Dependent origination, Wheel of Life if you will, is a fundamental, and many say the hardest to comprehend of all the Buddha's teachings.

Here it is:

Through ignorance are conditioned volitional actions or kamma-formations.
Through volitional actions is conditioned consciousness.
Through consciousness are conditioned mental and physical phenomena.
Through mental and physical phenomena are conditioned the six faculties(i.e., five physical sense-organs and mind).
Through the six faculties is conditioned (sensorial and mental) contact.
Through (sensorial and mental)contact is conditioned sensation.
Through sensation is conditioned desire, 'thirst".
Through desire ('thirst') is conditioned clinging.
Through clinging is conditioned the process of becoming.
Through the process of becoming is conditioned birth.
Through birth are conditioned decay, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.
Death.

So what all this mess means? In short it means that ignorant minds create reality, it's stupidity which creates all you see around you.

Not what you like to hear is it? Tough nookie! That's reality.

Studying Dependent Origination is a superb way to exercise the mind, understand it profoundly, and you are on your way to a noble equanimity of the mind.