From these debates what we need to develop is conviction that effects are created by their own causes and conditions, including karma and intention.  In dependence upon this conviction, we will realize that we have responsibility, a great responsibility for all the effects in this world. 

Perhaps we can go so far as to say, the responsibility is entirely ours.  What kind of world we live in, what kind of people we live with, inhabitants of that world, whether we’re happy or whether we suffer, is entirely our responsibility. Mine, it is my responsibility.  There’s great resistance to this, because perhaps we feel this world was already in a mess, even before I arrived.  But when we dream, our dream world comes with a complete past.  We want to blame others for everything that is wrong in the world and, above all, how they treat us.  Why should I take responsibility?  We think, I’m hardly responsible for what’s happening on the other side of the world.  In what way am I responsible for any of those things?  Of course, from the perspective of circumstantial causes, we are only indirectly responsible at best.  But because these things are empty, they arise from our karma.  They are created by our mind.  They are occurring within our dream. 

In what way are these things, these effects, in any way dependent upon me sitting in my room doing nothing?  Hmm, we are doing nothing, perhaps that is why our world is degenerating.  When we don’t understand what are the causes and conditions, we have a tendency to say it is caused by something other than ourself, like an external God.

One of the main differences between Buddhism and many other religions is that we take full responsibility, we don’t blame anyone or anything other than our own mind for what happens in the world.  If everything really is created by mind, then it is each individual’s responsibility, isn’t it, for what happens in their world.  Every effect that appears to our mind we must have been involved in in some way, in its creation, surely.  If not, then that thing would be inherently existent.  If there is nothing inherently existent, arising separately from our mind, then we are indeed responsible for everything.

Surely any effect that appears to our mind, we must have been involved in some way in its creation. If we acknowledge that, then really we will take full responsibility.   Not just for ourself but for others too, won’t we?  From the point of view of emptiness, we have to take full responsibility for ourselves and for others.  Even in the section on exchanging self with others, we concluded that others’ faults, whatever fault there is, is ours. It is my fault.  Whatever goes wrong in this world is my fault? That is taking full responsibility, isn’t it?  It is my responsibility to change what happens in the world?  My sole responsibility?  As soon as we include someone else, god-like or non-god, we share the responsibility, it’s not entirely my responsibility, not entirely my fault, which self-cherishing would be quite happy with.