The Buddhist Perspective on Cause and Condition

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.
<strong>The</strong>re 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. <strong>The</strong> rapid development of events is even beyond
their comprehension. <strong>The</strong> man may reason that
it is a case of “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
<strong>The</strong> woman may attribute it to the fact that “With the
right conditions, people come to meet from thousands
- 22 -