Dependent Origination Explained: Causes, Self, and RealityBy Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
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This teaching can be disorienting at first, especially for those raised in cultures that emphasize individuality, free will, and personal identity. Yet when seen clearly, dependent origination reveals an extraordinary truth: life does not require a separate “me” to happen exactly as it does.
Understanding dependent origination can dissolve the illusion of separation. There is no central controller pulling the strings. What we call “the self” is simply a convenient label for a constantly shifting interplay of biology, culture, environment, and circumstance. The psychological sciences—particularly research on genetics, environment, and socioeconomic factors—support this ancient insight. Studies show that even the ZIP code we are born into predicts much of our financial and health outcomes. Taken together, these insights point to a reality where life unfolds as it must, without needing a self to manage or direct it. In this article, we’ll explore dependent origination through both its traditional Buddhist roots and modern psychological research. We’ll also reflect on how seeing life this way can radically shift our perspective, offering both humility and liberation. Get The FREE Awakening eBook✓ Discover what awakening is like
✓ Learn about the four stages between awakening & enlightenment ✓ Get exercises to progress Sign up below to get our FREE eBook. What Is Dependent Origination?Dependent origination (Sanskrit: pratītyasamutpāda, Pali: paṭiccasamuppāda) is the principle that all phenomena arise in dependence upon multiple causes and conditions. Nothing exists in isolation. Nothing arises independently. Every experience, thought, or event is the result of countless interwoven factors.
The Buddha illustrated this principle with the famous “twelve links” of dependent origination, which describe how suffering perpetuates itself. In simplified form, ignorance gives rise to mental formations, which shape consciousness, which conditions name-and-form, leading to the senses, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, and ultimately aging and death. Each link depends on the previous one, forming a chain without a first beginning. The inverse of this process is the fetters, or how we deconstruct these illusions. But dependent origination is not just about suffering. It is about the very structure of reality. Every breath you take, every thought you think, every sensation you feel—each is contingent on infinite prior causes. Air exists because of plants producing oxygen. The chair you sit on exists because of trees, factory workers, global supply chains, and transportation systems. Even your ability to read this article arises from education, eyesight, the invention of language, and the conditions that gave you internet access. From a nondual perspective, this understanding undermines the notion of an independent self. If everything is conditioned, then the “self” is also conditioned—arising from genetics, upbringing, cultural context, and prior experiences. The “I” is not a permanent entity but an emergent pattern, no more independent than a wave is from the ocean. Dependent Origination: Causes Without a SelfA central implication of dependent origination is that life unfolds without needing a separate self to direct it. The common assumption is that “I” make choices and cause things to happen. But if we look carefully, every decision, preference, or behavior can be traced back to prior causes.
The Psychology of Genes and Environment Modern psychology echoes this insight. The nature versus nurture debate has shown that behavior is shaped by both genetics and environment. Personality traits, mental health, and even tendencies toward resilience or vulnerability are influenced by complex interactions between inherited genes and lived experience. For example, research on gene–environment interactions shows that genetic predispositions may only express themselves under certain environmental conditions. A child with a genetic vulnerability to anxiety may flourish in a supportive home but struggle in a high-stress environment. This mirrors the principle of dependent origination: nothing emerges in isolation. Behavior arises from an intricate web of causes. Even decisions that feel personal—like choosing a career or a partner—are profoundly influenced by conditions. Education systems, socioeconomic status, cultural expectations, and early childhood experiences all shape what seems like “my choice.” When seen clearly, choice itself is conditioned, arising without a central controller. The Impact of Socioeconomic Conditions Research in sociology and public health further confirms this. Numerous studies have shown that ZIP code predicts life outcomes more reliably than almost any other variable. The neighborhood where you are born affects your access to education, healthcare, safety, and opportunity. It shapes your chances of upward mobility, health outcomes, and even life expectancy. In other words, much of what we consider “personal success” is deeply conditioned by factors outside of our control. This doesn’t mean individuals lack agency, but rather that agency itself is a conditioned phenomenon—not the expression of an independent self, but the unfolding of infinite causes and conditions. The Illusion of the Self as a Doer From the nondual view, the sense of self as a separate “doer” is itself a mental construct. Decisions happen. Thoughts appear. Actions unfold. Yet the mind interprets these events as “I am deciding,” “I am thinking,” “I am acting.” This interpretation creates the illusion of an autonomous self. But when examined closely, no such entity can be found. There are thoughts, sensations, and actions, but no independent “owner” of them. Just as a flame requires fuel, oxygen, and heat to arise, the self requires countless conditions to appear. And just as there is no flame apart from these conditions, there is no self apart from the interplay of causes. Dependent Origination and NondualityNonduality points to the recognition that all apparent separations are conceptual distinctions rather than actual divisions. Dependent origination is one of the clearest gateways into this realization. If everything arises in dependence on everything else, then no phenomenon is truly separate.
