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4. Teaching of Kamma, teaching of kammic result, and teaching of effort

Buddhist practice is based on human life and all the Buddha’s, in the past and present, have taught the law of Kamma, kammic result and effort, which is explained as follows; Kamma is action, basically it has three meanings; 1. All actions are the result of volitions. Such actions as eating, walking, sitting, and sleeping are caused by the wish to act, and bring results according to the law of kamma, 2. Natural or universal law gives rise to the inevitable results of actions, no volitional action is without consequences. 3. The Law of cause and effect means that good fruit will result from good actions and bad fruit from evil actions.

Belief in kamma means the belief that the fruit of action is never lost in this world; it gives rise to consequences including rebirth. Effort is also important. Buddhism is not a passive practice, but requires activity and effort.

The kammic system is the main teaching of the Buddha, which is different from other religions. Kamma points out that human beings are good or bad depending on their own volitional actions, not depending on caste. About this, the Buddha said, “Good or bad does not depend on birth, but depends on kamma or volitional action.” So, according to this teaching of the Buddha’s, Buddhism adheres to this belief and it is said that human beings should take responsibility for themselves because, usually, they tend to blame the outsider, and not take responsibility for their own actions. When something is wrong, one tends to blame others or the environment, so it is said that it is easier to blame others than oneself. For instance, when one steps in some rubbish on the street, one will blame the person who has not put that thing in the bin. One never blames oneself for walking carelessly. In the Buddha’s teaching, at first it teaches mankind to take responsibility for its own actions and consider oneself first before looking to blame others.

The other teaching of kamma is that mankind should take refuge in itself, one should not put oneself into the hands of others and above all one must believe in one’s own ability. One should not wait for help all the time; one has to try to help oneself first, before simply relying on help from others. The Buddhist teachings on kamma, teach mankind to know that all success is from action according to the law of cause and effort. On the other hand, people sometimes misunderstand the kammic belief system because it works in a complicated way, the Buddha said that kamma was very complicated for ordinary people. This is especially true when people confuse the Buddhist notion of kamma with three beliefs which are regarded as wrong views; Pubbekatavada, a determinist theory that whatever is experienced is due to past actions; past-action determinism, Issaranimmanahetuvada, a determinist theory that whatever is experienced is the creation of a Supreme Being; theistic determinism, and Ahetuvada, an indeterminist theory that whatever is experienced is uncaused and unconditioned; accidentalism. These beliefs are called traditional doctrines of inaction.

These three beliefs, Buddhism regards as making mankind inactive. This is perhaps because of the idea that whatever is happening to us now is caused by something we cannot control. In this light one may believe that one has to wait for the past-action to give its fruit, and that nothing can be changed. Or if one believes in the notion of a Supreme Being, one may pray to him and beg for forgiveness etc. This kind of person would not do anything, except just pray for whatever he wanted, or for forgiveness if he had done something wrong. He makes himself careless, and if he believes that there is no cause and effect, he believes that anything that has happened is by accident or chance. These three beliefs delude mankind into not making an effort in life so the Buddha said, these are wrong beliefs.

Buddhism also teaches about kamma, both past, present and continuing into the future and the Buddha taught about kamma and how it worked. Buddhist kamma works on cause and effect so it is beyond the other three beliefs mentioned above and it is part of human life. Speaking metaphorically we may say that kamma is like a shadow which follows mankind everywhere; in the darkness or in the light. This must be discerned at first, otherwise mankind will miss the point.4. Teaching of Kamma, teaching of kammic result, and teaching of effort

Buddhist practice is based on human life and all the Buddha’s, in the past and present, have taught the law of Kamma, kammic result and effort, which is explained as follows; Kamma is action, basically it has three meanings; 1. All actions are the result of volitions. Such actions as eating, walking, sitting, and sleeping are caused by the wish to act, and bring results according to the law of kamma, 2. Natural or universal law gives rise to the inevitable results of actions, no volitional action is without consequences. 3. The Law of cause and effect means that good fruit will result from good actions and bad fruit from evil actions.

Belief in kamma means the belief that the fruit of action is never lost in this world; it gives rise to consequences including rebirth. Effort is also important. Buddhism is not a passive practice, but requires activity and effort.

The kammic system is the main teaching of the Buddha, which is different from other religions. Kamma points out that human beings are good or bad depending on their own volitional actions, not depending on caste. About this, the Buddha said, “Good or bad does not depend on birth, but depends on kamma or volitional action.” So, according to this teaching of the Buddha’s, Buddhism adheres to this belief and it is said that human beings should take responsibility for themselves because, usually, they tend to blame the outsider, and not take responsibility for their own actions. When something is wrong, one tends to blame others or the environment, so it is said that it is easier to blame others than oneself. For instance, when one steps in some rubbish on the street, one will blame the person who has not put that thing in the bin. One never blames oneself for walking carelessly. In the Buddha’s teaching, at first it teaches mankind to take responsibility for its own actions and consider oneself first before looking to blame others.

The other teaching of kamma is that mankind should take refuge in itself, one should not put oneself into the hands of others and above all one must believe in one’s own ability. One should not wait for help all the time; one has to try to help oneself first, before simply relying on help from others. The Buddhist teachings on kamma, teach mankind to know that all success is from action according to the law of cause and effort. On the other hand, people sometimes misunderstand the kammic belief system because it works in a complicated way, the Buddha said that kamma was very complicated for ordinary people. This is especially true when people confuse the Buddhist notion of kamma with three beliefs which are regarded as wrong views; Pubbekatavada, a determinist theory that whatever is experienced is due to past actions; past-action determinism, Issaranimmanahetuvada, a determinist theory that whatever is experienced is the creation of a Supreme Being; theistic determinism, and Ahetuvada, an indeterminist theory that whatever is experienced is uncaused and unconditioned; accidentalism. These beliefs are called traditional doctrines of inaction.

These three beliefs, Buddhism regards as making mankind inactive. This is perhaps because of the idea that whatever is happening to us now is caused by something we cannot control. In this light one may believe that one has to wait for the past-action to give its fruit, and that nothing can be changed. Or if one believes in the notion of a Supreme Being, one may pray to him and beg for forgiveness etc. This kind of person would not do anything, except just pray for whatever he wanted, or for forgiveness if he had done something wrong. He makes himself careless, and if he believes that there is no cause and effect, he believes that anything that has happened is by accident or chance. These three beliefs delude mankind into not making an effort in life so the Buddha said, these are wrong beliefs.

Buddhism also teaches about kamma, both past, present and continuing into the future and the Buddha taught about kamma and how it worked. Buddhist kamma works on cause and effect so it is beyond the other three beliefs mentioned above and it is part of human life. Speaking metaphorically we may say that kamma is like a shadow which follows mankind everywhere; in the darkness or in the light. This must be discerned at first, otherwise mankind will miss the point.