THE TRUTH OF KARMA

IT CANNOT COME TO PASS THAT THE FRUIT OF A DEED WELL DONE BY BODY, SPEECH, AND THOUGHT SHOULD HAVE FOR A RESULT THAT WHICH IS UNPLEASANT, HATEFUL OR DISTASTEFUL. BUT THAT IT SHOULD BE OTHERWISE IS QUITE POSSIBLE.(see)

The concept of Karma plays a very important role throughout Asia. Asian religions in general have established the famous universal moral code based upon this law, that good deeds produce good effects and bad deeds produce bad effects. However, it should be pointed out that Buddhism places additional qualifications on this code:

I. The Good or Bad Effect Is Neither Reward Nor Punishment

The so-called good effect or bad effect is not a judgement nor is it given as a reward or punishment by a supramundane authority such as God. The good or bad effect produced by good or bad Karma is purely and simply a natural phenomenon governed by natural laws that act automatically, with complete justice. If God has anything to do with it, then God must also act according to this natural law. This cause produces this effect. That cause produces that effect. God would not change this natural path because of his like or dislike of a particular person.

II. Good and Bad Are Not Defined By A Human Code of Law.

The good and bad referred to here are not defined by any code or law created by human being unless such a code or law follows the natural path. For example, when democracy was first established in the United States, women did not have the right to vote. At that time, women who complied with that status were considered good and those who fought against it were considered bad. The judgement was incorrect, however. The natural path is that human beings are all equal, and thus the system which gives women equal voting rights with men is truly the just one. Therefore, those who opposed the unequal voting system were actually the good ones.

This law of Karma, or cause and effect, is so powerful that it governs everything in the universe except, according to Buddhism, the one who is Enlightened or who recognizes basic nature. Upon Enlightenment, the round of cause and effect loses its significance, just as Samsara, or the round of birth and death, ceases with Enlightenment. Since basic nature transcends all duality and is ultimate, there is no one to receive the effect, whether it is good or bad, and no one to whom any effect can apply. This unique explanation by Buddha of the nullification of the law of Karma is very important. I will discuss it below.

With this brief explanation of Karma as a background, let us now go a step further to see how Karma works.

In one of the Buddhist texts it is recorded that someone asked Buddha:

Why are some women ugly but rich?

Why are some women beautiful but poor?

Why are some people poor but with good health and a long life?

Why are some rich yet ill and short-lived?

The Buddha's answers were:

One who is ugly but rich was short-tempered in past lives easily irritated and angered but was also very generous and gave offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and made contributions to many sentient beings.

One who is beautiful but poor was, in past lives, very kind, always smiling and soft spoken, but was stingy and reluctant to make offerings or help other people.

The person who is poor but in good health and enjoying a long life was, in his or her past lives, very stingy or reluctant to make donations, but was kind to all sentient beings, did not harm or kill others, and also saved many sentient beings lives.

The person who is rich but often ill, or who is short-lived, was, in his or her past lives, very generous in helping others but loved hunting and killing and caused sentient beings to feel worried, insecure, and frightened.

The above examples give us some idea of why people on earth, although all human beings, vary so much in appearance, character, lifespan, health, mental ability and fate. It is even more interesting to note how much the circumstances in which a person is born can influence his or her destiny. Which race, which nation, which skin color, which era all these factors make a great difference. Would it not be more logical to think that something was going on before one birth that caused all those effects than to say that it is purely accidental or even to say that it is God's will? If a baby has no past life, then on what grounds does God judge whether to reward or to punish that baby by causing him or her to be born under different circumstances? Intent, thought and action should always be taken into consideration. Remember:

IT CANNOT COME TO PASS THAT THE FRUIT OF A DEED WELL DONE BY BODY, SPEECH, AND THOUGHT SHOULD HAVE FOR A RESULT THAT WHICH IS UNPLEASANT, HATEFUL OR DISTASTEFUL. BUT THAT IT SHOULD BE OTHERWISE IS QUITE POSSIBLE.(source)

"Karmic effect is the incomprehensible!" This statement of Buddha suggests not only the complexity of karmic effects but also the difficulty of predicting when a karmic effect will mature.

Generally speaking, however, Karma is like the action of lighting a candle. The candle will light the whole room immediately and will last until it is consumed. Similarly, Karma has the following characteristics:

1. Karma not only affects the doer but also affects others. The magnitude of the Karma determines the sphere of its effect.

2. Most Karma produces an immediate effect which will last until it is consumed. The nature and magnitude of a karmic action determine the duration of the effect, which may remain many years, or may not even be felt until some other karmic conditions mature.

3. Karmic effects can combine and accumulate.

These three points are rather condensed. I do not have time to give you a detailed description of them. The following examples however, might help you to understand these points a bit more:

1. The discovery of electricity by Benjamin Franklin and the conversion of electricity into light by Thomas Edison changed the lives of human beings tremendously, and the effect is still growing.

