The Dependent Origination of Thought: A Philosophical Inquiry (Bhūtatathatā Philosophy, Part I)

This study proposes the Principle of Dependent Origination of Thought, arguing that cognition, creativity, and invention arise not from autonomous origin, but from interdependent conditions. Drawing on Buddhist dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) and modern epistemology, the paper reinterprets thinking as a relational process of reconfiguration rather than creation ex nihilo. Through a series of philosophical propositions and aphorisms, the work develops a framework that bridges ontology, epistemology, and ethics. It challenges anthropocentric assumptions about originality and reframes human cognition as participation within a broader field of conditions. The study further explores ethical, ecological, and contemplative implications, suggesting that awareness of interdependence may ground humility, compassion, and a more relational understanding of intelligence. Rather than offering a closed doctrine, it opens a direction for rethinking cognition beyond the paradigm of autonomous subjectivity.