A) TYPES OF KARMA- THE 10 NON VIRTUOUS (NEGATIVE KARMIC) ACTIONS & THE 10 VIRTUOUS (POSITIVE KARMIC) ACTIONS
Geshe la’s teaching today was a natural progression from our earlier lessons in relation to the laws of causality and dependent arising. In particular, Geshe la introduced the class to the 10 different types of non virtuous (negative karmic actions) that ought to be avoided so as to avoid planting the causes or seeds for future suffering. He explained that these 10 non virtuous actions can be broadly classified into three different types: –
(i) those that emanate from our bodily actions,
(ii) those that emanate from our speech, and
(iii) those that emanate from our thoughts/minds.
Such a categorisation is helpful because any action or omission capable of creating karmic effect, will invariably come from one or more of the doors of our body, speech, and/or mind.
The 10 non virtuous actions which were introduced during last season’s Dharma talks are by way of recap and for ease of reference, set out below. These acts are to be avoided because they will plant the causes for experiencing suffering in the future, whether in this life or future lives.
- Killing
- Stealing
- Sexual Misconduct
- Lying
- Harsh words
- Slander
- Gossip
- Coveting
- Cruelty
- Wrong View
They are to be contrasted with the flip side of the coin, the 10 Virtuous Actions, which again by way of recap, are also set out below for ease of reference. These acts are to be practised as they will plant the causes for experiencing happiness and positive conditions in the future, whether it is in the present or future lives.
- Avoiding killing and harming the others, and by protecting the life of other beings
- Avoiding stealing and by practicing generosity, by making offerings
- Maintaining a pure sexual conduct
- Avoiding lying and by talking sincerely and directly
- Avoiding harsh words and by talking calmly, amiably and gently
- Avoiding slandering and by making peace between the people that hate each other
- Avoiding gossip and by talking only about meaningful things
- Avoiding greed/covetousness and by cultivating an open and generous mentality
- Avoiding having bad thoughts (wishing misfortune unto others/ cruelty) and by cultivating love and goodwill
- Avoiding being involved in wrong beliefs, by cultivating the right points of view
Geshe la elaborated that because our human life is actually not only short, but is actually very precious in that it is very difficult to come by, one has to take the opportunities to understand the Dharma and to practise it. He further emphasised that, however strong one is in terms of practices such as compassion and/or wisdom, and even if one may achieve certain temporal powers, one must fully understand the laws of karma and live one’s life keeping these rules in mind if one is to attain liberation from samsara.
B) TYPES OF KARMA-THE 10 NON VIRTUOUS (NEGATIVE KARMIC) ACTIONS – THOSE PERFORMED BY THE BODY
Geshe la then introduced the 3 acts of the body that fall within the category of non virtuous acts. Specifically, they are the acts of (i) killing, (ii)taking what does not belong to oneself/not given, and (iii) sexual misconduct. Geshe la advised that in this season of Dharma talks, he will continue to expound on each of these karmic actions, and their effects.
Karma of Killing
Foremost on the list of non virtuous actions is the negative act of killing. Geshe la explained that in order for the karma of killing to be complete, they have to be four elements that are present. They are variously as follow:-
(a) First, there has to be an object that is a sentient being which the individual concerned wishes to kill. In that regard, inanimate objects such as a piece of wood or stone will not qualify as such an object.
(b) The second element is the intention on the part of the individual to kill that object.
(c) The third would be the action that is so performed, in pursuance of their intention.
(d) The final element would be a sense of satisfaction or rejoicing after the mission has been completed.
Gesha la gave an example of someone in a rural environment swarmed with mosquitoes. It is indeed a common example that we can relate to – we may feel irritated and annoyed as a result of those mosquito bites and form an intention to kill these mosquitoes. Having formed that intention and action are taken, either using one’s hand or other means, to kill the mosquitoes, one thereafter feels satisfied and goes to bed.
In this simple example, the karma of killing is actually complete. Whilst it may appear to be a small transgression because of the object that was the subject of the intention to kill, it is very important to understand that the heavy karma of killing has already been completed, and this actually will lead to certain consequences in the future.
In our tradition, all sentient beings, big or small, are regarded as precious and important because every being that has a consciousness has been in the cycle of rebirth in samsara over countless lifetimes since beginningless time. For that reason, we believe that each of these sentient beings (or the consciousness that resides in them), would very possibly have been our parents in lifetimes past. It is for that reason that compassion for all sentient beings is very much a hallmark of teachings in our Mahayana tradition.
The example gives us an illustration of how easy it is to commit the non virtuous action of killing.
If one looks at the motivation behind the killing, one will invariably find that these three poisons are always at work. The three poisons that are illustrated by three animals in the very centre Wheel of Life commonly depicted in religious iconography in our tradition，which are the poisons that power our consciousnesses into rebirth after rebirth in samsara under the uncontrolled effect of our karma. They are those of :-
(a) Attachment (desire) (贪)- represented by the chicken
(b) Aversion (anger/hatred) (嗔)- depicted by the snake, and
(c) Ignorance (痴/无明)- depicted by the pig.
In the example involving the mosquitoes, it would be Aversion that would have been at play that motivates the killing.
There are other examples where people hunt for or kill animals in order to satisfy their desire for the taste of that particular animal’s flesh, and that is where the first category of Attachment comes.
