Considering Constructive Karmic Impulses and the Ripening of Karmic Results

In general, whether we do something constructive or destructive, the strength of the results will vary in accordance with four parameters affecting the strength of the results of an action (stobs-ldan-gyi las-kyi sgo-bzhi): 

1. The field of our action (zhing, Skt. kṣetra) 
2. Our level of reliance (rten)
3. The phenomenon involved (chos, Skt. dharma) 
4. Our motivating mental framework.

[1] The field of our action refers to the person or being who is the object or recipient of something we do. Thus, giving material aid to an ordinary person, our parents, a monk or a nun, a bodhisattva, a Buddha and our spiritual mentor has beneficial effects of increasing strength. Even visualizing our teacher in an enlightening form and making offerings is a powerful practice because they provide such a bountiful field for spiritual growth. 

The point being made here is the strength of results not in terms of either the amount of suffering our material aid alleviates or the need of the recipient of our help, but simply in terms of the kindness the recipient has shown to us and others, the pure goal toward which they are aimed or have achieved and their good qualities.

Likewise, if we act destructively toward such bountiful fields, the results are similarly more serious than if we had done the same thing to an ordinary person. We must be especially careful not to show disrespect or be destructive toward those from whom we take our safe direction in life. The consequences can be only disastrous. For instance, if a householder takes without permission something belonging to or intended for the exclusive use of the Sangha, the results are very serious. Also, as we have noted before, anger directed at a bodhisattva can devastate all our positive karmic force. 

[2] Our level of reliance on belief in facts or our commitment to the laws of behavioral cause and effect also account for a difference in the results of our actions. Suppose we know that a certain action is destructive, but lacking sufficient self-control, we commit it anyway. If we are also aware of how we can purify ourselves of the suffering results through the open admission to our having done wrong and the application of the four opponent forces of feeling regret, promising to avoid repeating it, reaffirming our safe direction and bodhichitta aim and engaging in remedial behavior, and then we actually invoke them, the results of our destructive action will become weak, if not eliminated entirely. However, if we know all of this and then, belittling the power of these opponents, we deliberately commit the destructive action and arrogantly do nothing about trying to purify ourselves of its suffering results, the consequences are far more serious.

Furthermore, there is a great difference in the strength of our actions depending on whether or not we have taken any vows. Suppose we refrain ourselves from killing a fly. If we do this as a spur of the moment, arbitrary decision, or as part of a personal promise we made not to kill anything this week, or in connection with our keeping for this lifetime the five pratimoksha vows as a layperson (dge-bsnyen sdom-pa lnga), or the 36 as a novice, or the 253 as a fully ordained monk, or in connection with our keeping as well for all our lifetimes, until we reach enlightenment, the bodhisattva vows, or, in addition, the tantric vows – in each case our constructive action becomes progressively stronger. Likewise, if we slaughter a sheep as an isolated incident when we are nearly starving, or as part of our decision to work in a slaughterhouse for the summer, or in connection with the avowed non-restraint (sdom-pa ma-yin-pa, non-vow) from killing we took when we signed a contract to become a professional slaughterer for the rest of our life – in each case our destructive action of killing will have a more powerful result. The difference arises from our varying levels of commitment either to refraining from being destructive or to exercising no restraint at all. 

Just as an impulsive action of body and speech, when strongly motivated, has both a revealing form and a nonrevealing one of its constructive or destructive energy, this applies as well to our taking of a vow, an avowed non-restraint or a temporary restraint or non-restraint that is non-avowed. A simple action of restraint from killing has its revealing and nonrevealing forms of karmic impulse and positive karmic force.