2. An action taken by the U.S. Congress to change the tax law will immediately affect millions of American pockets. The effect can be seen by many Americans in their lifetime, and it will also be felt by future generations of Americans.

3. The combined and cumulative karma of the system of slavery used by many Americans over a long period of time has produced effects which constitute a major domestic problem in the U.S.

4. The theoretical discovery of atomic energy by Albert Einstein and the joint effort of all the participants in the Manhattan Project produced such complicated effects, good and bad, that we are probably just beginning to realize the significance of these developments.
   

III. A comparison can be made of the magnitude of effects of various kinds of Karma.

Such comparisons are recorded in many Buddhist scriptures. I would like to give you some examples to enable you to form your own ideas on how you may create karmic effects of greater magnitude.

1. One day, while walking on the street, Buddha met a beggar who was a so-called untouchable in the strict caste society of India during his time. Not only was Buddha friendly with him, but he accepted the beggar as a disciple in his order of the Sangha. This action had an effect which was infinitely greater than the acceptance of a prince as his disciple.

2. When the monk Bodhidharma went from India to China he was welcomed by the Emperor Liang. The emperor asked him, "What merit have I gained since I built so many temples, erected so many pagodas, made so many offerings to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and did numerous other virtuous deed?" Bodhidharma's reply greatly disappointed Emperor Liang. Bodhidharma said, "Your Majesty, there is none whatsoever. You have gained no merit. What you have done produces only worldly rewards, that is, good fortune, great power, or great wealth in your future lives, but you will still be wandering around in Samsara."

3. Buddha often emphasized that to study and explain to others even a few sentences of the teachings that show how to be rid of samsara creates infinitely greater merit than making tremendous offerings to as many Buddhas all over the universe as there are grains of sand in the great Ganges River.

4. Buddha also taught these principles:

• One who makes numerous offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, helps sentient beings, and does many good deeds, and yet dedicates all the merit accumulated thereby to one's own interest such as making more money or enjoying a longer or better present or future life produces limited effects.

• One who does those same good deeds but dedicates all the merit to saving sentient beings from suffering in Samsara receives much greater merit than the one with selfish purposes.

• Finally, one who does the same good deeds with no specific purpose or desire at all receives infinitely greater merit than the two cases mentioned above.
  

In a further elaboration to the above regarding the Buddha's words as well as the meeting between Bodhidharma and Emperor Liang, regardless of what action one takes in regards to deeds or any merits or non-merits that may or may not follow thereof, the following should underscore both:

• Emperor Liang invited Bodhidharma to his capital in Nanjing. The emperor was very fond of Buddhism and often wore Buddhist garments and recited Buddhist prayers. He was, however, most proud of his unbending and unqualified support for Buddhism throughout his entire kingdom.

  Proud of his knowledge and the contributions towards Buddhism, he asked Bodhidharma, "Since I came to the throne, I have built many temples, published numerous scriptures and supported countless monks and nuns. How great is the merit in all these?"

  "No merit whatsoever" was his shocking reply.

  Now, the emperor thought, he had often heard teachings from renowned masters who said, "Do good, and you will receive good; do bad and you will receive bad. The Law of Cause and Effect is unchangeable, effects follow causes as shadows follow figures." But now, this sage declared that he had earned no merit at all. Thus, the emperor was thoroughly perplexed.

  The emperor had failed to understand Bodhidharma's words which means that one is not really practising the Buddhadharma if one does good with the desire to gain merit for oneself. It will be more like satisfying one's own ego, or promoting one's own welfare, or even for the sake of being recognized and appreciated by the public.

IV. Karma and free will.

This topic has been discussed often. The question is: "Is there any room for free will under the law of Karma?" A more penetrating question is: "Might not free will be simply subjective opinion? So-called free will is also an effect of Karma."

For the most part Hindu and Indian-based religious schools of thought, especially early ones, believed in and promoted the concept that Karma operates in a straight line, with actions from the past influencing the present, and present actions influencing the future. As a result, they saw little room for free will. A lot of that interpretation has permeated into western culture and thought, with Karma ending up being an unbending "fate" or "destiny" type of concept.

However, Karma operates more closely with the Buddhist view as formulated by the Buddha, acting more or less in feedback loops, with the present moment being shaped both by past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present. This constant opening for present input into the causal process makes free will possible. This freedom is symbolized in the imagery that Buddhists use to explain the process: flowing water:

Sometimes the flow from the past is so strong that little can be done except to stand fast, but there are also times when the flow can be diverted in almost any direction.(source)

For further clarification regarding the possibility of modifying or changing the outcome of Karma, or as the Buddha says above "diverting the flow in almost any direction" see Power of the Shaman and Incident at Supai.

We could find many examples, all of which seem to indicate that there is no room for free will under the law of Karma. Does this mean the fate of a person is predetermined by his or her past Karma, that a person has no way to change it? As seen above in the Buddhist view of Karma this is not the case. Why and how, then, can one change one's fate?

