 Based on the previous chapter, the law of karma relates to cause and effect. But some people believe it relates to fate or predestination. However, this is not the case. Karma means action. It means to do something, but the action specified here is not mechanical action. It is not unconscious or involuntary action. It is an intentional, conscious, deliberate, willful action. How is this possible? It is because every action must, no matter what, have a reaction. So, based on the law of karma, when we do an act that is intentional, we reap the results or effect, either good or bad. Thereby, if we do an act of kindness, the effect or result will be some kind of kindness. There are occasions where there is a delayed result. If this happens we don’t know if the action is wholesome or unwholesome, at least till the result has been satisfied. Until then the cause can be wholesome momentarily until the result appears, at which the cause may now be changed to an unwholesome cause instead. According to karma, there are three doors of action. These three doors are body, speech, and mind. If we break these down into groups, we have three unwholesome actions we must avoid for each group. When we start with body, the three actions we must avoid are killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. As for speech, we must avoid four unwholesome actions. These are lying, slander, harsh speech, and malicious gossip. In the final group, which is mind, there are three unwholesome actions to avoid. These are greed, anger, and delusion. If you avoid all ten unwholesome actions, you will avoid the consequences that result from doing them. The reason you need to avoid the unwholesome actions is that they only cause suffering for those who are at the recipients of the actions. This is why those who do bad things continue to do bad things. In their minds, this is all they know. The root cause of their badness is in the thoughts they have for themselves and the way they carry themselves. Whereas, those who are good and upright people, and practice this on an everyday basis, always have good coming back to them. The old saying “what goes around comes around” is very true. This is also part of the laws of attraction and karma. To accept these laws, you accept the universal laws as set up by the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. Act in harmony with them and you will do well; act against them and you will suffer. |
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