Mind is the master; change the mind and change the world.
All Indian religions have a view of karma. It is a fundamental belief. Buddhism has its specific view of karma. Common to all the traditions in their idea of karma is the following:
Karma is actions, divided into good and bad, each having results in proportion to their intensity. Karma determines the quality of life in rebirth.
Karma + rebirth = samsāra (sam – all + sru – around, wandering)
Samsara is an individual experience and process. It is not an objectively existent place. After enlightenment, the Buddha first uttered: “I can see that I have been running around life after life…”
In the first meeting with Angulimala, Angulimala told the Buddha not to run. The Buddha told him, “I am not running, it is you who need to stop.”
Did the Buddha accept pre-Buddhist ideas of karma or did he expound something different? He accepted the ideas in general but made some subtle but important distinctions.
Karma = action / behavior / doing
1. ethical viewpoint
“kammassa komhi…” (Dasadhamma Sutta)
“My karma is my own; good or bad, I will inherit that…”
2. human behavioral viewpoint
“kammanā vasalo hoti…” (Vasala Sutta)
“It is through karma, not birth, that one becomes high caste or low caste.”
In the Hindu view, one’s identity is unchangeable. In the Buddha’s view, there is no permanent identity. This is the difference between atma and anatma.
In Buddhism though, there are many different theories as to the mechanism by which karma is connected to the results in future lives. If one has an atma, it is easy to explain, but within the theory of anatma, it becomes difficult. Does someone else get the result? Does the same person get the result? Both have implications within the theory of anatma.
(See karma entry in the Buddhist Encyclopedia)
“Monks, I say that karma is cetana.” (AN)
With most gross actions, our intention is very clear to us. In more complex or subtle situations, it can be difficult to determine. However, to merely have an intention but not to act upon it doesn’t constitute a full karma. Likewise, without intention, an action alone doesn’t constitute a full karma. Therefore, karma is really intentional action.
The Jainis view is that everything in this life is due to past karma. “Sabbam pubbekatahetu vāda.” The Buddha rejected this view. So if everything is not due to past life karma, then what is the dividing line? What comes from past karma and what doesn’t?
Karma
In order for a physical karma to be a karma, there must also be intention. Opposite, by intention alone, one cannot commit a physical karma.
The connection of verbal, physical and mental karma with cetana is very important and very controversial area of debate.
Anger, jealousy, and so forth happen in the mind. They can lead to action, they can harm one’s self or they can fester within one’s mind like a cancer. Karma has both internal and external effects. To explain all of this and it’s connection to vipaka (retribution) is very difficult.
J.L. Austin wrote what was called a new philosophy of language. It was not actually new. These things were being discussed during the Buddha’s time. When a priest says, “I now pronounce you man and wife,” he has said something, and on top of that something has happened. It had some effect. The Buddha talked about the cause and effect of actions of body, speech and mind.
Actions can be kusala / akusala, puñña / pāpa.
Kusala / akusala are the two fundamental modes of motivation of behavior.
Puñña / pāpa are actions performed consciously which can make samsara a happy or unhappy journey.
Kusala actions are motivated by alobha, adosa and amoha.
Akusala actions are motivated by lobha (attachment), dosa ( ), moha ( ), and rāga (intense attachment or desire)
Puñña are meritorious deeds and pāpa are unmeritorious deeds.
These two sets of concepts were originally quite distinct. During the time of writing the commentaries however, a/kusala were used to imply puñña / pāpa but not visa versa. All kusala actions are puñña but not all puñña actions are kusala.
One basic distinction is that puñña actions are done with the motivation of obtaining sensual comfort. Kusala actions are done with the motivation of liberation. Puñña can be done with greed as a motivation. Puñña makes for a nice prison experience and pāpa makes a bad one. Both puñña and pāpa prolong samsara. Akusala actions also prolong samsara. Only kusala actions lessen samsara.
Of the arhats, the Buddha said, “Puñña pāpa pahīna.” They have given up puñña and pāpa.
Karma Vipāka
Personally, cetana is the most important aspect of karma. Socially, one’s actions are more important. For vinaya, both one’s actions and intentions must be taken into consideration.
