In Buddhism, the teachings discuss cause and effect (karmic causality) and also address conditions and circumstances.
- Cause (因): The primary cause or direct reason.
- Condition (縁): Minor or distant causes from the past, such as indirect factors or environments that influence the outcome.
Buddhism explains cause and conditions (differences) and, as its ultimate principle, teaches "emptiness" (equality). To understand emptiness (equality), the experience of "enlightenment" is essential, though it seems that this cannot be achieved through books alone. Ordinary people can only catch a glimpse of the great enlightenment of the Buddha and the ancestors through auspicious opportunities.