Dependent origination (pratityasamutpada/paticca-samuppada) is the foundational Buddhist teaching that nothing exists independently—everything arises through a web of interconnected causes and conditions. This principle applies to both external phenomena (like plants growing from seeds, soil, water, and sunlight) and internal experiences (like thoughts and emotions arising from various mental and physical factors).

The Buddha taught dependent origination in three complementary ways: First, phenomena arise due to specific causes and conditions—nothing comes from nothing. Second, everything depends on its component parts for existence—a car exists only because of its engine, wheels, frame, and countless other parts working together. Third, our understanding of things depends on mental labeling and conceptualization—we recognize something as a “tree” through learned categories.

Classical texts illustrate this teaching through accessible examples. In the Pali canon, the Maha-hatthipadopama Sutta uses the metaphor of an elephant’s footprint to show how the five aggregates function interdependently. The Mahayana Rice Seedling Sutra demonstrates how a rice plant grows through multiple causes and conditions (seed, soil, water/seasons, temperature, cultivation), paralleling how ignorance and mental habits perpetuate cycles of suffering.

Understanding dependent origination reveals that since everything arises through causes and conditions, everything can also change when those causes and conditions change. This insight offers both humility (recognizing our dependence on countless factors) and empowerment (knowing that suffering can be transformed by addressing its causes).

Everything in existence—from natural phenomena to human achievements, thoughts, and experiences—arises through countless interconnected causes and conditions. This understanding cultivates both gratitude for the web of support that enables our lives and wisdom about how to create positive change.

Choose an everyday object and trace its “story”—the materials, labor, transportation, and countless other factors that brought it into existence. Notice how this investigation shifts your relationship to the object from taking it for granted to appreciating its interconnected nature. Practice this same awareness with personal achievements, recognizing the teachers, supporters, circumstances, and conditions that contributed to your success.

• For a simple everyday object, consider: What were the main causes for this thing to arise?
• What were some of the supportive conditions necessary for this object to exist?
• Can you identify examples of all three types of dependent arising in your daily life?
• How does understanding interdependence change your perspective on personal success and failure?

Investigate the interconnected nature of phenomena through direct observation; cultivate appreciation for the web of conditions supporting daily life; and apply the principle of dependent origination to understand how positive change is possible by addressing root causes.