The four kinds of karma:
1. Janaka – generative
Karma which creates new situations, in particular a new life. This kind are usually very powerful.
2. Upatthambaka – supportive
These are factors which support a movement either good or bad; ie. When one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong; when things are going well everything seems to support this trend.
3. Upapīdaka – obstructive
Either the good karmic force can obstruct something bad or visa versa.
4. Upaghātaka – destructive
Certain karma can totally destroy a person’s situation. This can be positive or negative.
Some Theravada traditions say that the Buddha was above karma and others say that he was still affected by past karma. There are 14 examples of things which were supposed to have been bad karma from a previous life, for example: Devadatta throwing the rock at him, his constant backache, not getting any food on an alms round…
The four ways of karma producing results:
1. karma producing results in this very life (ditthadhamma vedaniya)
2. karma producing results in the next life (uppadaveccami)
3. karma producing results at any suitable occasion
This is very much like supportive karma. The results can occur in any lifetime when the right circumstances arise.
4. karma which becomes null and void
This is particularly true of the arhats who go into nirvana. The past karma is voided.
The four natures of karma:
1. weighty karma or Garuka kamma:
This depends on who is doing the action or what the action is. If the president yawns on television, it could have an effect on the country but if we yawn, it’s no big deal.
2. immediate karma:
At the last moment before death, an action can propel you into a next life much different than expected. For example if you’ve been bad all your life but then in the last moment, you repent and die with a pure conscience you won’t go on to the bad existence that you would have if you didn’t have this last thought.
3. habitual karma
A karmic force builds up from our habit.
4. Random karma
There is a simile used to explain the above four is that there is a pen full of bulls and someone opens the door. As to who gets out first:
1. The biggest bull gets out first.
2. A bull who happens to be next to the door gets out first.
3. The bull who usually goes out first goes out first.
4. Some situation arises and some random bull goes out first.
Factors Affecting Karma:
1. gati – specific birth
2. upadhi – physical appearance
3. kāla – time
4. payoga – course of action taken
All of the above can either be fortunate / welcome (sampatti) or unfortunate / unwelcome (upatti). The first three are not in one’s control, but the forth one is.
Due to the place or the realm where you are born, you will have karma in accord with that place which may or may not be fortunate and welcome. One’s looks may be a help or a hindrance in different situations. The time period one lives in may be fortunate or not. Finally, the course of action you take, the things which you do may bring you fortune or may not.
Niyāma Dhamma (Natural phenomena subject to cause and effect)
1. utu niyāma – seasons
2. bija – seeds
3. kamma – karma
4. dhamma – nature
5. citta – mind
Human beings are not outside of the laws of nature. The laws of nature also apply to humans. We are one part of / within the web of natural phenomena.
Christians believe that man is above nature and rule the world. They believe that animals have no souls and move about similar to the way cars do (auto-mobile).
All of the above are subject to the laws of cause and effect. Seasons are ruled by the movement of the planet in relation to the sun.
You cannot plant watermelon seeds and get mangos. “You reap what you sow.” (SN) Seeds grow to be plants or trees depending on the conditions of the soil, moisture, temperature and so forth.
To understand karma, one simply has to look at nature.
Dhamma – nature has its rules, such as a rose will smell a certain way. This category also refers to the laws which govern all of the Buddhas. There cannot be two appearing in the world at the same time. Each has only one wife and child…
Citta – Mind is not ruled by a soul. It is under the laws of cause and effect. From childhood, one’s mind gets trained, encultured, educated, in certain ways. If one wishes to change the way they react or function, one must change the underlying causes of such reactions and functions.
The Arya Sālisthamba Sutra tells about how the idea of niyama dharma connects to paticca samupada.
Two laymen, Upatissa and Kolita who later became Sariputa and Mahamogallāna, saw the Elder Assaji on his alms rounds and were impressed by his deportment. They asked him what teaching he followed. Ven. Assaji simply answered, “Whatever from a cause proceeds, thereof the Tathāgata has explained the cause. It’s cessation too he has explained. This is the teaching of the Supreme Sage.”
“Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā, tesaŋ hetuŋ tathāgato āha tesaŋ ca yo nirodho, eveŋ vādi Mahā Samano.”