This insight may begin to dissolve the boundary between self and world. Your body depends on food, water, and air. Your thoughts depend on language, culture, and education. Your emotions depend on biology, hormones, and relationships. Where, then, is the boundary between “you” and “everything else”? From this perspective, awakening is not about annihilating the self but about seeing through its illusory independence. Life is a vast interdependent unfolding, with no need for a separate agent at the center. What we call “me” is part of a seamless field. Dependent origination can be a gateway into seeing that everything is connected, even when we still perceive the subject/object duality. Scientific Parallels to Dependent OriginationOne of the strengths of dependent origination is its resonance with modern science. Far from being an abstract spiritual idea, it aligns with the most rigorous research in psychology, biology, and sociology.
Together, these findings provide a modern language for dependent origination. They reveal how deeply interconnected our lives are—and how misplaced the belief in an independent self truly is. The Liberation of Seeing Dependent OriginationAt first, dependent origination can seem deterministic, even overwhelming. If everything is conditioned, then where is freedom? But Buddhist philosophy suggests that liberation lies not in controlling conditions, but in seeing through the illusion of a separate self.
When the illusion of independent agency is seen through, a profound ease can arise. Life unfolds just as it always has—but without the burden of a self that needs to manage, control, or perfect it. Responsibility still exists, but it is understood as part of the unfolding web, not as a weight carried by a separate individual. From a nondual perspective, dependent origination reveals the inseparability of all things. There is no “me” apart from “you,” no individual apart from the whole. Life is one vast movement, arising from itself, in itself, as itself. Dependent Origination, Compassion, and BlameOne of the most transformative implications of dependent origination is how it reshapes the way we relate to others. When we see that every action, belief, and outcome arises from causes and conditions, blame naturally softens. Instead of locating fault in an isolated “self,” we recognize the vast network of influences that shape human behavior.
Take political views, for example. People often hold strong positions that seem to come from personal conviction. Yet when we look closely, political beliefs are conditioned by upbringing, culture, education, economic pressures, and even media exposure. If someone was raised in a rural community with limited access to diverse perspectives, their worldview will naturally differ from someone raised in an urban, multicultural environment. The differences are not evidence of moral failings but reflections of differing causes. Homelessness provides another clear illustration. It is tempting to assume homelessness stems from laziness or irresponsibility. But research shows that homelessness is often the result of systemic conditions: lack of affordable housing, cycles of poverty, childhood trauma, or untreated mental illness. Just as a plant cannot grow without soil, water, and sunlight, human flourishing depends on supportive conditions. When those conditions are absent, struggle is inevitable. Dependent Origination & Blame From the perspective of dependent origination, blame becomes misplaced. If all behavior arises through conditions, then condemnation of the individual misses the bigger picture. This does not mean excusing harm or denying accountability; rather, it invites us to understand harmful actions as the product of difficult conditions, not as the essence of a person. The nondual perspective deepens this understanding even further. If there is no separate self, then there is no isolated “other” to blame. There is only life unfolding through countless interdependencies. Recognizing this naturally gives rise to compassion. We begin to see others’ struggles not as their personal shortcomings, but as reflections of the same interconnected web that shapes our own lives. Compassion becomes not a moral effort, but the natural response to seeing reality clearly. Normal Perspective vs. Dependent Origination PerspectiveThis table explores how everyday experiences are viewed differently when seen through the lens of dependent origination compared to the conventional perspective.
Final Thoughts on Dependent OriginationDependent origination is one of the most profound insights of Buddhist philosophy, and when seen through a nondual lens, it transforms our understanding of reality. Everything arises through causes and conditions. Genes, environment, culture, and circumstance shape every aspect of our lives. The research is clear: from the ZIP code we live in to the family we are born into, conditions shape outcomes more than individual will.
The self is not an independent agent but part of an interdependent web. Choices happen, actions occur, but they are the expressions of conditions—not the commands of a separate self. In realizing this, the burden of separation falls away. Life continues to unfold, just as it always has, but with the recognition that there is no independent doer. There is only the play of conditions, arising and passing in a seamless whole. From this view, awakening is not the attainment of something new but the recognition of what has always been true: there never was a separate self. There has only ever been life, unfolding perfectly, through dependent origination. |
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