Karma and Five Important Principles in Buddhism (Part 1) | Buddha's Secret

Karma and Five Important Principles in Buddhism All beings have their own karma. The law of cause and effect in the moral and spiritual realm is karma. Rebirth is the natural corollary of karma. Karma and rebirth are two fundamental doctrines in Buddhism that are closely related. Before the time of the Buddha, the doctrines of karma and rebirth were already widely disseminated in India. However, it was the Buddha who provided detailed explanations and presented the profound teachings that have been preserved to this day. Why is there disparity among humanity? How do we explain the apparent injustices in the world? Why are some people born into palatial luxury, wealth, brilliance, moral integrity and robust health while others endure abject poverty, suffering and hardship? Why does one person possess immense wealth while another struggles to make ends meet? Why is one individual incredibly intelligent while another is dull? Why are some born with the gentle nature of saints while others have a violent temperament from birth? Why are there prodigies in languages, mathematics, painting, literature, music, etc.? Why are some children born blind, deaf, mute or with physical deformities? Why do some children enter the world blessed with every advantage while others are seen as burdens from birth? Are there specific causes for the disparities in the world? If not, then these differences must be random occurrences entirely due to chance. The wise cannot believe in blind luck and do not accept explanations based on randomness. In this world, nothing happens to anyone without one or more causes. The joys and sorrows that people experience are the results of good or bad deeds created either in the present life or in past lives. However, with ordinary intellect and understanding based on sensory perception, it is not easy to comprehend the invisible and complex causes of the world's mechanisms. We see the results before us but do not see all the subtle causes that allowed these results to arise, because those causes are not entirely created in the present life but may have been sown over countless past lives. Are there enlightened beings who, with their wisdom, can perceive what ordinary eyes and ears cannot? Buddhism affirms that there are. Some belief systems claim that all differences in life are due to a single cause and that cause is the supreme decision of a creator. The Buddha did not acknowledge an omniscient, omnipotent creator who created the universe. Chapter 1. How do modern scientists explain human disparities? Based on sensory perception, scientists attribute these disparities to a combination of physical and chemical causes, tradition, and environment. The renowned physiologist Julian Huxley wrote, The initial germ that constitutes a human is a physiological unit called gene. Genes are minute cells in the sperm through which the traits of the father are transmitted to the child, known as the law of inheritance. There are types of genes that determine the color of the body. Some influence height and weight. Others affect reproductive ability, lifespan, and health. There are also genes that influence physical form. Most hereditary traits, if not all, are governed by these physiological units called genes. As for mental traits, more complex and subtle, it is difficult to provide concrete proof. Although there are clear examples of mental inheritance, no phenomenon confirms that mental characteristics from grandparents and parents must follow a pattern similar to physical inheritance. All traditions, both mental and physical in one way or another, depend on the interaction between the inherited genes each person carries from the moment of conception. We must acknowledge that all the physical and chemical phenomena modern scientists mention explain part of the problem. However, these phenomena cannot be the sole cause determining the subtle differences among individuals. If the theory of inheritance were entirely correct, if children were certain to resemble their parents, how do we explain the case of identical twins, who inherit the same life force, the same genes, and are raised identically, yet each has a different disposition? Their intelligence and character vary significantly. Inheritance cannot fully explain the deep and extensive issue of life's disparities. This theory explains similarities more than it proves differences. The extremely minute gene, 1 30 millionth inch, explains only part of the problem, the material part. For mental, intellectual, and moral differences, which are far more complex and subtle, we still need many more insights. Inheritance cannot explain why there are cruel, murderous children in a family known for its kindness, nor why there are gentle children born into a violent family. It also cannot account for prodigies, geniuses, or great teachers. On the theory of heredity, Dr. Thurer, Pascal wrote in his book Reincarnation, regarding the role of genetic inheritance in the issue of heredity, we reiterate that physical inheritance, or genes, explains the material aspect of humans. However, regarding intellectual abilities and moral conduct, genetic inheritance sheds no light. If genetic inheritance fully constituted a person, we would find all traits