Dependent Origination

The law of Dependent Origination is one of the most important teachings of the Buddha. It is a modern and scientific definition of cause and effect.

Dependent Origination's basis is that life and the world are built on a set of causes and conditions. It can be given in a short formula:

When this is, that is;
This arising, that arises;
When this is not, that is not;
This ceasing, that ceases.

This emphasizes an important principle that all life and processes in the universe are both the cause and effect of each other's existence. Nothing exists apart from the causes and conditions of its existence.

So what does this mean to you? Take a few seconds to reflect on all of the causes and conditions in your life that make you who you are and which have brought you to this point: your parents, their parents, your development and education, the cooperation and efforts of people in your community and country, the sun and moon and tides and the conditions for life on this planet. Remove any of these factors and you cease to exist. Cause and effect are the basis of your life.

(As notes, in a purely Buddhist sense, Dependent Origination is an introduction to the concept of Samsara (cyclic existence), but that is too complex for this overview. Also, I find it interesting that the Buddha taught this totally scientific and modern view over 2,500 years ago. This was roughly the time (539 - 334 BCE) that the Torah was being completed by Jewish scribes.)