As you sow the seed, so shall you reap the fruit

By Lionel Wijesiri

Vesak, which falls in a few days’ time, is the most sacred day for Theravada Buddhists throughout the world. It is a major Uposatha day to be marked by re-dedication to the Buddha, Dhamma and the Eightfold Path. Today, it may be opportune for us to explore the concept of one of the Buddha’s central teachings - the doctrine of kamma (karma - action).

Kamma is based on the principle of the law of cause and effect and is the natural law of morality, which asserts that an intentional action will lead to a result proportionate in nature and intensity to that intention.

The Buddha statue at Aukana

Kammically productive actions are those which are based on skilful or unskilful volition. The Pali word for skilful is kusala, which is variously translated as wholesome, good, meritorious, virtuous and intelligent.

The Pali word for unskilful is akusala, translated as unwholesome, evil, bad, deleterious, non-virtuous and unintelligent. A skilful action produces a result which is desirable, good and happy, while an unskilful deed brings about just the opposite. As the Buddha has eloquently declared: “As you sow the seed, so shall you reap the fruit.”

Kamma means an action, never its result. The Pali words for the result are phala, vipaka or kammavipaka. It is important to be aware of this distinction to avoid misunderstandings about kamma.

Skilful intention

Skilful or unskilful intention constitutes the motivation underlying the performance of an action. When there is an intention to perform Kamma, there arises volitional energy that provides a moving force for the action, whether wholesome or unwholesome, depending on the kind of volition at the moment. This action may be expressed through any of the three channels of body, speech, and mind.

In fact, it is intention that conditions man’s action and constitutes the basis for all mental formations. Ask yourself, What is the cause of the inequality that exists among mankind? Why should one person be brought up in the lap of luxury, endowed with fine mental, moral and physical qualities, and another in absolute poverty, steeped in misery? Why should one person be a mental genius, and another an idiot? Why should one person be born with saintly characteristics and another with criminal tendencies? Why should some be linguistic, artistic, mathematically inclined or musical from the very cradle? Why should some be innately blind, deaf or deformed?

According to Buddhism, this inequality is due not only to heredity, environment and nature, but to Kamma. In other words, it is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings. We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and misery. We are the architects of our own fate.

Fruition

Once the Buddha said: “Bhikkhus, there are those who say ‘Whatever Kamma is made by this man, he will receive identical results thereof.’ If such were the case, there could be no higher life, no path could be perceived for the successful ending of suffering.

“But with the view, ‘When Kamma based on a certain kind of feeling is made (pleasant or unpleasant, for example), results arise in conformity with that feeling,’ the higher life can be, there is a way for the ending of suffering.

“Bhikkhus, for some people, only a little bad Kamma can lead to rebirth in hell, but for others that same small amount of bad Kamma will produce results only in the present moment, and even then, only the most extreme aspects of it will become apparent, not the minor.

“What kind of person is it who, for only a little bad Kamma, goes to hell? There are those who have not trained their actions, have not trained in moral restraint, have not trained their minds and have not developed wisdom. They are of little worth, are of small status and dwell discontented over minor Kamma results. This kind of person it is who, over just a little bad Kamma, can go to hell (like putting a lump of salt into a very small vessel).

Vesak lanterns during the week

“What kind of person is it who, for exactly the same amount of bad Kamma, receives fruit only in the present, and even then, the minor aspects of that Kamma do not manifest, only the major? There are those who have trained their actions, have trained in moral restraint, have trained their minds and have developed wisdom. They are not of little worth, they are great beings, they have a measureless abiding. For this kind of person, just the same kind of minor bad kamma gives results only in the present, and even then the minor aspects of that Kamma do not manifest, only the major (like putting a lump of salt into a river).” - Anguttara-nikaya

Ownership

When we do good deeds, such as giving charity, if we hope for good results, this will affect the result of our action. The Visuddhimagga says: “A deed undertaken out of desire for fame is low. One undertaken with desire for the fruits of merit is moderate. One undertaken with the clear understanding that it is the custom of the Noble Ones is superior.” So it is vital to cultivate insight to purify the mind of ulterior motives, otherwise even our good deeds will tend to prolong suffering in the cycle of existences, not to speak of bad deeds.”

The Buddha said that beings are the owners of their Kamma (Kammassaka), heirs of their Kamma (Kammadayada), have Kamma as their origin (Kammayoni), are related to their Kamma (kammabandhu), and have kamma as their refuge (Kammappatisarana); whatever skilful or unskilful action they do, they will inherit its results.

In this life, we are said to be the owners of our properties, and we will go to extraordinary lengths to protect them. We say, think, and believe firmly, “This is my watch, my car, my house, my wife, my children, my own body.” However, we can’t take any of these things with us when we die. Everything must be left behind - except for Kamma. Whatever good and bad actions we have done throughout life follow us to give results in due course, just like a shadow that never leaves. That is why the Buddha said that beings are the owners of their Kammas.

Good Kamma

The potential of Kamma is not destroyed at death, but we cannot point out where it is stored. A tree has the potential to give fruits in due season, but we cannot point out where the fruits are stored in a tree. Even though a tree is capable of giving fruit, if the weather is not right, no fruits will appear. It is similar with Kamma. Only powerful Kamma will give a definite result, the result of a lesser Kamma is not definite. If this were not so, there could be no escape from suffering.

Some Kamma give results in the same life, others will give their results in the next life. The remainder give results in the lives after that, so everyone has a store of good and bad Kamma that is waiting for the right season to bear fruit. In this life too, everyone is doing many good and bad Kamma. Powerful good Kamma can prevent bad Kamma from giving their result, or mitigate their effects.

Likewise, powerful bad Kamma can prevent good Kamma from giving their result, or spoil their effects. The Buddha illustrated this with an example. If you put a spoonful of salt in a cup of water it becomes undrinkable, but if you put a spoonful of salt in a lake, you cannot even taste it.

So we should do as much good Kamma as we can, we should not do any more bad Kamma at all, and we should cultivate knowledge, wisdom, and awareness so that we know the difference and can control our emotions.