What Is Karma?

Venerable Thubten Chodron gives a short talk and guides a meditation on the four characteristics of karma: that positive results come from constructive actions, a small cause can grow into a big result, if you don't create the cause you don't experience the result, and that karma is definite. By reflecting on how karma relates to our personal experience, we understand how cause and effect plays out in our lives and the importance of keeping good ethical conduct.

Transcript

So,

We're going to talk about karma.

It'll just be very short because actually karma is quite a vast topic,

But it'll at least give you some kind of introduction to it.

So karma simply means action,

And it refers to the actions,

The volitional actions of our body,

Speech,

And mind.

Things that we do with an intention.

And the actions we do leave a.

.

.

This is not a good translation,

But like a memory trace,

They say a seed of karma,

A latency of karma,

On our mind stream.

And then when the proper conditions are suitable,

Then that seed of karma,

Or latency of karma,

Manifests into our experience.

So I thought tonight that I would just present the four general characteristics of karma.

And then in future broadcasts I can go into more specific aspects about karma.

Because many people have a lot of questions about this and are quite interested in it.

So the first general characteristic of karma is that happiness is always produced by constructive karma and unhappiness by destructive karma.

So it's never the case that happiness is produced by destructive actions or that unhappiness is produced by constructive or virtuous ones.

And the way things virtuous,

Non-virtuous,

Constructive,

Destructive are discriminated is in terms of the result that they bring.

So that the Buddha didn't start out saying thou shalt not do that,

This,

And thou shalt do that.

Not at all.

But rather when the Buddha saw through his psychic powers that sentient beings were experiencing happiness and he looked back and saw the kinds of actions that were the causes of that happiness,

Those actions were called virtuous or wholesome or constructive actions.

Similarly,

When he saw sentient beings experiencing suffering and grief and misery,

Trace that back to the causal actions,

Those were called non-virtuous or destructive or unwholesome actions.

So that things are not constructive or destructive in and of themselves,

But are labeled such in relationship to the kind of result that they bring.

So this gives a whole very different attitude towards ethical conduct than a Judaic Christian religion where there's a creator who set up the rules and who then determines what people's rewards or punishments are.

In Buddhism,

The functioning of karma and its effects,

It's not a reward,

It's not a punishment system,

Nothing like that.

It simply causes and effects.

So it's like if you plant chili seeds,

You get chili.

If you plant daisy seeds,

You get daisies.

If you plant daisies,

You don't get chilies.

And if you plant chilies,

You don't get daisies.

So it's that kind of thing.

It's just a simple cause and result.

But it's working over multiple lifetimes and it's working because our actions have an ethical dimension.

Then the second attribute of karma is that a very small action can lead to a large result.

So this is very helpful for us.

When we say,

Well,

It was just a little white lie,

It doesn't really matter.

When we kind of get sloppy,

Then to remember that just as a small seed can grow into a very large tree,

So a small action can grow into a big result.

In the same way,

A small constructive action can bring a very big result.

And then that is really encouraging to us.

When we get up in the morning,

If we're thinking,

Well,

Should I say it or should I not say it?

Should I make an offering?

Should I not make an offering?

When we remember that these are just small actions,

But a small action can bring a big result,

Then we get encouraged and we want to do even the small actions,

Whatever we can.

Then the third general characteristic of karma is that if you don't create the cause,

You don't get the result.

So it makes a lot of sense.

Sometimes we'll see people.

.

.

In Asia it very often happens that many people who do the same kind of business are on the same street,

But some people are prosperous and some aren't,

Even though the business they do is pretty much the same and their employees are pretty much the same.

So in that kind of situation we would say,

Well,

One party created the karma to be very prosperous,

The other party didn't.

And so this is also very good for reminding us that we need to exert some effort if we want to create the kind of future that we want to live in.

And if we want to attain liberation and awakening,

We need to exert the effort because if we don't create the cause,

We don't experience the result.

So that encourages us in that way.

And then the fourth general characteristic of karma is that our actions will definitely ripen and bring their corresponding results.

But unless we interfere with the ripening.

So in the context of constructive actions that we've done,

We can curtail their ripening if we get angry,

If we generate wrong views.

So those kind of disturbing emotions or negative attitudes in our mind can interfere with the ripening of our constructive karma.

Similarly,

We all make mistakes,

We all do harmful actions,

But those are not cast in concrete.

They can be purified,

They can be eliminated,

And also the result reduced.

And so we do that by doing purification practice.

So that it's helpful to remember our actions will bring their results so we can't just shine things on and say,

Oh well,

It doesn't matter.

But to see that this is a whole psychological process.

And so if we've made a mistake,

To generate regret,

To have a determination not to do it again,

To do some kind of remedial behavior and generate virtuous attitudes,

To counteract it.

And remembering this also is helpful when we're about to get angry,

To think,

Oh,

If I get angry this is impeding the ripening of my own constructive karma,

Which I don't want to do.