An example of killing motivated by Ignorance would, for example, be where certain people sacrifice animals to worldly spirits or gods in the belief that these will actually supplicate those beings who will in turn bring prosperity or auspicious conditions to the people making the sacrifice.
It is therefore important for one to avoid committing the non virtuous action of killing, whether knowingly or unwittingly. Professions which involve the killing of pests, for example, are also professions that Buddhists would ordinarily avoid because such a job will invariably require one to commit the non virtuous action of killing on a frequent basis.
The Effects of having Committed the Negative Karma of Killing
In order to understand why it is important to avoid committing the non virtuous action of killing, one has to understand the effects or the consequences of leaving such a karmic imprint.
There are different classifications of what these effects are, but in general, they are as follows.
(a) It has the potential to plant seeds that will lead to one being reborn in one of the lower realms in samsara. If the intention to kill is strong, one creates the causes to be born in the hells. If the intention to kill is of medium intensity, then one creates the causes to be born in the realm of the hungry ghosts. If the intention to kill is mild, then one creates the causes to be born in the realm of the animals.
(b) Apart from this, committing the non virtuous action of killing also creates the causes for one to have illnesses in life and to have a shortened lifespan. Apart from a shortened lifespan, such individuals, whether in their next life or later on in this life, may end up finding medical treatment ineffective when they fall ill – this stems from having shortened other sentient beings’ lives, which has a direct impact on their physical and sometimes, also, mental constitution.
Geshe la then gave the example of an individual back in the days of the Buddha who was a perfectly gentlemanly and nice individual during the day and who enjoyed good health and a normal life, but when it came to the night, he would suffer panic attacks and fears, and suffered from symptoms of ill health. Miraculously, however, when the sun rose, he would again be in the pink of health, rid of all his physical and mental challenges. The man, being very concerned about this very odd and inexplicable phenomena, decided to ask the Lord Buddha, why this was so.
The Buddha, with his gift of clairvoyance, was able to look into the man’s previous lives and saw that this man had been a butcher in his previous life. It was with the help of an individual on the path to enlightenment who had encouraged him to practise the precept of non killing during the daylight hours, that he was able to keep to the precept of non killing in the day, but due to the fact that he had to earn a living, he continued performed his profession as a butcher by night. That explained why he had to experience those negative effects in that life after sundown.
(c) It also leaves a karmic imprint that would drive that individual to continue to have a tendency or predilection for killing. This explains why certain children, who may be very young, have an inexplicable tendency to prey on or kill other living things such as bugs or snails for no reason, even though those little sentient beings may not have stood in their way or otherwise caused harm to them. This is akin to the concept where criminals are punished for their transgressions, but after being released from prison, they display a tendency for recidivism.
Given these examples, Geshe la emphasized that there are infinite merits to forming a firm commitment to abandon killing. Whilst it is impossible to have a situation where one does not kill at all in one’s life, the commitment in one’s heart not to kill intentionally will itself be sufficient to plant the positive causes, giving one the necessary seeds (causes) to be reborn in the human realm again in one’s next life.
Geshe la also explained that whilst euthanasia is becoming increasingly popular in the modern day world, both in respective animals as well as people suffering from terminal illnesses, these are actually from a Buddhist perspective, not to be encouraged because the elements of the karma of killing are all present in these instances. The secular and social perspectives are of course beyond the subject of today’s teaching.
Geshe la concluded this section of the teaching by emphasising that, whether at work or at home, one should always try to develop kindness in one’s heart to avoid killing. Even if one is dealing with pests, for example, one can consider the option of finding what are the substances or scents that the relevant pests dislike and to use them to repel the pests rather than apply insecticide.
C) CONCLUSION – AVOIDING THE KARMA OF KILLING
Geshe la concluded by reminding everyone that just as everyone is very conscious about Covid-19 and one would go for a vaccination, one should also apply these rules of karma akin to taking a vaccination so as to avoid the sowing of negative karmic seeds.
Geshe la then engaged with students who had certain questions in relation to the eating of meat particularly for lay Buddhists, and the killing of animals. Geshe la explained that whilst they appear on the face of it, related, these are two separate concepts. The buddha was strict in laying down the rule of non killing, but did not prohibit the eating of meat per se. There are examples in the sutras which speak of monks in the day who had fallen ill and needed some nourishment in the form of meat. In one of these accounts, the compassionate Buddha directed some of his disciples to gather some fish by the river bank that had died a natural death in order to provide the necessary nutrition for the ailing disciple.
The Buddha also laid down the general rule for members of the ordained community then that meat should not be eaten if it is seen, heard or suspected that the animal had been slaughtered specifically for one. It is therefore perhaps helpful to distinguish the two situations of eating meat at a restaurant which came from an animal that was already dead for a considerable time, and going to a restaurant with and ordering the killing of a live animal for the purpose of a dish. That said, compassion for all including these animals so-departed, must always be kept in mind.
The class also had an active discussion about whether the eating of eggs would amount to killing and Geshe la made a distinction between eggs that have been fertilised and those which have not been, with the latter being alright for consumption without committing the karma of killing.
Geshe la and the Centre wish to thank everyone for their participation, and the season of Dharma talks will continue as we explore the 10 non virtuous actions (and their flipside), and their corresponding effects.
May all sentient beings benefit and also receive merits from these teachings, which we wholeheartedly dedicate.
The Maha Tare Team