Table of Contents The Three Types of True Knowledge Mundane and Supramundane Right View Rebuking Wrong Views of Cause and Effect Karma as One of the Laws of Nature Intentional Actions and their Consequences The Complexities of Karma Six Paths of Rebirth Transcending Karma and Rebirth

Karma and Rebirth by Rev Ryuei Michael McCormick Ryuei.net > Pali Canon > Mahayana > Lotus Sutra > Blog Transcending Karma and Rebirth How can we free ourselves of all this? As in many cultures, though it was taught that we will reap what we sow  in that good causes lead to good effects and bad causes lead to bad effects, it was also commonly believed that prayers and rituals could be used to circumvent the effects of karma and even to secure a heavenly rebirth. One time, a village headman and lay follower of the Jains named Asibandhakaputta asked the Buddha about the effectiveness of these prayers and rituals. The Buddha compared such prayers to the futility of people trying to make a huge boulder float up out of a deep pool of water simply by asking it politely. Suppose, headman, a person would hurl a huge boulder into a deep pool of water. Then a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around it, and they would send up prayers and recite praise and circumambulate it making reverential salutations, saying: "Emerge, good boulder! Rise up, good boulder! Come up on to high ground, good boulder!" What do you think headman? Because of the prayers of the great crowd of people, because of their praise, because they circumambulate it and making reverential salutations, would that boulder emerge, rise up, and come up on to high ground?  No, venerable sir.  So too, headman, if a person is one who destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsely, speaks divisively, speaks harshly, chatters idly, one who is covetous, full of ill will, and holds wrong view, even though a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around him, and they would send up prayers and recite praise and circumambulate him making reverential salutations, saying: "With the breakup of the body, after death, may this person be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world," still, with the breakup of the body, after death, that person will be reborn in a state of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell.  (SN 42: 6, see Connected Discourses of the Buddha, pp. 1337)

Conversely one who follows the ten courses of wholesome conduct will have made causes to be reborn in a heavenly world, regardless of what prayers or rituals others may perform to spitefully send that person to hell. The Buddha compares this with a pot of oil that is broken in a deep pool, the oil will always rise to the surface even if people were to foolishly pray for it not to, just as the one who commits good deeds will be reborn in heaven. Of course, all of this is subject to the complications explained above as far as the timing and specific manifestation, but the Buddha s point here is simply that bad causes will lead to bad effects and good causes will lead to good effects, and this cannot simply be changed through prayers or wishful thinking. The seeming exception of the transference of merit  has already been discussed. It is not really an exception, because the transference of merit  depends upon actual wholesome acts: such as an act of generosity made on behalf of another, and the other s subsequent wholesome mental act of rejoicing in that act of generosity made on their behalf.

In another conversation the Buddha asked Asibandhakaputta about the Jain teachings. Asibandhakaputta explained that anyone who kills, steals, engages in sexual misconduct, or speaks falsely is bound for hell and in conclusion that, One is led on to rebirth by the manner in which one usually dwells.  (SN 42: 8, see Ibid, p. 1341) The Buddha points out that if it were the case that one is led on to rebirth by the manner in which one usually dwells then no one would be bound to a state of misery because the frequency of harmful acts is not as great as the frequency of non-harmful acts. However, by clinging to the view that one is bound for hell and that nothing can be done about it, one will indeed find oneself in hell. The Buddha says, If he does not abandon that assertion and that state of mind, and if he does not relinquish that view, then according to his deserts he will be, as it were, dropped off in hell.  (SN 42: 8, see Ibid, p. 1342) Prayers and rituals may not be able to magically change the effects of karma, but neither is karma an immutable force that cannot be alleviated or even transcended. The Buddha then explains how a disciple, after hearing the Buddha s teaching, overcomes evil deeds and their effects beginning with repenting of those actions that kill or harm others:

Then a disciple has full confidence in that teacher. He reflects thus: "In many ways the Blessed One criticizes and censures the destruction of life, and he says, Abstain from the destruction of life.  Now I have destroyed life to such and such an extent. That wasn't proper; that wasn't good. But though I feel regret over this, that evil deed of mine cannot be undone." Having reflected thus, he abandons the destruction of life and he abstains from the destruction of life in the future. Thus there comes about the abandoning of that evil deed; thus there comes about the transcending of that evil deed.  (SN 42: 8, see Ibid, p. 1343)

The disciple then makes similar reflections and determinations to abandon and abstain from taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, idle chatter, covetousness, ill will and hatred, and wrong view. Instead he cultivates the four boundless states of mind: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. In this way, any limited karma that was done does not remain there, does not persist there.  (SN 42: 8, see Ibid, p.1344)

What this means is that a disciple of the Buddha deals with karma in this way: they first recognize what is wholesome and what is unwholesome in terms of their mental, verbal, and physical actions. In regard to unwholesome actions they recognize that what is done is done, but that they can resolve to cease to commit such actions in the present and on into the future; they then cultivate wholesome actions motivated by loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. In this way, the force of one s renunciation of evil deeds and the determination to cultivate good deeds will shift the balance of karma in the direction of that which is wholesome, as in the parable of the salt crystal. The karma of unwholesome conduct is offset by the karma of wholesome conduct. It does not entirely go away, but its effects are mitigated. The karma that would have led to rebirth in one of the lower paths instead comes to fruition as a defect or misfortune in a higher path, or a greater misfortune becomes a lesser misfortune.

