nidāna

The term nidāna refers to the links in the chain of dependent origination, a fundamental concept in Buddhism that explains the causes of suffering and the cycle of rebirth, old age, and death. This chain, often depicted as 12 links, illustrates how one condition arises from another, leading to the continuous process of existence.12

The 12 links are:
* Ignorance (avijja)
* Faulty thought-constructions (sankhara)
* Knowledge (vinnana)
* Name and form (nama-rupa)
* The six domains (ayatana)
* Contact (phassa)
* Sensation (vedana)
* Thirst (tanha)
* Grasping (upadana)
* The process of becoming (bhava)
* Birth (jati)
* Old age and death (jara-marana)12

Understanding this chain is crucial for achieving emancipation from the cycle of suffering. The bhava-cakra, or wheel of becoming, visually represents this cycle, with the nidānas depicted around its rim.123