Expert: Justin Choo - 5/3/2009

Question
QUESTION: how does karma operate? is it direct cause and effect because i read narada's book that says "what karma predominates at the moment of death good or bad will be the result of the next birth"

is it also true that the bad karma did in this life may not happen next birth may be in the next 3 birth?

is it true that for example hitler dies his aggregates disintegrates, his karma energy transferred into an new embryo, does it sounds hitler is not the one that will reap his past karma the new embryo that is?

ANSWER: Hi Jaya,

Thank you for asking me.


"What karma predominates at the moment of death good or bad will be the result of the next birth" ; here Narada meant "the last thought moment" before death; which upon death will be the "link" to the next rebirth.  Usually old people gradually becomes "unconscious" nearing death and whatever last thought moment would have been passed.

"is it also true that the bad karma did in this life may not happen next birth may be in the next 3 birth?"
Why "next 3 births"?  The results (vipaka) of kamma (volitional actions) are elusive, but surely they will actualize.  The timing is not definite or certain.  

To answer your last question, let me quote from a source which unfortunately I have forgotten where I got it from:

["As long as this kammic force exists there is rebirth, for beings are merely the visible manifestation of this invisible kammic force. Death is nothing but the temporary end of this temporary phenomenon. It is not the complete annihilation of this so-called being. The organic life has ceased, but the kammic force which hitherto actuated it has not been destroyed. As the kammic force remains entirely undisturbed by the disintegration of the fleeting body, the passing away of the present dying thought-moment only conditions a fresh consciousness in another birth. It is kamma, rooted in ignorance and craving, that conditions rebirth. Past kamma conditions the present birth; and present kamma, in combination with past kamma, conditions the future. The present is the offspring of the past, and becomes, in turn, the parent of the future." ]




"Rebith" is a process, an on-going process, just like the electric current lighting up a bulb.  The "bulb" is like the physical body.  When this bulb is blown, the current is still there and when a new bulb is fixed on, it lights up again.  So you can see that there is a continuity in the electric current, but the current flowing through is not the same at any one moment.  Our existence is in this state of flux.  When the body is dead, the life energy seeks another form to "reborn".  The type of rebirth will depend on the nature of this store-house of life energy.  If this store-house of energy has more wholesome characteristics, it will seek rebirth in a more conducive environment.  On the other hand, if it has more negative characteristics, then its rebirth will be in a more unwholesome environment.  As the life force is always in a flux, there is no permanent and unchanging soul, but a changing personality that exists throughout.  To describe this process of rebirth, the Buddha used the term "Not exactly the same, yet not totally different".  Another example will be a lighted candle.  It is not the same light that we see, but not totally different.

Hitler is gone but his evil kammic energy proceeds on to other births
seeking conditions that would entail great suffering.  You are right in saying that it will not be Hitler suffering, but a continuation of his kammic energy.

Take care.

Justin Choo


[I like to invite you to visit my blog:]
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/

[And these sites by Rev. Dhammika:]
http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/
http://www.buddhismatoz.com/




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: so if im hitler or a tyrant should i gain a good rebirth by merely thinking happy good thoughts? how about paying the 6 million lives?

how is kamma energy transfer because if you say there is continuation it could be a soul possibly the next creature has nothing known about his previous hitler incarnation?

so is it a karma effect example a woman who is devoted became a prince then all the wealth is in him but his father died early and he is experiencing misfortunes in his empire how could karma play a role in that?

is the prince's misfortunes a product of a distant karma?

how does a buddhist purify his karma? is there an external agent?



ANSWER: Hi Jaya,

Before proceeding further on this discussion about kamma, it is said that kamma is one of those topics that we shall never understand completely.  Having said that, let me try to give another example of this life continuum.  If you can understand this re-linking rebirth process, you will understand the subtleties of the working of kamma.  When you strike a billiard ball, the first ball will knock against another, and another.  Although the next ball is not the same as the previous one, the movement was caused by its action.  Which direction the ball goes will depend on the force and angle of the previous ball movement.  

As for your last question, the Golden Rule applies: "Do not do unto others that which you don't want done to yourself."

Simply put: "avoid evil, do good".  There is no "super agent" that controls our lives.  We have our destinies in our hands.

Take care.

Justin Choo



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: how about the bodhisatta concept a lot of articles i read sometimes it said bodhisatta is arahant, is arahant lower than bodhisattas?

what does some forms of buddhism means that bodhisatta delays enligtenment to save all beings, if thats the case buddhahood is harder to obtain than going into sravaka or pacceka?

is bodhisatta applies only to siddartha or sammasambuddhas or also to sravaka or paccekas?

Answer
Hi Jaya,

"some forms of buddhism means that bodhisatta delays enligtenment to save all beings"
This is the meaning attached to Mahayana tradition.

For Theravada, a Bodhisatta simply means a Buddha-to-be.

The most difficult is to become a Samma Sambuddha.

Justin Choo.

(If you need to ask further, please start a new thread by clicking again "Ask a question" , otherwise this post will become too long.)