One thing begets another. A particular event kicks off followed by a series of the similar appearing as if each is caused by the preceding one. Karma is what eastern philosophy calls it giving it a moral dimension.

Empiricists prefer cause as a term. I'm not sure what to call it because I think it is a phenomenon not much understood and there are clear limitations by default as to how much understanding there can be here in any case. Cause and karma may turn out to be only in the human imagination.

Despite its religious character “beget” is a good word. It suggests the conjoined nature of things and the relation each event has to another without suggesting one is necessarily causing the other. Although probably not possible it would be useful to know the genuine start-off point as one event begets another in a sequence simply that the unwanted ones can be stopped and the wanted ones encouraged.

Whatever the slim possibilities for free will existing, here is the crux.