Vajrayana Part 8

KARMA-THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

Nature of Karma: is a 'seed energy' deposited in our mind as a result of any kind of physical, vocal and mental action.  Karma is the performing actions: positive or negative.  Karma means action or deed.

  

Two Main Types of Karma:

1. Samsaric, which ripens in any of the 6 Realms of existence.

2. Non-samsaric, which is free from the possibility of ripening in any of the 3 unfortunate realms (animal being, hungry ghost, hell)

The karma of ordinary beings is of the 1st kind and the karma of arya/noble beings is of the 2nd.

Varieties of karma:

Virtuous, non virtuous and neutral,

Merit, demerit and unshakable,

Bright, dark and balanced
Joy, suffering and balanced

Divisions of Samsaric Karma:

1) Unskillful Karma - which results in suffering.  How is unskillful karma produced? When for instance, you feel irritated with someone, a strong attachment to the 'I' arises and you feel that the self which works, eats, studies and dies has true independent existence. You feel irritated because your ignorance obscures the true nature of relative SELF and you cling to it, as if it were self existence.  This ignorance is the basis of all afflictions.   

2) Skilful karma - which is the cause of happiness.  For example if you see someone who is about to kill a bird, this provokes a feeling of compassion. Should this compassionate intention take the form of action through body or speech and the bird is freed, the strength of this skilful karma is increased. The result is happiness for yourself and others.

3) Aspects of Karma:

a) Individual karma is created by 1 person and he alone will experience the results.

b) Collective karma: is produced by a group of people & the results are experienced by that same group in similar circumstances. It is because they have collected the same cause that when the circumstances are present people will face the sufferings or joys.

4) Characteristics of karma/(action):

a) Karma is definite:  a good and positive karma will never produce pain, suffering and unhappiness.  A bad and negative karma will never produce happiness, enjoyment, bliss.

b) Karma multiplies rapidly:  It is evident that external seeds multiply and grow very fast in quantity if provided conducive conditions. Karma is inner seed of pain or joy.  Tiniest bad karma may multiply and grow to huge mass of bad karma if it is not purified within time.

c) One never meets the result if one does not create the cause:  A person will enjoy or suffer the result of karma that is only done themselves.

d) If one creates the cause, no matter how much time passes, the result will happen when the conditions are right:  A bad karma committed can be cleared only through proper practice of purification-through standard remedial purification practices of Dharma.

Purify Your Karma: (Karma is your own creation: good or bad): in both cases I did it: It is important to contemplate and understand the disadvantages of samsaric existence - of falling into 3 lower realms (animal beings, hungry ghost, hell). As long as we are under the control of karma and its result, there is no guarantee that our future lives will be protected.

You create your heaven and hell here: If you act according to moral principles by upholding human dignity, you can create your own heaven right here in this world.  You can also create the hell-fire on this earth itself if you abuse valuable human life.  By helping others morally, you help yourself and by helping yourself morally, you help others.

Key Results:

a) The fully RIPEN results: committing harmful acts while motivated by hatred bring about birth in the hells.  Committing harmful acts out of desire leads to birth as a preta (hungry ghost) and out of ignorance to birth as an animal. Also, strong impulse of desire, anger or ignorance motivated with actions causes birth in the hells.  Should the impulse be less strong and the number of actions less, it causes rebirth as a hungry ghost and if still less strong and numerous, as an animal.

 (10 harmful actions to be avoided: taking life, taking what is not given; sexual misconduct; lying; sowing discord (causing rift between 2 people); harsh speech; worthless chatter (gossip); covetousness; wishing harm on others; wrong views) 

b) Effect similar to the Cause: even when we finally get out of the lower realm in which the fully ripened effect had caused us to be born, and obtain a human form, we go on experiencing the effect similar to the cause. In fact in the lower realms there are many different kinds of suffering similar to particular causes.  These effects that are similar to the cause are of two kinds: actions similar to the cause & experiences similar to cause. For example taking life: to have killed in previous life makes our present life not only short but also subject to frequent disease.

c) Actions similar to the Cause; All such tendencies are the residue of former actions. For example if we kill before, we still like to kill; if we stole, we enjoy taking what is not given-driven by their karmic urges.  Some enjoy doing good instead.  The same is true for animals too. The instinct of animals such as wolves to kill or mice to steal, is in each case an effect similar to and caused by their former actions. This is why it is said:

To see what you have done before, look at what you are now.

To see where you are going to be born next, look at what you do now.

Reliance on the Knowledge of the Buddha - (Method):

1st STEP OF TANTRA PATH (AIM OF NGONDRO/PURIFY PRACTICE) - FOUNDATION

Aim of Ngondro practice refers to 'lay the foundation'. Only then practice + teachings of Buddha prepare us for Sacred Path of Tantra. Profound and powerful effect a deep purification and transformation at all levels of practitioner's being (body, speech & mind):

a) To purify our ourselves

b) Transform our mind

When we take our 1st step on the Path (Noble Eightfold Path), after purification then we are capable of helping others.  For example, if we did not lay the foundation,  its like building a palace on thin ice.

Powers of Purification:

a) The Power of Base: You created negative actions through (body, speech, mind).  You take refuge in the enlightenment beings and you generate compassion for non-enlightenment beings.  

b) The Power of Regret: If there is no regret no repentance.  To renounce evil and adopt good in whatever one does through a detailed understanding of the effects of actions.  To confess harmful actions and downfalls, the root of all evil, through the 4 strengths using meditation and recitation on Vajrasattva.

c) The Power of Antidote: Mental action is more important than physical. 

d) The Power of Non-repeating:  Promising not to do it again.