Thursday, January 17, 2019

Karma: what we need for good results

Ajahn Khamdee via Ven. Sujato; Dhr. Seven, Sayalay, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

In practicing the Buddha's Dharma (Teachings), there have to be causes. If there are no causes, there are no results.

If the causes are skillful (wholesome, good, profitable), the results will be. If the causes are unskillful (unwholesome, bad, detrimental), the results will be. This is like things outside.

Take fruit, for example. Fruit has to come from a plant. If there's no plant, there's no fruit. When orchard owners are interested in the fruit of their flowering trees, they focus on tending to the roots and trunks of the trees: watering them, fertilizing them, uprooting weeds, and protecting the trees from anything that might pose a danger to them.

When they take good care of the trees in this way, the flowers and fruits will come of their own accord. It's the same in practicing the Dharma.

The Buddha taught us to take care of what we think, say, and do (karma). If our thoughts, words, and deeds are skillful, then whatever we receive in life [as a result or vipaka of that karma] will have to be good (wished for, pleasing, desirable).

If our thoughts, words, and deeds are unskillful, then whatever we get [as a result of that karma] will all be bad (unwished for, displeasing, undesirable). If we get a husband, he'll be a bad husband. If we get a wife, she'll be a bad wife. If we get children, they'll be bad children. If we get wealth, it'll be bad wealth.

Our problem is that we like good results, but we don't like creating good causes.

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