This excerpt introduces the Buddhist concept of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, explaining how it illuminates the hidden reality of past, present, and future lives and the cycle of samsara. It asserts that ignorance and actions (karma) from past lives lead to the present state of suffering, outlining the stages of development from consciousness entering the womb to physical senses, contact, and feeling. The text then describes how desire and clinging in the present life create future karma that results in rebirth and further suffering, comparing this cyclical process to being trapped in a twelve-walled prison or an endless turning wheel. Ultimately, it suggests that while breaking this cycle requires overcoming desire and clinging at a fundamental level, which is incredibly difficult, practicing the Pure Land method of chanting Amitabha Buddha's name offers a path to escape rebirth and attain liberation through the combined power of one's practice and Amitabha's vows.