Buddhism views all phenomena as arising from a combination of multiple causes and conditions, rather than a single cause and effect. Our bodies exist due to the proper arrangement of elements like earth, water, fire and wind, which represent the causes, while the conditions ensure their harmonious interaction. Similarly, a new house requires various materials like bricks, cement and wood as causes, but also conditions like skilled workers and sufficient time. Causes and effects are interdependent and co-arising, with no single first cause or effect. Everything exists dependently and lacks a permanent essence, making all phenomena empty.

1. Cause and Condition
Buddhism basically touches on the scenario of cause and condition more than the
case of cause and effect. Frankly speaking, all phenomenal existences are
products of the proper combination of causes and conditions. For example,
according to the philosophy of yin-yang, our bodies are made up of the
combination of four great elements of earth, water, fire and wind and if any of
these elements are not in a harmonious orientation, we would be taken ill
physically. These four elements would represent the causes and the conditions
would be the need for it to orientate with one another harmoniously at all times or
otherwise, our bodies would fall sick as the result.
The principle-in-effect: -
This arising (the cause and condition), that arises (the result);
This ceasing (the cause and condition), that ceases (the result).
In other words, everything that exists is the result of multiple causes and
conditions. Each of the causes would need other causes to be present together
with their respective conditions. Just like for a new house to exist, we need the
bricks, cement, wood, iron rods, roof tiles, plastic pipes and other materials. The
construction can only be completed when one has all the essential materials and
all the prerequisites are met, such as the skillfulness of the workers, the time
allocation, etc. The wood needs the forest, the sunshine, the rain, etc. The
workers need their parents, their meals, their clothing, their shelters, etc. If we
were to observe these scenarios in its entirety, we could realise that everything in
the cosmos attributed to the existence of the new house; without it, the new
house would be impossible. The clear fact here is that one cause is never enough
to bring about an effect. A cause must, at the same time, be an effect, and every
effect must also be the cause of something else.
The principle-in-effect: -
Cause 1 conjures up Effect 1,
Effect 1 conjures up Cause 1-1,
Cause 1-1 conjures up Effect 1-1,
Effect 1-1 conjures up Cause 1-1-1,
.., etc.
Therefore, cause and effect are simply two aspects of the same thing. The only
difference between these two aspects is the time of event. In other words, cause

2. and effect are inter-changing, inter-relating and inter-waving with one another.
This is how the conventional reality works i.e. not in-linear but in inter-
dependence, inter-woven and inter-relation since the dawn of time in a very
comprehensive and complicated network of existence. In other words, cause and
effect cannot be referred independently in a linear point of reference and
therefore, no first cause, no first effect can be found within the dependent nature.
Instead, there is only inter-dependent co-arising of all things or matters. This
means everything that exists is empty because there is no essence to anything
and nothing has ever existed in its own quality – nothing is permanent and
unchanging. All objects exist conditionally without an eternal essence i.e. every
existence is empty and emptiness is in every existence.