The Twelve Nidānas (Pali/Sanskrit: nidāna “cause, motivation, link”) are twelve links doctrine of Buddhism where each link is asserted as a primary causal relationship between the connected links.[2][3] These links present the mechanistic basis of repeated birth, Samsara, and resultant Dukkha (suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness) starting from avidyā (ignorance, misconceptions).[2][a]
The Twelve Nidānas doctrine is one application of the Buddhist concept of pratītyasamutpāda (dependent origination).