of the parents in every individual, and never see any other traits. Thus, there would be no murderous children in virtuous families, nor would there be saints born into wicked families. In daily life, we may encounter twins born from the same parents, inheriting the same traits, born under identical conditions, and raised in the same environment, yet one is virtuous and the other is violent. Moreover, the existence of numerous prodigies baffles scholars who support the theory of heredity. If we trace back the lineage of prodigies, can we always find ancestors who were equally gifted? Hence, not all traits and intelligence of a person come from their parents or grandparents, nor are they entirely passed down to their offspring. Evidence shows that among the descendants of Mozart, Beethoven, and Dante, there are no prodigies or great figures. In the realm of materialists, there has been no conclusive proof of the theory of heredity. Physically, not all characteristics of the parents are passed down to the children. The intelligence and character of each child differ, causing many virtuous families sorrow when they have delinquent children. Buddhism acknowledges the influence of heredity and the environment but considers it insufficient. Buddhism adds the law of karma, which is the cumulative result of past and present actions. We must take responsibility for our actions in the past and reap the circumstances of happiness or suffering in the present. We create our own heaven and our own hell. We build our future and create what is called destiny. The Cause of Disparities During the Buddha's time, a young man named Suda, puzzled by the inequalities among people, sought the truth and asked the Buddha, Blessed One, why are some people short-lived while others are long-lived? Why are some sickly while others are healthy, some ugly while others beautiful, some powerless while others influential, some poor while others rich, some born into lowly families while others into noble families, some foolish while others wise? The Buddha briefly replied, All beings have their karma as their inheritance, their own actions as their kin, as their refuge. It is due to their different karma that beings are born unequal. Majjhima Nikaya, Kulakama Vibhanga Sutta, No. 135. Then the Buddha explained each case to Suda. If a person kills living beings, such as a hunter with blood-stained hands who lives without compassion, upon rebirth, they will have a short life. If a person refrains from killing, lives away from weapons and treats all beings with kindness, upon rebirth, they will have a long life. If a person is cruel, always seeking to harm others, using fists and weapons against others, upon rebirth, they will be sickly. If a person does not harm others and is kind and gentle, upon rebirth, they will be healthy. If a person is rude, always angry, insulting and cursing others, upon rebirth, they will be ugly. If a person is refined and courteous, never retaliating, even when insulted, upon rebirth, they will be beautiful. If a person is envious, always coveting the wealth and fame of others, and does not respect the honorable, upon rebirth, they will be powerless, their words unheeded. If a person is not envious, does not covet others' wealth and fame, respects the honorable, upon rebirth, they will be influential, their words followed. If a person is stingy, never giving to others, clings to their possessions, upon rebirth, they will be poor. If a person is generous, loves to give, upon rebirth, they will be wealthy. If a person is arrogant, does not respect the honorable, upon rebirth, they will be lowly. If a person is humble, respects the honorable, upon rebirth, they will be noble. If a person does not seek the company of the wise to learn and discern right from wrong, upon rebirth, they will be foolish. If a person seeks the company of the wise to learn and discern upon rebirth, they will be intelligent. In the cycle of rebirth, people are more influenced by past karma than by heredity. Take the case of the Buddha. He was born through the sperm and egg and genetic inheritance of his parents like all beings. Yet physically and spiritually none in his lineage could compare to him. The Buddha once taught that he did not belong to the lineage of kings but to the lineage of Buddhas, undoubtedly making him a supernatural being. He was born with extraordinary karma that he had accumulated over countless lifetimes. According to the Lakkhana Sutta, the Buddha was born with 32 extraordinary marks due to the vast merits he had accumulated in countless past lives. The Lakkhana Sutta explains in detail each good mark of the Buddha and the specific cause that produced it. The unique case of the Buddha proves that the power of karma not only influences the body but also surpasses and diminishes the effect of genetic inheritance. Thus he taught, I am the heir to my deeds, my actions are my heritage. Regarding the differences among beings, the Athasalini states, due to the different karma of each being, there are disparities in rebirth. Some are born noble, some lowly. Some are born into contempt, others into respect. Some are happy from birth, others suffer. Due to the different karma of each being, there are disparities in appearance. Some are beautiful, others ugly. Some tall, others