Following The Rule of Dependent-Arising vs. Interfering With The Rule of Dependent-Arising?

Someone asked a Chan master: What is the difference between ‘following the rule of Dependent-arising” and “interfering with the rule of Dependent-arising’? How can you tell? ​

The Chan master replied: I can use a short story to explain how to distinguish them. 

In autumn, a little monk had to clean the fallen leaves in the yard every day. One day, another monk came to ask, “Is it tiring to sweep the floor every day?”

The little monk said: “I have to do it even though it is tiring.”
 “Let me tell you how to avoid it.”
 “How?”
​“Climb up the tree and pull off all the leaves.”

Pulling off all the leaves is interfering with the rule of Dependent-arising, while letting the leaves fall is following the rule of Dependent-arising.

Then he asked: How do you understand the two Buddhism idioms: “Following the rule of Dependent-arising, and remaining unchanged” and “Remaining unchanged, and following the rule of Dependent-arising”?

The Master said: Take control of your mind, and keep your mission and aspiration unchanged. This is the basis to develop yourself through following the rule of Dependent-arising. Blindly following will easily become drifting with the current. Not making any change at all is likely to make you divorced from reality. Remaining unchanged, and following the rule of Dependent-arising indicate being disciplined and flexible at the same time.​