Today’s teaching concerned the 10th non-virtuous action (the last of 10 non virtuous actions, and the last of the 3 non virtuous actions committed by the mind). But Geshe la began with some helpful preliminary teachings.
A. PRELIMINARY TEACHINGS – RETURNING TO THE LAWS OF CAUSALITY
Geshe la observed that we should, by know, know why it is important to understand the rules of karma (causality).
The Buddha taught that our suffering stems from our afflictions that lead to us committing negative karmic acts again and again. The afflictions that drive us to such actions, in turn, actually arise from Ignorance. Due to the negative karma created, these negative karmic seeds sown will eventually ripen into suffering. This is why we need to understand what are the acts that give rise to negative karma.
The Buddhist teaching in this respect differs from some other religions which believe that whatever happens to us in this life are actually in the hands of fate or God or gods. Buddhism on the other hand, believes in happiness coming from positive karmic actions, and suffering coming from negative karmic actions, and this is something that is in one’s own hands, even though it is true that many things that happen to us, or things that we may be inclined to do, are themselves effects from cause(s) i.e. karmic seeds, sown by ourselves in lives past.
Geshe la reminded everyone that if we create negative karmic seeds, they will stay with us and have potential to multiply exponentially, which underlies the importance of not creating negative karma. Equally important is the need to purify such negative karma, which will be the focus of Geshe la’s teachings in the next session.
Geshe la advised that it is also important to remember that karmic seeds, whether negative or positive, may or may not ripen in short order, and may well not ripen in this life. Some may ripen in this life. Some may ripen in the next life. Some may ripen only many lives later. Those karmic acts that are affront to the country’s laws are likely to ripen (with retribution experienced) in this life when the law if enforced. But not all negative karmic seeds ripen that quickly or ripen in this life.
Karma can also be experienced in different ways. For instance, a dog born into a rich family may, whilst being born into the animal realm, live a life of luxury due to certain karmic merits from making offerings to the Triple Gem, but still falling short of attaining a human rebirth, whilst another individual may be born as a human being, being one of the higher realms of rebirth, but is left to live a life of begging on the streets. Yet the latter is a position to create merit as a human being, having been endowed with greater intellect and wisdom than the former.
The workings of karma are therefore complex, and to understand them thoroughly requires rigorous study, but the point to remember is that the laws of karma are real, and to deny their existence would be a wrong view, which brings us into the teaching proper.
B. WRONG VIEWS
This non-virtuous action arises from a state of mind, where right is viewed as wrong and wrong is viewed to be right. One prime instance of this, is the denial of the laws of karma, and the denial of the Triple Gem.
We say that those who deny the existence of the laws of karma hold a Wrong View because anyone holding such a view will never accept or believe, for example, that killing will create very negative karma. Such a view is very dangerous as it will lead one towards committing more and more negative karma, making the individual pave the road to rebirth in one of the negative realms. It has the potential to go further in that more and more people become convinced to ascribe to this Wrong View.
On the contrary, if one believes in the laws of karma, one will have the chance of identifying the path out of suffering, and eventually gaining enlightenment. Such is the importance of avoiding Wrong Views.
The Constituent Elements
Similar to the other non-virtuous actions, Wrong Views also has 4 constituent elements.
The first is Intent – for instance, if the view is of a non consequential matter, there will be no “wrong view”. For instance, the question of whether a rabbit has legs is a non consequential issue, and insisting that rabbits have no legs, whilst wrong or inaccurate, is not a “wrong view” for the purpose of the non-virtuous actions.
The second element is the Act which is further divided into the thought, motive and presence of the poisons. If one thinks there is no such thing as the laws of karma, the thought is complete. There must also be a desire or motive to stand by and firmly believe in this wrong view – wavering or being equivocal will render the karma incomplete. The last aspect is that the poisons of ignorance, attachment and/or aversion are at work.
The third element would be the action of articulating, stating and acting upon such a Wrong View.
Finally, it would be a mental affirmation of all the above in one’s own mind.
Many in modern society harbour the view that there is no benefit in venerating the Triple Gem. Some also do not believe in the laws of karma. This is often due to ignorance – there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the workings of karma. We often hear of people who say: that person is a terrible individual who does so many negative deeds. But there he is, enjoying all the fruits of his so called labour!
Yet, many don’t understand that negative karmic seeds take time to ripen. The fact that they don’t ripen in this very life, or ripen shortly after a negative karmic act is performed, does not mean that the negative karmic seeds are not there. They are there and will grow and have potential to ripen in a very undesirable way at some time in the future – the same is true for positive karmic seeds but which will ripen in a desirable way.
On the ripening of negative karma from aeons ago, Geshe la reminded us of the story of the Ven Nagarjuna and how he died – having his head lobbed off by a blade of kusha grass, which was the ripening of negative karma he had created in a previous life, when lobbed off an ant’s head with a blade of kusha grass.
On the ripening of positive karma from aeons ago, Geshe la relayed the story of the old man during the days of the Buddha who had created the causes to be ordained by the Buddha, because in a life aeons past, he had been an animal that had been chased by a dog and fortuitously circumambulated a stupa three times, thereby creating the merit to gain ordination!
The ripening of karmic seeds, is similar to the concept of getting one’s return on a good (or a bad) investment. It takes time. It will never disappear. Indeed, even the Buddha Himself, during his life on earth, suffered retributive consequences of past acts, including being pricked in and bleeding from the foot – it was the ripening of the karma of having killed in a previous life. If the Buddha Himself experienced the ripening of previous karma in His last birth before attaining nirvana, it is therefore not surprising that there are some tulkus or living buddhas in our age, who also manifest the aspects of illness including cancer during this life time, because any residual negative karma not yet purified will have the potential to ripen as long as we are born from a womb, and attain a human form. Therefore, these incidents do not disprove the existence of the laws of karma, but are in fact illustrations of the laws of karma and of how they work.