The Jains also believed that they could expiate past karma by undergoing severe ascetic practices and prevent any further karma by performing no new actions. The Buddha, however, saw such efforts as futile and ineffective. Karma cannot be forced by such self-conscious efforts. The Buddha then said to the Jains, whom he referred to as the Nigranthas, because their teacher was named Nigrantha Jnatiputra, the following:

So it seems friend Nigranthas, that it is impossible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced here and now can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced in the next life, and impossible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced in the next life can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced here and now; impossible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced as pleasant can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced as painful, and impossible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced as painful can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced as pleasant; impossible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced in a matured [personality] can, by exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced in an immature [personality], and impossible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced in an immature [personality] can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced in a matured [personality]; impossible that an action [whose result] is to be much experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be little experienced, and impossible that an action [whose result] is to be little experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be much experienced; impossible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is not to be experienced, and impossible that an action [whose result] is not to be experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced. That being so, the venerable Nirgranthas' exertion is fruitless, their striving is fruitless.  (MN 101: 21, see Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, p. 832)

Instead of painful and futile ascetic practices or the total passivity recommended by the Jains that cannot actually change the course of past karma, the Buddha proposes that the way to eliminate suffering is to eliminate the underlying craving for things to be other than what they are. Instead of trying to bring about suffering deliberately in order to expiate past karma, it is better to change one s attitude so that one can face things as they come with equanimity. In doing this, it is even possible to enjoy the satisfaction and pleasures of wholesome conduct and the cultivation of meditative states of peaceful abiding, though without attachment, while at the same time eliminating the greed, hatred, and delusion that are the true causes of suffering.

And how is exertion fruitful, monks, how is striving fruitful? Here, monks, a monk is not overwhelmed by suffering and does not overwhelm himself with suffering; and he does not give up the pleasure that accords with Dharma, yet he is not infatuated with that pleasure. He knows thus: When I strive with determination, this particular source of suffering fades away in me because of that determined striving; and when I look on with equanimity, this particular source of suffering fades away in me while I develop equanimity.  He strives with determination in regard to that particular source of suffering which fades away in him because of that determined striving; and he develops equanimity in regard to that particular source of suffering which fades away in him while he is developing equanimity. When he strives with determination, such and such a source of suffering fades away in him because of that determined striving; thus that suffering is exhausted in him. When he looks on with equanimity, such and such a source of suffering fades away in him while he develops equanimity; thus that suffering is exhausted in him.  (MN 101: 23, see Ibid, p. 833-834)

The Buddha relates how a man who is infatuated with a woman will be jealous and filled with suffering if he should see her with another man, but if he abandoned that infatuation he would no longer mind if she were enjoying herself in the company of another man, suffering would no longer arise if infatuation and lust had faded away. The Buddha then describes how his disciples take up the monastic life and then cultivate the practice of tranquility and insight meditation so that they may directly know for themselves the three types of true knowledge, and especially the third wherein one knows that the taints that lead to rebirth have been eliminated.

When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the taint of being, and from the taint of ignorance. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: "It is liberated." He understands: "Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being." Thus too, monks, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.  (MN 101: 45, see Ibid, p. 837)

The way to overcome karmic entanglement and put a stop to the process of rebirth in the six paths is therefore to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, turn away from unwholesome conduct, cultivate wholesome conduct, and through the cultivation of tranquility and insight sees things as they are and attain liberation.

As discussed in the article on following the path set forth by the Buddha, there are four classes of holiness. All four are still subject to the effects of their past causes, though the effects of past unwholesome karma is greatly alleviated and they are no longer subject to rebirth in the four lower paths of the hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, animals, or fighting demons. The first class of holiness, the stream-enterers, have such a strong faith in the three treasures and such an unshakeable integrity based on their conviction of the reality of the law of karma that they will no longer willingly commit any serious wrongs, and within seven more lifetimes within the human and heavenly realms they will become liberated from rebirth. The once-returners will only be reborn once more in the human realm or the lower heavens still subject to desire. The non-returners will be reborn in the higher heavens known as the Pure Abodes and from there attain liberation from rebirth. The arhats attain liberation from rebirth in their present lifetime. Even arhats may still be subject to the effects of their past misdeeds, but the pain caused by these effects is mitigated by their good causes and they no longer suffer from these effects because they no longer have any attachment or aversion and are able to accept whatever arises with compassion and equanimity. Any karma that does not come into fruition within the lifetime of the arhat is rendered moot upon the death or parinirvana of the arhat, because they are no longer subject to rebirth within the six paths wherein that karma can ripen.

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