Changing One’s Karma

 

Video - https://youtu.be/fvnL7JPySKk

Quiz - https://quizizz.com/join?gc=76702037

Key Points / Summary:

What is Karma and How do we Create Karma

1. “Karma” originates from Sanskrit word meaning - “Action”
2. Whatever action we do, it results in the reaction.
3. Action = Cause, Effect = Reaction
4. No matter whenever we do any actions, whether someone is observing us or not, we are creating a cause at that time for which effect is also decided at that time itself.
5. Now, whether that effect start showing up right away, after a year or many years or after multiple lifetimes, that depends on appropriate conditions to manifest it.
6. Our Karma in past lifetimes have the power to influence whether we are happy or unhappy in this life - This is also called as “Destiny”
7. Accumulation of negative causes from past lives = Sufferings in the Present - Health, Financial, Relationship Challenges
8. Accumulation of Positive causes from Past lives = Happiness in the Present - Peace, Happiness, Good Fortune

How Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism views Karma

1. Buddhism talks about continuity or eternity of life. Past—→ Present —→ Future
2. Past life Causes —→ Start Showing in Present
3. Present Life Causes —→ Start Showing in Future
4. Whatever causes created, that cannot be escaped. One need to face it for sure.
5. Also, as we discussed earlier, the effect cannot be preponed or postponed. As discussed earlier, the effect for a cause will only show in present when appropriate conditions to appear comes up.
6. Means, we cannot escape effects, and we need to wait for effects to show up and clear the past balance sheet.
7. What we can do is to not create any bad causes and wait for bad effects to show up and let them clean up.
8. But doesn’t it means that we are at a mercy of our destiny and we can’t really do much about it !!
9. Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism provides a way to change our destiny. To change our Karma, Get the past lives effects in this lifetime in a milder way (Zor ka Jhatka Dheere se Lage) and Why and where we assumed this current situation as well.
10. Let’s understand more about it in detail.

Changing One’s Karma

1. Practising Nichiren’s Buddhism has a power to change one’s Karma
2. Daishonin suggests that slandering the law or disparaging / belittle the Lotus Sutra is the most evil cause.
3. If we stop committing the ultimate evil of disbelieving and slandering the correct teaching and instead carry out the ultimate good of believing, protecting, and spreading it, then we can wipe out all of our negative karma

Lessening One’s Karmic Retribution

1. We definitely need to clean the slate of negative karma from past life.
2. When we start chanting and striving to spread the correct teaching - it enables use to receive the effects of all of our negative karma is this lifetime itself and in much less diminished form.
3. The effect of past negative karma that would have taken multiple lifetimes to appear and expiated is getting accelerated due to our diligent practice.
4. Not only we get the opportunity to clean up all of our past dues in this lifetime but also because of our practice, the effect comes up in a highly diminished form.

“Iron when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword. Worthies and sages are tested by abuse. My present exile is not because of any secular crime. It is solely so that I may expiate in this lifetime my past grave offenses and be freed in the next from the three evil paths”

Voluntarily Assuming the Appropriate Karma

There is another and very important perspective with respect to Karma for people who are practising Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism.

1. As per Buddhism, living beings are born in particular times and places because of two different kinds of causes
   1. They are born either according to their wishes and vows or
   2. as a result of their karma.

Lotus Sutra teaches that Bodhisattvas though have lot of good fortune but still they chose to be born into a particular scenario, show actual proofs by overcoming through faith and lead other people to the path of enlightenment.

They have converted their “Karma into Mission”