KARMA - CAUSE AND EFFECT!
Karma refers to action. The intentional deeds we do with our body, speech and mind through action, talking and thinking!
Karmic law always bear fruits when condition ripen.
HOW DOES KARMA WORK?
All deeds leave imprints or mental seeds on our consciousness, which we ripen into our experiences when the appropriate conditions come together.
For example if we help someone with a kind heart, this action leaves a positive imprint on our midstream.
When conditions are suitable, this imprints will ripen in our receiving of help when we need it. Karmic seeds are carried over with us from lifetime to lifetime. However if we do not create the cause or karma for something, we will not experience that result. If one does not plant a certain seed, that certain plant will not grow.
The Buddha Taught:
According to the seed that is sown,
So is the fruit you reap,
The doer of good will gather good result,
The doer of evil reaps evil result,
If you plant a good seed well,
Then you will enjoy the good fruits.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECT OF KARMA?
karma affects our future rebirths and influences what we experience during tour lives-how others treat us, our wealth, social status etc.
Karma also affects our personality and character-our talents, strong personality traits and habits, the kind of environment we are born into is also influenced by karma.
We are according to what we have done.
We will be according to what we do.
WHAT KIND OF KARMA ARE THERE?
If an action brings pain and misery in the long term for oneself and others, it is unwholesome or negative karma. and if it brings happiness, it is wholesome or positive karma.
Actions are not inherently good or bad - they are only according to their motivational and the consequences they brings. Whatever happiness and fortune we experience in our lives are result from our positive action, while our problems from our own negative actions.
HOW IS NEGATIVE KARMA CREATED?
Killing
Stealing
Sexual misconduct
Lying
Tale-bearing
Harsh speech
Idle talk
Craving (Greed)
Aversion (Anger)
Wrong views
HOW IS POSITIVE KARMA CREATED?
There are 10 wholesome actions which one ought to strive to do to create positive karma.
The 10 wholesome actions include avoidance of the 10 unwholesome actions
Charity
Self restrain
Meditation
Reverence
Service
Sharing of merits
Rejoicing I others merits
Hearing the Dharma
Teaching the Dharma
Straightening one's view.
CAN KARMA BE CREATED TOGETHER?
Karma is both collective and individual.
Collective karma is action done together as a group. For example, a group of people kill together. The results of this action can be experienced together as a group in the future lives.
Yet each member of the group thinks, speaks and act differently thus creating individual karma, the result of which only one will experience.
WHO KARMA CONTROL?
There is no one who decides the "reward and punishment" for what we do. We create the causes of our actions, we experience their results. We are responsible for our own experiences. he Buddha discovered the law of karma; He did not create it.
No one create this natural law. By teaching us the law of karma, the Buddha showed us how to work within the functioning of cause and effects to avoid pain and attain True Happiness.
IS EVERYTHING SUBJECT TO KARMA
The law of karma does not apply to "mindless" neutral action such as walking, sitting, sleeping. such action do not produce effects apart from the action itself.
However karma applies to the intentional thoughts one thinks. Similarly. accidents are considered neutral karma because they are unintentional. However, we should always work toward increasing our mindfulness such that accident do not occur.
CAN KARMA CHANGE?
Karma is not inflexibly fixed - it is not fate or predestination, intentional actions at some time or another produce their effects when favorable conditions exist.
Though people in their present lives are experiencing the effects of their past actions (Karma) , it is possible to change, reduces or increase the effect of these past actins through present actions and attitude, which can affect the immediate and future helps one realize that we are whatever we make ourselves to be. We are entirely responsible for our destinies.
HOW DO WE KNOW KNOW OUR KARMA?
The Buddha gave us general guidelines about the results of various actions. For example, the Buddha taught us that killings causes a short life and that generosity results in wealth.
However, only a Buddha omniscient mind can understand the complete dynamics of karma.
There is flexibility in the functioning of actions and their results. While we know that constantly insulting others, for example brings an unfortunate rebirth, just exactly what form we will be reborn into varies. if the action was heavy- for example, with strong anger we repeatedly abuse many people and felt gratified that we had hurt their feelings, the result will be more unpleasant than if we casually teased someone and later regretted our insensitivities.
The condition present at the time that karmic seeds ripen also influence what specific result it brings.
IS KARMA ALWAYS FAIR?
When we see dishonest people who are wealthy , or cruel people who are powerful, or kind people who die young, we ma doubt the law of karma.
But many of the result we experience in this life are results of action in previous lives, and some of the action we do in this life will only ripen in future life's - this is called long term karma. (Short term karma is that which shows results within a short period of time.)
The wealth of dishonest might be result of their generosity in past lives. Their current dishonesty is however leaving karmic seeds to experience poverty in future lives.
Likewise the respect and authority given to cruel people is due to positive action they did in the past. Those die young young are experiencing the result of negative actions such as killing done in past lives. However, their present kindness is planting seeds or imprint on their mind stream for them to experience happiness in the future.
WILL WE SURELY EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE KARMA?
When seeds even small ones are planted in the ground the will eventually sprout- unless they do not receive the needed condition for growth-such as water, sunlight and fertilizer. The ultimate way to uproot karmic imprint or seeds is by meditating on the emotionless of inherent existence.
This is the way to purify the disturbing attitude and karmic imprint completely.
At our level this maybe rather difficult, but we can still stop the harmful imprint from ripening by purifying. This is like preventing the seeds from receiving water, sunlight and fertilizer. Doing much good too can dilute the ill effect of negative karma.
HOW CAN WE PURIFY NEGATIVE KARMA?
Purifications important as it prevent future suffering and relief guilt. By purifying our mind we are able to have grater peace,and have better ability to understand the Dharma.
The 4 opponents power use to purify negative imprints or seeds are:
Regret
Determine to never repeat action
Taking the Threefold Refuge and generating Compassion towards others
Actual remedial practice (Positive action-including apologizing,asking possible amends, practice mediation and chanting)
The four opponent power must be done repeatedly. As we have done many negative actions,we cannot expect to counteract all of them at once.
The stronger the 4 opponents power are, the firmer our determination not to repeat the action and the more powerful the purification will be.
DOES KARMA DETERMINE WHO WE MEET?
Yes- but this does not mean all relationship are predetermine. We may have certain karmic predisposition to feel close to or have friction with certain people, but this does not mean the relationship will be continue along the same line.
If we are kind to those who speak ill of us and try to communicate with them, the relationship will change, creating a [positive karma that will bring happiness in the future.
We are not karmically bound to others - there're no special people who are the only one for us. Since we have many past lives, we have had contact with every being at some pint before.
Our relationship with any particular person also change constantly. However past karmic connection can influence our present relationship. for example, if someone has been our spiritual mentor in a past life, we may be drawn to that person in this lifetime, and when he or she teaches us the Dharma, it may have a very strong effects on us.
IF OTHERS SUFFER FROM NEGATIVE KARMA, CAN WE HELP THEM?
We know what is like to feel miserable, and that is exactly how others feels when they are experiencing the results of their own destructive action. Out of empathy and compassion, we should definitely help. Though others created the causes to experience their difficulties, maybe they also created the causes to receive help us!
We are all alike in wanting happiness while trying to avoid pain. It does not mater whose pain or problem it is- we should try to relieve it. For example, to think, "The poor are poor because of their own past lives" miserliness.
I would be interfering with other's karma if I tried to help" is a cruel misconception. We should never rationalize our own laziness, apathy or smugness by misinterpreting the law of cause and effect.
Compassion responsibility is important for our own spiritual development and world peace.
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