Consider, for example, the work by Dogen Zenji, "Hotsu Bodaishin," in the twelve-fascicle edition, where he emphasizes the "arising of the 'Bodhi-mind' (bodaishin), which entails the vow to save all others before oneself" (ji mitokudo sendota). If causality is nothing other than "if 'a' then necessarily 'b'," then "Hotsu Bodaishin" becomes nonsensical, since no other causal agency other than the Self can then have anything to do with salvation. This would clearly imply a kind of personal atomic causality where the Self is isolated from all "external" influences--precisely the kind of position that Dogen is anxious to avoid.

We must remember that positive acts also produce positive Karma, and positive Karma interacts with negative Karma. In Dogen's "Kuyo Shobutsu," in the twelve-fascicle edition, we read that "There is great fruit from small causes, and great benefit from small acts." The implication here is that soteriological Karma is more powerful than negative Karma. In "Sanji-go," in the twelve-fascicle edition, we read a story from the Abhidharma-mahaavibhaasaa-`saastra (sec. 69) that tells of a good man (throughout this life), who, upon dying, finds that he is to be reborn in a hell. At first he is resentful, believing himself destined for a heavenly rebirth. But he then realizes that the hellish rebirth was for evil that he had done in a previous life. This realization (wisdom) changed his Karma such that he was in fact reborn in a heavenly realm.

These passages show that Dogen by no means had a simplistic and deterministic view of Karma. For Dogen, Karma is not a static, substantial, linear series of causes and effects. There is always the possibility of change, especially through the attainment of wisdom. Thus Dogen, without denying the causal structure of life and practice, rejects a rigid interpretation of Karma in favor of a fluid, Karmic, interdependent universe that depends upon our actions and understanding as part of its causal structure.

To help you to understand that one's fate is not entirely predetermined by one's past Karma, I must ask you to recall what I said before about our basic nature:

Cause and effect, just like birth and death, lose their significance at the Enlightened level because at the level of basic nature there is no one to receive the effect of Karma, whether it is good or bad. Therefore, at the extreme, when one is Enlightened, the law of Karma is not applicable. All that the Enlightened one does, says, or thinks is through free will, a manifestation of basic nature, and not the effect of past Karma.

All of Buddha's teachings aim at this one goal: that is, to identify oneself with one's basic nature. All his methods are designed to enable one to gradually come into harmony with that basic nature.

Now, basic nature possesses all kinds of good human qualities, such as loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. All these good qualities could cause good Karma, which produces good effects. Therefore, during the process of cultivating harmony with basic nature, these good qualities will be revealed bit by bit, like an occasional ray of sunshine penetrating through a heavy cloud. These revelations are the true products of a person's free will. Because such free will creates good Karma, and because good Karma produces good effects which in turn are good Karma for the next effect, and so on, a person has the potential to become Enlightened, to recognize basic nature, and to become a Buddha.

One will thus not only be rid of Samsara, but will also gain the perfect wisdom and compassion necessary to teach other sentient beings to follow the same path.

Karma is such a vast subject that I could talk for hours without exhausting the material. Topics like the following could be very interesting:

1. Can good Karma and bad Karma offset each other?
2. Can Karma be erased?
3. Can the effects of bad Karma be minimized by confession or other kind of repentance?

Bhakti, as an example, differs sharply with traditional Hindu beliefs and basic Buddhism thoughts on Karma. This bhakti belief of Karma differs with the ordinary karmic conception of working off, or eliminating, good or evil Karma that the individual has developed, or earned, in previous lives. In the bhakti concept, Karma is set aside; the devotee expects the Lord will return Love for love and to ignore the predestined course of Karma. The question as to whether the Lord will abide by the ironclad law of Karma, or bestow his grace by removing it from the bhakti has fallen into the hand of the priestly castes, without resolution. See number 2 below and consider what happens if the concept of Lord as cited above is exchanged for the concept of identifying yourself with your basic nature.

With the general idea of Karma I have presented to you today, you may be able to find the answers to those questions.

In conclusion, I wish to emphasize two points:

1) Good or bad Karma will inevitably produce its respective effect. Our daily doings, speech, and thoughts will affect our future. A wise person knows, therefore, how to live properly.

2) Remember that the law of Karma stops operating and you become rid of Samsara only by identifying yourself with your basic nature. How you may gradually identify yourself with basic nature, and realize that it is yourself, is the essence of Buddha's teaching. I sincerely recommend that you study and practice it.

Among all the hindrances to our cultivation of Enlightenment, the greatest obstacle is our concept of Self. This is the core of all our ignorance and suffering. For more on the reduction of that concept see: DEATH OF THE EGO: A Buddhist View. For some insights into potential "answers" to the three questions posed in the opening paragraph of this section go to: WHAT THE BUDDHA SAID.

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