short. Some handsome, others deformed. Due to the different karma of each being, there are disparities in society, success or failure, fame or infamy, praise or blame, happiness or suffering. Karma drives the world. Karma sustains beings. And through karma, beings are bound, connected like a wheel, assembled, clinging and revolving around the hub. Karma brings beings to honor. Karma brings beings to servitude, to oppression and downfall. Knowing that karma bears fruit, why believe that in this life there is no karma? In summary, according to Buddhism, disparities in spiritual, moral, intellectual and innate qualities largely depend on our past and present actions, that is, karma. Not everything is due to karma. Although Buddhism teaches that the main cause of disparities in life is the different karma of beings, it does not assert that everything is due to karma. In other words, karma is not the sole cause of differences among beings. The law of karma, though important, is just one of the 24 conditions, pakaya, described in Buddhist philosophy. To correct the misconception that all good, bad or neutral outcomes arise from past actions, the Buddha taught, if one insists that it is due to past actions that a person becomes a murderer, thief, adulterer, liar, rude, frivolous, greedy, deceitful or wretched, then one has a basis to rely on the past and not strive to perform or avoid certain actions, whether they are worth doing or not. This important passage corrects the misunderstanding that all occurrences in the mental and physical realms are due to past karma. If the present life were entirely governed by past actions or karma, the law of karma would be nothing more than fatalism or predestination. No one would have the freedom to improve their lives in the present or future and free will would be an illusion, life would be entirely automatic and humans would be no different Believing that we are born by the decree of an omnipotent creator who predetermines our fate or believing that karma determines our fate and governs our lives, what is the difference? The difference is only in terminology. Such fatalism is not the law of karma in Buddhism. The Five Niyama Laws According to Buddhism, there are five laws or processes, niyama, that operate in the physical and mental realms. These are 1. Utyut Niyama The physical law related to the processes of inorganic matter such as weather phenomena, rain, wind, heat, cold, the four seasons and the characteristics of each season like summer's heat and winter's cold. 2. Biha Niyama The physical law related to the processes of organic matter such as plant life. This law explains why a seed produces its specific plant. Rice from rice seeds, orange trees from orange seeds, sweetness from sugar, cane and honey, etc. Scientific theories about cells and genetic inheritance and conception are also governed by this law. The physical resemblance of twins is explained by this law. 3. Kama Niyama The law of cause and effect or the progression from actions, whether good or bad, to their outcomes, either pleasant or unpleasant. Good deeds bring good results, bad deeds bring bad results. This natural law dictates that the effect must arise from its cause, not as a form of reward or punishment. The progression from cause to effect is as natural and necessary as the moon's orbit around the sun. This principle of cause and effect is the essence of the law of karma. The principle of cause and effect is continuous. A scientist who accumulates knowledge and experience in life upon death and rebirth carries that knowledge and experience to the next life. Sometimes we vaguely remember past life experiences and knowledge, but often we forget, just as we forget some childhood experiences and knowledge in this same life. This principle explains prodigies in music, art, history, linguistics, etc., who, without prior learning, exhibit extraordinary talents. 4. Dhamma Niyama The law of nature, including phenomena that occur when a bodhisattva is born into his final life, the law of gravity, and other natural laws of the universe. 5. Citta Niyama The psychological law governing mental processes, mental formations, and mental powers such as telepathy, knowledge of past and future, clairvoyance, clairaudience, mind reading, and other phenomena that modern science has yet to explain. These five natural laws explain all psychological and physical phenomena. Karma is just one of these five laws. Like all universal laws, these five processes operate independently, without the need for a supernatural force. The laws governing physical processes, both inorganic and organic, as well as the law of nature, Dhamma Niyama, are relatively automatic, although human intelligence can control them to some extent. For example, fire burns and cold freezes, but some can walk on fire without burning or sit naked in the snow without harm. Skilled gardeners can create beautiful out-of-season gardens, and yogis can use mystical powers to levitate heavy objects. The laws governing mental processes operate as naturally and mechanically as other laws. When a cause is established, the effect must follow due to karma. Buddhist practice aims to control the mind, achievable through right understanding and pure thought. The law of cause and effect operates mechanically. When karma is