The Buddhist Perspective on Cause and Condition
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ti<strong>on</strong>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> result will be as futile as looking for fish <strong>on</strong><br />
trees.<br />
B. Wholesome or Unwholesome<br />
<strong>Cause</strong>s <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s can be good or evil.<br />
Wholesome causes <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s are good. Unwholesome<br />
causes <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s are evil. Let us<br />
suppose a pers<strong>on</strong> lives to be a hundred years old. If<br />
he/she does not underst<strong>and</strong> the cause of arising <strong>and</strong><br />
ceasing—the ultimate reas<strong>on</strong> for existence—<strong>and</strong> <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
comprehends cause <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> superficially,<br />
he/she will be easily enslaved by changing envir<strong>on</strong>ments<br />
<strong>and</strong> be trapped in dark <strong>and</strong> evil causes <strong>and</strong><br />
c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s without the chance for liberati<strong>on</strong>. On the<br />
other h<strong>and</strong>, if a pers<strong>on</strong> has a firm belief <strong>and</strong> correct<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing, then all resulting causes <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
will be bright <strong>and</strong> virtuous.<br />
C. Internal or External<br />
<strong>Cause</strong>s <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s can be internal or external.<br />
External causes <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s are the comm<strong>on</strong>ly<br />
noticed envir<strong>on</strong>mental factors. Internal causes <strong>and</strong><br />
c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s are more related to intrinsic value. It is like<br />
farming a field. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> external factors may be the same,<br />
but the harvest from different seeds is not. Seeds, in<br />
this instance, have different causes <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s of<br />
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