Nidāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means "cause, motivation or occasion" depending on the context. The word is derived from the Sanskrit prefix ni- plus the root dā, forming the verb nidā. This in turn yields the noun nidāna. It appears in the Rigveda, such as hymn 10.114.2, and other Hindu scriptures, wherein it means "primary or first cause, linked cause"; in other contexts, nidāna refers to the literal meaning of a rope or band that links, binds or fastens one thing to another, such as a...