Discovering Buddhism at Home -FAQ

Module 6 – Karma (page 1 | 2 | 3)

How on earth is it possible for animals to accumulate the kind of throwing karma that will result in a higher rebirth?

If karma is immutable and must be experienced, why can we purify it?  Isn’t this contrary to its immutability?

If negative karma is only experienced by those who create the cause for it, why do bad things happen to good people?

How do we reconcile collective karma, such as widespread suffering during war, with the teaching that karma is only experienced by those who create the cause for it?

What happens to all the negative karma that had accumulated before a sentient being becomes enlightened?  Does enlightenment purify all the karma or does the enlightened being still have to experience all that karma ripening?

How on earth is it possible for animals to accumulate the kind of throwing karma that will result in a higher rebirth?

A student writes:

This may seem a silly question about Karma but, what on earth can an ant do to generate good throwing Karma? Or a Lion? Or a shark?

Kendall Replies:

Exactly. Hence why a precious human rebirth is exactly that.

This is also why Lama Zopa Rinpoche is so keen us to do things like animal liberation practice or walking dogs around stupas, or reciting mantras or sutras in animals’ ears – to put holy imprints on their mind stream that can ripen in a better life opportunity in the future. Also, at the death time throwing karmas from previous lives can also be activated, but my understanding is that whatever karmas are either stronger in the mind stream or are most habituated to the mind stream are the most likely to be activated as throwing karmas at the death time. So, for a lion or a shark whose main job is to kill in order to eat – it doesn’t look so good – that is a very strong habit of mind.

Love
Kendall

If karma is immutable and must be experienced, why can we purify it?  Isn’t this contrary to its immutability?

A student writes:

If karma is an immutable law, how can we escape or purify negative karmic ripening, wouldn’t this be contrary to an immutable law? Grant

Thubten Yeshe responds:

There are four laws of karma (which will be discussed at length in Module 6):

1. Karma is fixed.
2. Karma increases.
3. Karmic results are only experienced by one who created the cause for that experience.
4. Karmic seeds do not lose their potency of their own accord.

Regarding #2 – both positive and negative karmic results increase in potency unless they are obstructed. Positive results can be obstructed by anger, and other negative actions. Negative results can be obstructed through the directed positive actions of our Dharma practice, the Four Opponent Powers and so forth.

Regarding #4 – ‘of their own accord’ means that unless we intervene with directed positive Dharma actions to purify and transform negative actions, those actions will never lose potency. They will perpetually have the power to bring us suffering.

If we do not have the power to transform negative karmic results, there is no way for us to attain enlightenment.

I hope this helps.

Thubten Yeshe

If negative karma is only experienced by those who create the cause for it, why do bad things happen to good people?

A student writes:

In light of number 3 [above], “Karmic results are only experienced by one who created the cause. . .,” how can we understand why bad things happen to good people?

Thubten Yeshe responds:

Briefly…

“good people”….hmmm. In which lifetime?

We carry the karmic seeds of our actions around with us until we transform (purify) them, or until they meet the right causes and conditions to ripen. It is said that most of the karma that we create in this lifetime will ripen in future. We joke about “instant karma” when someone does or says something “bad” and then, almost instantly stubs their toe. It is not impossible for karma to ripen in that way, but also less likely than a ripening result in the distant future.

t.y.

How do we reconcile collective karma, such as widespread suffering during war, with the teaching that karma is only experienced by those who create the cause for it?

A student writes:

I have a question about collective karma and the point “karmic results are only experienced by one who created the cause for that experience”. When we consider collective dramas, like the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese and its sequelae, the holocaust in Europe, or, recently, the invasion of Iraq and the collective suffering it causes, how can one say that each single individual that becomes a victim of such events created the causes for this to happen? And consequently, will all Americans, or Chinese, at a future time find themselves involved in some horrible collective suffering? Simply because they are Chinese or Americans?

Thubten Yeshe responds:

Good question, Ulrike. I think results will be collected, not because one is Chinese or American per se, but because one was in some way complicit in the actions taken by one’s government. Perhaps one supported the actions, rejoiced in them, ignored them, reelected the “guilty” party…

And, since we have all created the causes to experience horrific results in some of our infinite lives, I can imagine “putting” myself in a collective situation to experience those results. So maybe there are many reasons that a particular group of people might come together at the “right” time to experience horrendous events.

And, there are probably much more subtle reasons why this might happen that I can neither see nor understand. It has been said before, karma is the most difficult subject to understand. Even more difficult than emptiness. Maybe another elder can add to my thoughts, or correct them.

t.y.

What happens to all the negative karma that had accumulated before a sentient being becomes enlightened?  Does enlightenment purify all the karma or does the enlightened being still have to experience all that karma ripening?

A student writes:

[Is it true that] an enlightened being has no negative Karma available to ripen? It definitely makes sense. Which brings rise to mind the importance of being mindful with every moment to plant positive Karmic seeds. But also, even if a person had negative Karma in the ‘bank’ so to speak, this is able to be purified. So essentially a being whom achieves great realisation within one lifetime can by some means of realisation or purification, negate or extinguish what negative seeds would have ripened? So a person can in a way of saying achieve enlightenment without all of there negative Karma actually ripening? I know my words aren’t very specific but I hope you get the ‘jest’s of my line of thought.

Will be interesting to hear what the scriptures or teachings have to say. It seems like a vast ocean of possibilities with the topic of Karma!

Kendall responds:

In Tibetan, one of the words used for “Buddha,” or fully awakened one is “sang gye.”

“Sang” – refers to perfectly pure – having deceased all the defilements, etc…..no more negative karma left, past negative karmic seeds have been rendered completely impotent and no possibility to create any more – ignorance and the delusions have been defeated.

“Gye” – refers to having developed all positive qualities to their fullest extent. Fully developed.

This is why practices purification and accumulation are so strongly emphasized. We are trying to become Buddhas…..getting rid of everything negative and developing everything positive.

What an incredible state it would be to have not one tiny, tiny negative karma that could ripen, eh? What a wonderful world it would be!

Love,
Kendall

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