too heavy, it is impossible to alter its severe consequences. However, right view and pure intention can partially mitigate karma's effects. To some extent, good karma can alleviate bad karma. The law of cause and effect is complex, understood fully only by the Buddha. The ultimate goal for a Buddhist is to eradicate karma. What is karma? Intention is karma, the increased discourses. Karma, according to its proper meaning, is action or deed. The ultimate definition of karma is intention, citana. Thoughts, words, and deeds often arise from the intention to act, which creates motivation. Buddhism calls this intention to act citana. All intentional actions, whether expressed through body, speech, or mind, create karma. All intentional actions, whether good or bad, create karma. Actions that are not intentional, even if expressed through words or deeds, do not create karma. The Buddha said, Monks, I declare that intention is karma. Having the intention to act leads to action through body, speech, or mind. Except for the actions of the Buddhas and Arahants, every intentional action is called karma. Although the Buddhas and Arahants are still influenced by past actions, they no longer create new karma because they have transcended both good and evil, having eradicated ignorance and craving, the two sources of karma. The Ratana Sutta, the Jewel Discourse, states, The seed is destroyed, selfish desires no longer arise. This does not mean that the Buddhas and Arahants live passively. They continuously engage in activities that promote the well-being and happiness of sentient beings. Their actions, often considered virtuous, do not have the power to create karma. Understanding the true nature of all phenomena, they break all the bonds, fetters, that bind beings in the cycle of rebirth, the long chain of cause and effect. Some belief systems also recognize that all societal differences are due to karma, but when they refer to karma, they claim that all actions, intentional or not, create karma. According to this view, a person who kills their parents, whether intentionally or accidentally, commits the same grave sin. Just as with fire, whether one accidentally or intentionally puts their hand into the fire, one must be burned the same way, no more, no less. Such reasoning naturally leads to an illogical conclusion. A fetus causing pain to its mother unintentionally, or a mother accidentally causing pain to her unborn child, would also be creating bad karma. Moreover, using one event to explain another similar event, like someone putting their hand into the fire and someone committing an evil act, is an argument that cannot stand. For example, according to this logic, if Mr. A orders Mr. B to commit a murder, it is Mr. B who is guilty of the crime, while Mr. A is not, since only Mr. B put his hand into the fire. Furthermore, according to this reasoning, an unintentional evil act could be more harmful than an intentional one. In other words, intentionally doing evil is less harmful than unintentionally, because in the example of putting one's hand into the fire, knowing that fire burns, the intentional person would be more cautious and thus less burned. The unintentional person without prior intention would not have time to prevent it and thus be more burned. In the law of karma, the mind is the most important factor. All deeds, words, and thoughts are influenced by the mind. When the mind is not disciplined, naturally one cannot control their deeds, words, and thoughts. Disciplining the mind means controlling body, speech, and mind. The mind leads the world, the mind pulls the world, and all people are governed by the mind. The Dhammapada says the mind precedes all actions. The mind is the master, the mind creates everything. If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, suffering follows as the wheel follows the ox's hoof. One might wonder how an invisible thing like the mind can cause disturbances in the material world. In fact, it is not difficult to understand. The most powerful machines capable of transforming the modern world are products of the rich mind. The invisible mind creates all the retributive actions of karma. Karma is not necessarily only past actions, but encompasses both past and present. Thus, in one sense, how we are in the present depends on how we acted in the past and how we will act in the future depends on our actions in the present. In another sense, we must also add that how we are in the present is not entirely because of our past and how we will be in the future does not entirely depend on how we are in the present. The present is certainly the child of the past and the mother of the future, but in the immensely complex retributive system of karma, we cannot look at the present to definitively assert the past and future. For example, today's thief and murderer could become a saint tomorrow. A virtuous person today could become corrupt tomorrow. A mother's advice to her child, if you are good, you will be loved and be happy. If you are not good, you will not be loved and will be sad is the teaching of karma, like a tracts like good brings about good and bad brings about bad. This is the law of cause and effect. In summary, karma is the law of cause and effect in the moral realm or as Westerners often say, the influence of actions.