Geshe la then gave another example where people may come to adopt and hold wrong views due to the power of the social media. We sometimes see religious teachers having committed some transgressions, and their (former) students go online to disparage not only the individual, but also the religion. This again is a wrong view, as whichever spiritual master from whichever religion commits a wrong, that (assuming it has been proven) is only his or her own transgression. It is neither fair nor correct to doubt any particular religious faith simply because of the transgressions of any particular individual who just so happens to be a leader within that religion, and who also happens to be a fallible human being.
Effects of Wrong Views
Once again, the effects of Wrong Views can vary depending on severity. It has potential to lead one to rebirths in the hells, realm of the hungry ghosts or animals.
In addition, the arising and holding of Wrong Views in the past will make it hard for one in this life, to understand or accept the laws of karma, the doctrine of emptiness of all phenomenon or bodhicitta. This is seen to manifest even in individuals who are very bright in this life, but due to the non virtuous actions of Wrong Views having been harboured in lives past, these highly intelligent people are not able to understand let alone put into practise, the teachings of the Buddha.
Further, there will be a natural propensity for the individual to continue to hold and perpetuate such Wrong Views in future lives.
Finally, even if one obtains a human birth in one’s next life, one will not have people surrounding and supporting him or her. They will likely languish alone, and not have benefactors come eto help even when he or she is in need.
C. CONCLUSIONS – PURIFICATION & TAKING OF PRECEPTS
The flip side to the 10 non-virtuous actions, are the 10 virtuous actions, which can be the subject of precepts, which Geshe la gave the class an introduction to.
Geshe la explained that whilst one may not commit the 10 non virtuous actions, the effects of that will be different if one takes vows to uphold these precepts. The commitment to abstain from such non virtuous actions pursuant to a vow will yield far more merit when practised as such.
Geshe la acknowledged that it may be difficult to maintain all these precepts every single day in our lives and encouraged us to identify merit-multiplying days such as full moon days, or new moon days, or better still, days such as Vesak Day and Buddha’s Descent Day (Lhabab Duchen) during which we may take (and keep) such vows, as it will help greatly with purification of our negative karma.
The Kadampa Geshes used to say that the ability to understand the 10 non virtuous actions allows us to effectively guard the doors through which such acts may be committed. There is a lot of truth to this.
Geshe la hopes that we can keep mindful of these negative karmic actions in our daily lives, and watch them as they arise. Pause when we feel aversion or hatred leading to us wanting to wish Ill-Will to others. Pause when we are about to use Harsh Speech on others. Watch the doors to our bodies, speech and mind carefully, just as a mother would watch over a young toddler carefully so as to prevent it from hurting itself. This will help us to keep our righteous thoughts, and prevent the sowing of negative karmic seeds.
We must remember that forbearance to retaliate will generate great merit, even though such positive karmic seeds may only ripen some time later. Whilst viewed in the moment, failure to retaliate may appear to be weakness, but we must bear in mind the merit that will eventually come from such forbearance. Also keep in mind the ignorance on the part of the antagonist, and develop compassion for the antagonist. Geshe la encouraged us to think long-term, and not be trapped in the so called rights or wrongs of the moment.
Thus completes the classes on the 10 Non Virtuous Actions.
Geshe la finally advised that in the next class, the focus will be on purification of negative karma, of which there are 6 ways which will be elaborated upon further in subsequent classes. They are : –
(a) Studying, dissemination and preservation of the Dharma.
(b) To develop an understanding of Emptiness and/or Bodhicitta, and the compassionate act of introducing these concepts to others.
(c) Chanting of mantras of the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas, confessing our transgressions.
(d) Building or commissioning the building or making of Stupas, Statues, Temples, Reliquaries, putting in physical effort in assisting so, donating towards these purposes etc. Geshe la told the story of Milarepa whose father died leaving him, his sister and mother to fend for himself. Milarepa’s uncle who was left with his father’s wealth, but kept the inheritance for himself and his family. Milarepa’s mother was very upset, and wanted revenge and sent Milarepa to learn black magic, which he did and killed his uncle and their other family members. Milarepa felt immense remorse and went in search of emancipation. It was Marpa, Milarepa’s master, who directed Milarepa to perform these acts, and successfully purified all his negative karma. Milarepa eventually became an acclaimed master in Tibetan Buddhism.
(e) Making of offerings to the Triple Gem (Fruit, Flowers, Lights, Music, Incense, 7 Water bowls).
(f) Reliance upon the carving of Mantras, Dharanis etc on rocks, prayer flags (lungtas) etc.
Geshe la ended the class by advising that it would be good if we can, each morning after we rise and each night before we sleep, visualise the Buddha and Boddhisattvas and prostrate 3 times to them, and keeping in mind the Four Immeasurables of Equanimity, Joy, Compassion and Love. This will be very helpful in purification of negative karma. The morning practice will purify any negative actions in the night, including during our dream states. The evening practice will purify any negative actions done during the day. If one can also note the merit-multiplying days for practice, this will help propel the purification process exponentially, thereby clearing out aeons of negative karma from our previous lives.
We wish everyone a lovely weekend, and thank everyone for attending Geshe la’s teachings. May the merits of these virtuous acts enure to the benefit of all Dharma friends and your families, and indeed to the benefit of all sentient beings. May you all be safe and happy.
The Maha Tare Team