a buddhist perspective

In our study of the Buddhadharma, we will have often heard that everything is subject to causality. But as ordinary people, we are unable to deeply believe and awaken. Why? We have seen many people who have committed wrongdoings escape retribution, while others who have done good deeds are not rewarded with good fortune. So we do not believe that one who practices virtue will receive good fortune and one who commits wrongdoings will receive their just retribution.

There is a profound principle here. We do not reflect deeply enough and our foresight is shallow. We do not know that a karmic reward passes through time, through the past, present, and future. It has been explained that cause and effect continues in an eternal and endless cycle. This cycle does not begin and end in one lifetime. In other words: “It does not mean there is no karmic effect, rather the time has not yet come for it to manifest.” We need to understand and affirm this principle to be able to completely understand the true reality of life and the universe.

Many of us continue to have good fortune even after we have committed misdeeds in this lifetime. This is because of our having cultivated vast good fortune in our previous lifetimes. Although we have currently committed misdeeds, the remaining good fortune, which we already had, is not yet exhausted. This good fortune resulted from previous lifetimes, not from the present lifetime. If we had not committed wrongdoings, our good fortune would have been even greater.

For example, a wealthy person who indulges his every whim while still committing bad deeds, would find that the great enjoyment in this daily life was because of the good fortune amassed in previous lifetimes. If this person was not currently committing wrongdoings, he might be even wealthier! The underlying principle is that when we do not experience immediate downfall when we enjoy good fortune and commit misdeeds at the same time, it is because of our past accumulation of good fortune. But, as the accumulation of wrongdoings increases, there will come a time when all of our good fortune will be depleted and the negative karmic retribution will come into effect. At this point it will be too late for regret.

On the other hand, we see others who seemingly do not receive good karmic rewards in return for their kind deeds and, in fact, they face many hardships. Their kind deeds seem to be repaid with unkind results. The Buddha explained why this happens many times in the sutras.

In their past lifetimes, these people committed countless serious offenses. If they were not currently performing good deeds, they would be suffering even more. Fortunately, they can stop all wrongdoings and cultivate virtue, and thus avoid even more troubles. As the teachings often tell us: “A serious wrongdoing has been transformed into a light retribution.”

So if we meet difficulties while cultivating good deeds, we should realize that such hardships are not the result of our current cultivation of good deeds. In addition, we need to be even more diligent in ending wrongdoings and in cultivating virtuous deeds. Through our endurance of hardship, we will undoubtedly experience prosperity, our transgressions will be eliminated, and we will receive good fortune.

In the Earth Treasure Sutra, we see that it is difficult to save sentient beings who have already descended into the hell realms. Earth Treasure Bodhisattva has great wisdom and great extraordinary abilities, thus he can help the sentient beings in the hell realms to even reach the Western Pure Land. But, because of our habitual behavior, when we are able to move up to the heaven realms, we continue to commit wrongdoings. And after life in the heaven realms has ended, we will again fall into the hell realms. But to Earth Treasure Bodhisattva it is as if we have returned after only having been gone for a few days!

Once in the hell realms, as we experience continuous suffering we will be unable to cultivate. Thus, our hatred and resultant negative karma will increase and become more binding. The sutras clearly explain this for us. From this, we can begin to understand how difficult it is to help sentient beings who have descended into the hell realms.

When can we be helped?

After we have committed wrongdoings, but before we pass on and descend into the hell realms. During this time, we must awaken so that through feelings of intense remorse and fear, we will diligently forgo thinking, saying, or doing anything that is bad and only do that which is good. In this way, we will maintain purity of mind. And in this way, we can change our present conditions and transform a bad situation into a good one.

It would be even better if we could bring give rise to the great Bodhi mind. If at the moment of death, we sincerely regret as we recite “Amituofo” one to ten times and we seek birth into the Pure Land, we will be reborn there. And we will do this even though we had been about to go to the lowest of the hell realms. We will be born in the Pure Land as non-retrogressive bodhisattvas, beings who will never fall back in their practice. Once there, we will have the opportunity to return to our world to help those whom we have an affinity with to transcend the hell realms.

If someone slanders us and we try to find a way to refute the slander, we will be asking for trouble. If we think of refuting the slander, we are not according with the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha did not teach us to refute slander. He taught us to ignore it. Let others do their slandering. We will behave as we usually do.

This is just like someone throwing a punch. If there is no resistance, the fist will fall on emptiness. If someone slanders us and we refute the slander, the situation will develop into a quarrel and then a fight. By remaining silent when being scolded and not striking back when being attacked, we concentrate our minds on cultivation and diligently practice the Buddha’s teachings.

Obviously this is very hard to do. Generally, we cannot tolerate being slandered. But our goal should be to endure what others cannot endure and practice what others cannot practice. In this way, we will progress on our Bodhi path to awakening.

When we reach critical moments in our cultivation, the obstacles we encounter will be grave. We should treat these obstacles as tests: I have progressed this far in my cultivation and need to take this test. With this thinking, we will realize that it is not a bad thing to encounter obstacles.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra

Along the path of cultivation, there are many obstacles. As in a race, we all start at the same starting line, but some progress ahead of others, some lag behind, and some are eliminated. Why? Because there are many obstacles. The obstacles may be people or situations. They may be our family and friends or those we have hurt in the past and owe karmic debts to.

Who can overcome all these obstacles and progress in their practice? Those who single-mindedly concentrate on cultivation. In our practice, we recite the Buddha’s name or our selected sutra every day. We also study the teachings every day. If we are very busy with work and family responsibilities, we can at least chant and study for a few minutes. The main thing is to practice and study every day.

As Master Chin Kung says, whenever there is an obstacle, ignore it. Carefully review and observe to make sure that one’s mind and behavior accord with the teachings of the Buddha. Do not spend time and energy on trying to find a way to deal with the obstacle, or else the obstacle will become even greater.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra

In the sutras, the Buddha often taught us that the giving of wealth will bring wealth. Where do wealthy people get their money? They practiced the giving of wealth in previous lifetimes. Therefore, in this life, no matter what they do, money keeps coming to them.

One should not be stingy. Do not be afraid of being defrauded. Do not think that there are a lot of bad people in this world, who always try to take advantage of you. If they defraud you, they will have to pay you back in the future.

The law of cause and effect, what we often refer to as karma, spans many lifetimes. When someone takes advantage of you financially, you are leaving the money taken for future lifetimes when it will be paid back. Do not dwell on this matter. Do not hesitate to do good deeds because of these obstacles. Just as we appreciate material things coming to us now, we will likewise appreciate them in the future, whether that future is close or distant.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra