Dependent Origination: Why Nothing Exists on Its Own

Nothing exists independently!

Everything we see in this universe does not possess independent existence. Everything depends on something else for its existence.

For example, a car does not have an independent existence. It is made of a combination of countless other things such as engine, tyres, metal, plastic, glass and so on. Each of these parts is made of something else and ultimately the car is a projection of our mind. So how can it appear to have independent existence? It doesn’t!

What about our ideas? Don’t they have independent existence? No. Ideas are nothing but an accumulation of thoughts in our mind. Every idea arises from other ideas. Even the thought “I want to do something in my life” depends on thousands of causes and conditions that brought it into being.

We can confidently say that nothing whether physical objects or thoughts truly exists independently. This is the essence of Dependent origination. (प्रतित्यसमुत्पाद)