dependent origination

Also called dependent arising and interdependence. Dependent origination is a foundational Buddhist teaching that explains how phenomena arise, persist, and cease in dependence on causes and conditions, rather than existing independently or permanently. Often analyzed through the twelvefold chain describing the arising of suffering, the realization of dependent origination is regarded as central to the Buddha’s awakening. It underlies key doctrines such as impermanence, nonself, and emptiness.