cause and effect; karma; retribution
A Buddhist-derived yojijukugo emphasizing the inescapable link between actions and their consequences, often with a negative connotation of inevitable retribution.
People who believe in karma try to avoid bad deeds.
彼の不幸は因果因縁だと噂された。
His misfortune was rumored to be retribution for past actions.
A yojijukugo combining 因果 (cause and effect, karma) and 因縁 (hetu and pratyaya, direct and indirect causes, fate). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is used to emphasize the Buddhist concept of karmic retribution.