Law of kamma.

(The Law of Karma)

 We have come to know a pair of interrelated thoughts which are included in the Buddhist doctrine, namely the two doctrine of Kamma and Rebirth. These two ideas are closely related, but as the topic is quite broad, today we will begin to explain with the idea of ​​Karma, the theme of Rebirth that will be spent in another sermon.

We know that what drives us in samsara is mind pollution - greed, anger and ignorance. We mention this when we talk about the Second Noble Truth - the truth about the cause of suffering. Defilement pollution is what all beings in samsara participate in, whether we are talking about human beings or animals or sentient beings in other realms that we can not know. In this world, all sentient beings are alike, but for all sentient beings we can understand that there are many differences. 

For example, some of us are rich, some are poor, some are healthy, others are sick and so on. There are many differences among sentient beings, and even There are more differences between animals and humans. These differences are induced by karma.

All of us have greed, anger and delusion, which is inherent in all sentient beings, but the particular qualities in which we find ourselves are the result of special circumstances that we present. Our circumstances may be rich, healthy, and so on. These circumstances are determined by karma. It is in this sense that karma explains the difference between sentient beings. It explains why some are lucky while others are less fortunate, some are wealthy, others are unhappy. The Buddha specifically stated that karma makes up the difference between sentient beings. You can also recall how understanding of karma influences the birth of sentient beings in happy or unhappy situations - the understanding of how sentient beings flow from the state of happiness To unhappiness, and vice versa, from unhappiness to happiness as a result of karma - is part of the Buddha's experience on his awakening night. It is karma, expressing the circumstances in which sentient beings are.

There is much discussion about the functions of karma, let us look more closely at what karma is. Let's just clarify karma. Perhaps we can define the best karma by first determining that what is not karma. It is always the case that we often see people misunderstood the idea of ​​karma. This is especially true in the use of our normal everyday term. 

We often hear people say that he can not change his situation because of his karma. In this sense, karma becomes a kind of practical escape. It will become similar to predestination or destiny. This is not exactly an understanding of karma. It is possible that misunderstanding of karma is shaped by the common notions that we attribute to luck and fate. It may be for this reason that the idea of ​​karma has encompassed popular thought with the concept of predestination. Karma is not fate or destiny.

If karma is not fate or predestination, what is it? Let's look at the terminology itself. Karma means artifact, meaning "action". We immediately have an identity for the real meaning of karma, not fate, because karma is action. It is motivation. But rather than simply acting because it is not mechanical. It is not an unconscious or involuntary act. It is intentional, deliberate, deliberate, deliberate action. What does it mean? Will action cause or condition our condition? That is because every action must have a reaction, an effect. This fact has been expressed in relation to the physics universe of the great physicist Newton, who established the law with the declaration that every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. 

In the moral field of conscious actions, we have a partner in the laws of physics of action and reaction, the law of which all intentionality, whose artifacts have to take effect. This is why we sometimes talk about karma - vipaka, its deliberate and mature action, or karma - phala, deliberate action and results. its. This is when we talk about intentional action along with the effect or outcome of it when discussing the law of karma.

We can understand by the meaning of this general introduction that kamma can fall into two categories - good kamma or good kamma and akusala kamma or bad kamma, so we do not have to be misunderstood with this expression. With karma, it is very useful for us to recognize the original term. In this case, it is kushala or akushala karma, karma means good or bad. To understand the terminology used, it is important that we know the true meaning of kushala and akushala. 

Kushala means smart or smart, while akushala means not smart, not clever. This helps us identify terms that are being used, not in good or bad terms but in ingenious and clumsy terms, the words of intelligence and non-intelligence, the words of good and Unwholesome. So what is good and evil? Compassion, in the sense of actions that benefit oneself and others, these actions are not only out of greed, anger and ignorance, but not of selflessness, compassion, compassion. Ball and wisdom.

One may ask how to know whether a good or bad act will create happiness or unhappiness. Time is the answer. The Buddha himself answered this question. He explained that when a bad deed does not bring about the result of misery, the stupid person will think that it is good deeds. But when unwholesome action arises the fruit of suffering, he realizes that this action is akusala. Likewise, when an honest act does not bring about the result of happiness, a good person can also assume that the action is unwholesome. When it arises the fruit of happiness, he realizes that this action is good. Therefore, one should evaluate good and bad deeds from the perspective of long-term effectiveness. Very simple, good action leads to ultimate happiness for ourselves and others,

In particular, unwholesome actions can be avoided in relation to the three doors or means of action which are body, speech and mind. There are three unwholesome actions of the body, four of the mouth, and three of the mind that can be abandoned. Three unwholesome actions of the body to be avoided are murder, theft, adultery. The four unwholesome actions of the word to be avoided are lies, slanders, rude words and malicious words. Three unwholesome actions of mind to be avoided are greed, hatred, and delusion. By avoiding these ten unwholesome actions we avoid the consequences of them. Negative actions create suffering with their results. The results of unwholesome actions may have different manifestations. The complete ripening of unwholesome actions includes rebirth in the lower realms, the realm of suffering - hell, hungry ghost, and animal. If unwholesome actions are not sufficient to bring forth rebirth in the lower realms, they will lead to unhappiness in human life. Here we can see where the work of the principle of a cause leads to a similar effect. 

