Causal chain

Refers to the source, origin, or cause of worldly phenomena, their original form, the reason they come into existence, the source of their arising.  The Buddha speaks of the Twelve Nidāna, or Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, that are the twelve factors linked together in a chain of birth, life, suffering, death and rebirth for human beings.

P & S: nidāna, V: duyên, nhân duyên