"Do not overlook negative actions merely because they are small; however small a spark may be, it can burn down a haystack as big as a mountain. Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel."
- The Buddha
Dependent Origination
Dependent Origination is also called the law of causality. In this teaching, the Buddha says that nothing exists on its own, but always has come from earlier circumstances. This revelation came to the Buddha at his Enlightenment.
Many circumstances and components were needed for the process of creating all items in our lives - a cup that we use to drink from, a muffin that we eat, and the chair upon which we sit.
In the same way, we did not spontaneously come into existence at birth, we are the result of our parents, of the circumstances of their meeting, and of all that happened before. Every thing is always a consequence of something before, that is, the origin of everything is not unique, it is dependent on a particular set of circumstances having happened.
Dependant origination is similar to cause and effect, and closely links to the Four Noble Truths. Desire causes suffering, one is dependent on the other. Following the path causes desire to reduce and so causes suffering to be reduced.
If you begin to see everything as dependant on everything else, then you will need to look to the larger picture where everything we think and do affects the future.
In essence, the Buddha did not see a separate and benevolent creator who could act on our behalf. He saw the interdependence of all life and the cause and effect of actions which create their own future.
Many circumstances and components were needed for the process of creating all items in our lives - a cup that we use to drink from, a muffin that we eat, and the chair upon which we sit.
In the same way, we did not spontaneously come into existence at birth, we are the result of our parents, of the circumstances of their meeting, and of all that happened before. Every thing is always a consequence of something before, that is, the origin of everything is not unique, it is dependent on a particular set of circumstances having happened.
Dependant origination is similar to cause and effect, and closely links to the Four Noble Truths. Desire causes suffering, one is dependent on the other. Following the path causes desire to reduce and so causes suffering to be reduced.
If you begin to see everything as dependant on everything else, then you will need to look to the larger picture where everything we think and do affects the future.
In essence, the Buddha did not see a separate and benevolent creator who could act on our behalf. He saw the interdependence of all life and the cause and effect of actions which create their own future.