For example, frequent killing motivated by malice and anger and the result of robbing the lives of other sentient beings leads to rebirth in the hell realms where their experience is saturated. By anger and malice, and where he can be killed repeatedly. If the killing is not heavy enough or frequent enough to lead to rebirth in hell, this killing karma will lead to short life expectancy when being human, separated from loved ones, fearful or paranoid. Here we can also see the effect is equivalent to the cause. Murder shortens the lives of others, deprives others of their loved ones and so on, and so if we kill, we will be responsible for experiencing these effects. 

Likewise, theft is generated in the mind of desirable pollution, which can lead to rebirth as a hungry ghost totally lacking in the desired objects. If this is not enough to lead to rebirth as a hungry ghost, it will lead to poverty, dependence on others for the livelihood of a human life and so on. Unhappy suffering or unhappy marriage.

While unwholesome action produces unwholesome results - suffering, good deeds lead to good results - happiness. This can explain good deeds in two ways. One can simply consider good deeds as avoiding unwholesome deeds, avoiding killing, stealing, committing adultery, and the rest. Or good deeds are positive behaviors. Here may be related to the characteristics of good deeds including alms, virtue, meditation, reverence, service, blessing, rejoicing in the merits of others, listening to the Fa, teaching France and practice. Just as unwholesome action arises suffering, healthy actions bring benefits. The reactions here are similar to the actions. For example, generosity leads to wealth. Listening to the Fa to wisdom.

Karma, good or unwholesome, is transformed by the conditions under which actions are formed. In other words, a good or bad action can add more or less power depending on the condition it is performing. The condition of determining the weight or power of kamma is related to the subject - the creator, and to the subject - the artifact has been fulfilled. Therefore, the conditions determining the weight of karma are applied to the subject and the object of the action. 

In particular, let's take the example of murder, in order to determine whether the act of killing is complete and substantial, the five conditions must be present: the object of the killing is a sentient being It is the existence of a being, who intentionally kills sentient beings, uses means or actions to kill sentient beings, and leads to the death of sentient beings. Likewise, here we can see the subject and object conditions. The subjective condition is that the perception is the being, the intention of killing, and the act of killing. The objective conditions (object) are the presence of sentient beings and their death.

Likewise, there are five conditions for transforming karma: action, repetition, action taken with great intentions and will; Action taken without regret; Action has been taken on those who have attained extraordinary qualities, and action has been taken on those who have done good in the past. There are subjective and objective conditions. Subjective conditioning is continuous action, action taken with intent, and action taken without regret. If one does evil deeds but repeats with great determination without regret, the power of action will be strengthened. Object conditionality is characteristic of the object being executed and the nature of the relationship. 

In other words, if one creates an act of good or bad kamma for beings of great qualities such as the Arahants, or the Buddha, the good or bad deeds done are capable of Greater volume. Finally, the power of good or bad deeds is created for those who have been blessed from the past, such as their parents, teachers, and friends (in their lives).

The karmic and subjective conditions determine the karmic force. This is important, because this awareness will help us understand that karma is not simply a matter of black and white, or bad or good. Karma is moral action and moral responsibility. But the operation of the law of karma is well regulated and balanced with corresponding cause and effect, so when considering subjective and objective conditions we can determine the nature of an action. This ensures that the outcome of the action is equal and similar to the nature of the cause.

Karma can be effective in the short or long term. Traditionally, we divide the karma into three categories related to the amount of time over the results of actions with the manifestation itself. Karma can manifest its influence in this life or in the next life, or manifest in several lives. When karma manifests its results in this life, we can see karmic results in a relatively short time. This kind of karma is easily verified by anyone of us. For example, when someone refuses to learn, when someone is passionate about harmful distractions like alcohol and drugs, when someone starts to steal to serve their own bad habits ; The retribution will be manifested in a short time. They will suffer job loss, friends, 

For example, when Mr. Moggallana was beaten to death by the robbers, the Buddha told him that this incident was the result of an accident that Moggallana had created in his previous life before he had brought his elderly parents into the forest. Hit them dead, then announce that they were killed by bandits. The influence of this unwholesome action taken in many previous lives has been the sole response in the last life of Moggallana. At the time of death we must leave everything - our possessions and loved ones, but our karma will accompany us as a shadow. The Buddha said that there is no place on earth or in the sky where one can escape from his own kamma. 

Therefore, when the time is right, depending on the mind and body, the result of kamma will manifest itself as a reliance on certain conditions where the mango will appear on a mango tree. We can see that even in the world of nature, there are certain effects that take more time to appear than others. For example, if we planted papaya seeds, we would get the papaya in a shorter time than we sow durian seeds. Likewise, the effect of karma is expressed in the short or long term.

In addition to the two types of karma: good kamma and akusala kamma, we should pay attention to neutral karmic kamma or ineffectiveness. Innumerable karma is karma without moral consequence or because the very nature of action has no ethical effect, or because it is done intentionally and unintentionally. For example, sleep, walk, breathe, eat, do crafts, and so on. Likewise, unintentional action is akin to karma. In other words, if one accidentally pedal an insect, in a state of being unaware of its existence, this also forms karmic existence, for no intention - do not have.

The benefits of knowing the law of karma are the knowledge that motivates people to change unwholesome behaviors that lead to the consequences of suffering. Once we understand that in our own lives, every action will have an equal and fair response, once we understand that we will experience the outcome of that action, good or bad, they We will restrain unwholesome behavior, unwilling to experience the consequences of unwholesome deeds. And similarly, the understanding that good actions bring happiness to their results, we will cultivate these good deeds. Reflection on the law of karma, of action and reaction in the moral field encourages us to give up unhealthy actions and cultivate good deeds. END=NAM MO SHAKYAMOUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.28/6/2017.