Endless Knot

Western physics tends to view causality as a line: A causes B, which causes C. Eastern philosophy views it as a knot. The Endless Knot (Srivatsa) demonstrates this visually. Follow any line in the diagram, and you will eventually return to where you started. It represents the reality of pratītyasamutpāda (Dependent Origination)—that nothing exists independently. Everything is the result of a cause, and every cause is the result of a previous effect. The knot is the structure of reality itself.

Beyond simple cause-and-effect, the knot symbolizes the union of opposites. In Tibetan Buddhism, it represents the inseparability of Wisdom (understanding emptiness) and Compassion (acting with love). Just as the lines of the knot are intertwined and cannot be pulled apart without destroying the whole pattern, wisdom and compassion must exist together to achieve enlightenment. It is a 'causal ecosystem' where ethics and intellect are woven into one.

For the unawakened, the knot is a prison—the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (Samsara). We are trapped in the loops of our own making, repeating the same mistakes. But for the enlightened, the knot is the key. By understanding the connections, one can navigate the web. It teaches that there is no 'outside' to escape to; there is only the realization that the weaver and the web are one.