And so that often helps us to slow down,

Relax,

Not get so angry and belligerent because we realize that our anger actually damages us more than it damages anybody else.

So those are the four general characteristics of karma.

Let's do a short meditation reviewing these.

Okay?

So sit up straight,

Have your hands in your lap.

We usually put the right on the left with the thumbs touching.

That's in your lap.

And then come home to your breath and let your mind relax for a few minutes simply by watching your breath as it goes in and as it flows out.

Good.

And then let's reflect on the first characteristic of karma,

That happiness always comes from constructive actions and unhappiness or misery from destructive actions.

So think of the good things you have going for you in your life,

Even just the fact that we had food to eat today,

That we don't live in a war-torn place,

That we have friends and companions.

Think of the good things that you have in your life,

And with each one that you remember,

Think that came due to a constructive action that I created in the past.

And so as you remember the good attributes in your life and relate them to constructive actions in the past,

Then let that also serve to encourage you to act in constructive and kind ways in the future.

So contemplate that for a moment now.

I would be happy to say thank you very much.

And then think of unpleasant situations that you've experienced in your life,

And rather than feel that they are unfair,

Or rather than blame the external world or other people for them,

Simply think this is a result of harmful actions I've done in the past,

Maybe even in previous lives.

And in that way accept the situation and also think if I don't like this unhappiness then in the future it's important for me not to create the cause for it anymore.

And in that way make a strong determination to abandon harmful habits.

So again,

Making an example from your life,

Contemplate this.

Then yes,

This is good for you.

And then consider how a small action can bring a big result,

So that action may be either constructive or destructive,

And the corresponding result will be either happiness or suffering.

But think about that so that you become more mindful of even the small actions you do.

Abandon even small negativities and taking the opportunity to give even small kindnesses to other people.

And then contemplate that if the cause isn't created the result won't come about.

And if we don't pay attention to the functioning of the law of karma and its effects,

And we don't learn about it and try to live our life according to it,

Then we may lack the causes that do create the kind of life that we want to have.

Similarly if we just act any old way without much care,

Without trying to restrain from negativities,

Then we will lack the causes for the kind of life that we want to have.

Just contemplate that.

And again use it to motivate you to be more attentive and mindful with your actions.

Teraz.

And then recalling that anger and wrong views destroy our constructive,

Karmic seeds,

Make a determination to catch them,

Abandon those harmful actions,

And recalling that whatever mistakes we have made can be purified,

Generate a determination to do the purification and to right the situations that have come out in confused or mistaken ways.

I'll just add something about the previous explanation.

Because some people,

When they first hear about karma,

They say,

It sounds artificial,

Like you know,

You got to be a good kid so that something good will happen to you and you don't want to be a bad kid because something bad will happen to you.

So I think it's really important to remember that this isn't reward and punishment.

It's just cause and effect as it works in a psychological,

Ethical way.

And that it is not at all selfish to put it this way.

Some people say,

Isn't it kind of selfish to just try and accumulate good causes for yourself?

Shouldn't you try to attain full awakening?

Well,

Yes,

We definitely should try and attain full awakening.

But in order to attain full awakening,

We need a series of good rebirths with good circumstances so we can practice the Dharma.

And also we need to create the causes to attain all the realizations of the path.

And so that learning about karma is very intricately related to creating the causes to attain the various stages and paths on the way to liberation and full awakening and to attain the final results as well.

Reviews

I can accept the principle of karma for myself and accept responsibility for my own actions, but I am troubled by images of mass suffering on the news at present. Thousands of people, including children, are undergoing appalling suffering, and it’s hard to imagine how they all created the causes for that.

Really interesting and explaining. Thank you for this awakening about karma🙏💫✨

An easy to understand starting point to learn about Karma. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏽😌

Incredible explanation of Karma and a wonderful guided talk AND meditation.

Lovely explanation of karma for this relative novice. It’s beginning to make some sense. Thanks!

I love this, and am encouraged by it as a daily meditation. It brings me reflection, growth, and self-empowerment 🌸🌊🧘‍♀️✨

So instructive. Thank you!

Thank you for the clear and insightful explanation of karma.

Thank you for the teaching.. 🙂

A wonderful practice of self reflection. I feel like I can go forward with the rest of my day and keep mindfulness and intention with each of my actions to achieve my goals.

Full of insights and truth 🦋😚

So helpful and full of insight. Thank you!

Very revealing . Very deep study. I have only begun this part of the journey. With much gratitude for your wisdom and teachings.

Excellent thank you. 🙏🏼

Thank you for the clear explanation. Thank you for the teaching. 🌹

Thank you for your teaching! 🙏🌻

Beautifully explained and taken through meditation as well. 🌟🙏🌟💞

Clear, compelling, instructive. I will listen again and again. Thank you

thank you very much for share your knowledge 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I plan to return to this often and am now searching out purification process. Thank you so much for this relatable explanation.
Namaste'