic existence.
This issue is not unique to Theravāda or Mahāyāna—all philosophies and worldviews follow similar patterns.
To transcend suffering, one must abandon partial viewpoints, turn inward, and observe reality directly:
- When conditions exist, phenomena arise.
- When conditions cease, phenomena disappear.
By seeing truth clearly, wisdom grows, ignorance fades.
With the cessation of ignorance, volitional formations cease, leading to the cessation of suffering.
The True Path to Liberation
Since this teaching leads to the cessation of suffering, it is well explained.
Since it is directly observable, it is self-evident.
Since phenomena arise from conditions rather than being sequential causes and effects, it is timeless.
Since anyone can verify it through observation, it is accessible.
Since it is structured upon right view, it is a guiding path.
Since the wise can realize it through effort, it is personally realizable by the discerning.