The Universal Truth of Cause and Effect
Teachings from Namo Amituofo
Recorded on 17 February 2024
The Unfolding Tapestry of
My children, please hold these words firmly in your hearts. All beings exist within the inescapable cycle of the laws of karma and cause and effect. Even Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciple Maudgalyayana, who was foremost in supernatural powers, could not fully avert the collective karma of the Shakya clan. Therefore, you must be extremely cautious regarding the causes you plant and the effects that follow.
You must remember that your heart and every thought you generate must be purely good. There must be no trace of impurity, for only then can you avoid the bitter fruits of negative karma. If your thoughts are tainted, you will inevitably reap the corresponding suffering.
The Ripples of a Wandering Mind
When you allow your mind to wander into negative states, the consequences are severe. Consider the following manifestations of your thoughts:
- Attachment to form:
- Leads to the rebirth as insects or crawling creatures.Attachment to emotion:
- Results in the suffering of a heart-wrenching, loveless existence.Biased thinking:
- Leads to a life of foolishness in both speech and action.Evil intentions:
- Results in being cast into darkness, devoid of light.Greed:
- Leads to the suffering of never obtaining what you desire.Anger and resentment:
- Results in the suffering of the hells.Ignorance:
- Leads to rebirth in the animal realm.Arrogance:
- Results in a life of humiliation and lowliness.Doubt: Leads to a state of profound ignorance.
These are but a few examples of how your thoughts dictate your future. If you create negative karma through your pursuit of wealth, you will suffer the poverty of having nothing. If you create negative karma through your pursuit of sensual pleasure, you may be reborn in a human body that is neither male nor female. If you create negative karma through your pursuit of fame, you will face the disgrace of a ruined reputation. If you create negative karma through your pursuit of food, you will be haunted by the hunger of a hungry ghost. If you create negative karma through your excessive indulgence in sleep, you will fall into a state of lethargy from which it is difficult to awaken.
The Heavy Burden of Deed and Word
When these negative causes are further compounded by physical actions and spoken words, the resulting suffering becomes even more intense, immediate, and apparent. You may currently be enjoying the of past good karma, which masks the retribution that is yet to come. However, once those blessings are exhausted, the bitter fruits of your negative actions will manifest immediately. This is the true reality of the laws of karma and cause and effect.
You must be wise and exercise great caution in your speech and conduct. Do not wait until you are suffering the consequences to feel regret, for by then it will be too late. This is especially true for monks and nuns, who must uphold the with the utmost diligence. It is better to endure suffering and maintain your discipline than to break the Precepts and create negative causes. When you succumb to the fleeting pleasure of a sharp tongue or the heat of an uncontrollable temper, every thought and every word you unleash only adds more karma upon your existing burden, piling sin upon sin.
The Purest Path to Ultimate Liberation
There is a saying: "Bodhisattvas fear the cause, while ordinary beings fear the effect." If you do not plant the negative cause in the first place, you will not have to endure the negative effect later. However, if the cause has already been planted, then when the external Causal Conditions mature, the effect will manifest. As it is said, "Even after a hundred thousand kalpas, the karma one has created does not vanish. When the conditions meet, the fruit will be reaped by oneself." This is the absolute truth of the universe; you must treat it with the deepest respect and caution.
Even good karma is still karma. However, chanting the name of Namo Amituofo is the purest of the pure, the greatest of all goodness. This is because the Buddha-name contains the supreme merit, virtue, and divine power of Namo Amituofo, as well as the blessings and power of the Forty-eight Great Vows. Chanting is the cause, and becoming a Buddha is the fruit. I hope that all of you will conduct yourselves according to this truth. Through chanting, you can attain the and the magnificent fruit of being reborn in the of Ultimate Bliss to become a Buddha.
Namo Amituofo
Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library