Bodhisattvas Fear Causes

It is said that bodhisattvas fear causes while sentient beings fear effects. So, bodhisattvas fear negative effects and take steps to avoid creating any negative cause. In doing so, they eradicate their debts—the karmic obstacles created from their previous wrongdoings. They also accumulate perfect merits and virtues until they reach the state of buddhahood. Whether worldly phenomena or the teachings of the Buddhas, nothing is beyond the law of cause and effect. Everything is empty and unreal, an eternally impermanent element. But the law of cause of effect is unchangeable and real, an eternally permanent element.

Cause and effect are closely related as they coexist mutually. A cause becomes an effect, which in turn results in another cause. From this endless cycle, we can see that a particular cause is not fixed. Neither is a single effect the only effect. The combination of cause and effect forms a continuous cycle, the cycle of rebirth.

Bodhisattvas are awakened, understanding beings and are therefore well aware that every single cause produces an effect. Because of this, they are mindful of their every thought, word, and action. They understand that a negative cause will become a future negative karmic effect, which they themselves will have bear.

Unlike bodhisattvas, sentient beings do not understand the principles and the realities of life. The little knowledge that we may have is limited and vague, far from complete. So, we carelessly commit causal actions and do not understand, when the effects occur later, why they happened. It is then too late for regret. Cause and effect are continuously played out all around us. If we are unable to connect the events, it is because we are not mindful. Rather we are impulsive and careless, not yet truly understanding.

For our own sake, we should not want to create any more bad causes but, instead, only cultivate those that are good. This is what the ancient masters and patriarchs tried so hard to encourage us to do.