How Do We Know Cause and Condition Exist?

How can we be certain that cause and condition really exist? How can it be discovered and harvested? For example, suppose a machine in a factory suddenly stops functioning. The technician opens up the machine and discovers a small screw is broken. This small screw is the cause. When cause and condition are not fully satisfied, the machine will not function.

When we build a house, if a supporting beam is missing, the roof will collapse. When any ingredient of cause or condition is missing, it can have a great impact on the circumstances of our lives. Buddhism teaches that our bodies are made up of the combination of the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. These four great elements are the causes. We fall ill when the four elements are not harmonized. Why does a flower fail to blossom? Why is a harvest not abundant? It could be a lack of proper conditions, such as inadequate irrigation or fertilizer.

Even the space shuttle can be delayed by a simple computer problem. With the slightest offset in cause and condition, the resulting circumstance will be totally different. No matter what problems or difficulties we face, we must first reflect. We should examine the situation closely for any missing causes and conditions. We should not simply blame the gods or other people, or else we are creating further troubles for ourselves.

There are many situations in which a couple falls in love, only to find that the families oppose the marriage, criticizing the other party as unsuitable, poor, etc. When these conditions, or secondary causes, are absent, the marriage will not work. Other couples fall in love at first sight and get married with lightning speed. The rapid development of events is even beyond their comprehension. The man may reason that it is a case of “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

The woman may attribute it to the fact that “With the right conditions, people come to meet from thousands of miles away.” This is what we call ripened conditions. I will relate another story to illustrate the existence of cause and condition. Once, King Milinda asked Bhiksu Nagasena, "Are your eyes the real you?" Bhiksu Nagasena replied, “No!” King Milinda further inquired, “What about the ears?”“No!”“Does the nose represent you?”"No!” “Does the tongue represent you?”“No!”“Then, does it mean that your body is the real you?” “No, the existence of the body is only an illusory combination.”"The mind must be the real you then.”“It is not either.”

King Milinda was annoyed and asked further “Well, if the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and  thoughts are not you, then tell me, where is your true self'?” Bhiksu Nagasena grinned and replied with a question, “Does the window represent the house?” The King was taken by surprise and struggled for an answer, “No!” “How about the door?” “No!” “Does the bricks and tiles represent the house?” “No!” “Then, what about the furniture and pillars?” “No, of course not.” Bhiksu Nagasena smiled and asked, “If the window, door, bricks, tiles, furniture, and pillars do not represent the house, then where is the real house?”

King Milinda finally understood that causes, conditions, and effects cannot be separated nor understood through a biased and partial view. A house can only be built with the fulfillment of many conditions. Likewise, human existence also needs the satisfaction of many conditions. If we know the law of cause and condition, believe in its existence, plant good causes everywhere, and cultivate advantageous conditions all the time, our lives will be smooth paths, full of success. To conclude, I will give you this verse to ponder:

If one understands, the law of cause and condition,

One can find spring, in the midst of autumn frost and winter snow.