Karma: Cause and Effect

It is mental volition, O monks, that I call karma. Having willed, one acts through body, speech or mind. (The Buddha, Anguttaranikaya, III, p. 41) 

Karma is a very important subject, one which we should understand clearly. Karma is not a concept or a theory; karma is a natural law of the universe.  

Comprehending karma is part of the Right Understanding (or Right View) of Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path.

With right understanding, we realize the wholesome, life-affirming actions that bring benefit and happiness to all beings, as well the unwholesome, negative actions which bring unhappiness and suffering. With this correct understanding we are able to cultivate true wisdom.  

Our present understanding of karma may be vague or unclear. Although we may know that our thoughts, speech, and actions bring benefit or suffering to ourselves and others in this present life, have we given deep consideration to the fact that karma is a possession we have brought with us from the past, and one that will certainly follow us everywhere…even into the future?

Four aspects of karma are presented as follows:

  • What Is Karma? 
  • The Four Laws of Karma 
  • Changing Our Karma 
  • The Four Powers of Purification 

In summary, karma is an important subject, one which we should understand clearly.

It is essential to understand karma as a foundation for our behavior, for our dharma practice, and for the quality of our lives as a whole.

Again, karma is not a concept, nor is it a theory; karma is a natural law of the universe in which we live. Karma is a possession we have brought with us from the past, and one that will certainly follow us everywhere—even into the future!

This section answers the question, “What is karma?” It also offers suggestions on how to change karma, and how to purify our karma using the The Four Powers of Purification.

Other information related to karma is as follows:

  • Book Offer: Insights into Karma – The Law of Cause and Effect 
  • Karma – Analogy with Four Laws of Harvest 

Source: Used with permission from https://sourcepointglobaloutreach.org/what-we-offer/