The simple action of restraint from killing does not, however, have any additional nonrevealing forms since the motivating aim is too weak to generate one. When the same act is done on the basis of a temporary non-avowed restraint, it does build up an additional “nonrevealing form of constructive energy” (rig-min-gyi dge-ba, Skt. avijñapti-kuśala). However, this is lost as soon as the period ends for which the non-avowed restraint was set. When the action is accompanied with a vow taken for life or for all our lives until enlightenment, the nonrevealing form of constructive energy built up by the vow continues as a positive karmic force until this life ends or, in the latter case, until we achieve enlightenment. Thus, whether we are awake or asleep, the positive karmic force on our mental continuums continues to exist and even to grow. The longer we keep it, the more karmic force it builds up. A similar analysis holds true for a simple destructive action, one done on the basis of a temporary non-avowed non-restraint and one on the basis of an avowed non-restraint taken for life. 

The following analogies can perhaps help in understanding how the nonrevealing form of either the constructive energy of a vow or the destructive energy of an avowed non-restraint builds up further positive or negative karmic force on our mental continuums regardless of what we are doing. Suppose we donate the funds or our labor for the construction of a temple. The revealing form of our constructive karmic impulse ends when we complete our action of presenting the money or doing the work. The nonrevealing form of this constructive energy, however, continues on our mental continuum, and subsequently each time the temple is used for a ceremony to honor the spiritual masters or for a discourse on the Dharma, the positive karmic force of this energy increases. The same is true regarding our negative karmic force each time a slaughterhouse or gallows we have built is used for a killing or an execution. [As cited by Vasubandhu in “A Treasure House of Special Topics of Knowledge,” IV.25–44; and by Tsongkhapa in “A Grand Commentary on (Nagarjuna’s) Root (Verses on the Middle Way, Called) Discriminating Awareness,” 300–301.]

[3] What is involved in our action also accounts for varying results. Giving someone Dharma teachings brings greater benefit than giving them material aid. Likewise, offering our spiritual mentor our Dharma practice has more powerful results than offering him flowers.

[4] Lastly, our motivating mental framework accounts for much of the strength of the results we experience. There is a big difference in the results of a constructive action if we do it only for our own benefit, or for the sake of helping others, or if we do it in order to improve this life, future ones, to gain liberation or enlightenment in order to benefit everyone. If we offer a ceremony to honor the spiritual masters and do it with a bodhichitta aim, we will experience a much stronger result than if we attend simply because we feel obligated or we want to show off our new dress or suit.

A destructive action also becomes more serious the more harm we are aiming to accomplish. Furthermore, the power of any action increases in terms of the strength of our motivation and the length of time we have held it. An intention to do something that has developed and grown over many years will lead to an action with greater results than a sudden impulse to do the same thing. Similarly, doing something deliberately with great compelling force and urgency is much stronger than acting casually without really meaning to do what we do.

In Asanga’s Anthology of Special Topics of Knowledge, nine parameters are mentioned for making the results of an action be powerful: 

• The field of our action
• The phenomenon involved
• The nature of the act
• The basis of the one at whom it is aimed
• Our regard
• Our motivating mental framework
• The supportive conditions of our act
• Its frequency
• The number of persons doing the same act with us. 

The difference according to the field of the action refers to the amount of kindness or good qualities of the object of our act, while that according to the basis is the status or accomplishments of that person, such as if they have just finished a long retreat or are very ill. Our regard (yid-la byed-pa, Skt. manasikāra) is the amount of respect we have toward the object; the supportive conditions (grogs) are our level of vows; while any action, constructive or destructive, becomes more powerful the higher the number of persons (skye-bo mang-po) involved in its undertaking.

This last factor means that if the act of killing a sheep involves one person, the act builds up a negative karmic force on one person’s mental continuum of killing a sheep, whereas if ten people are involved, the same act builds up the negative karmic force of killing a sheep on ten different mental continuums. It is not that the act builds up a stronger karmic force on each of the person’s mental continuum than if each had performed the killing alone. The same can be understood when many people perform together a constructive action such as participating in a ceremony to honor the spiritual masters and then dedicate the karmic force for some positive aim.

We should consider all these factors and parameters that can make the results of our actions more powerful. This is because if we are aware of the laws of behavioral cause and effect, we can build up a tremendous positive karmic force and experience vast beneficial results by doing even small constructive actions in the strongest manner with a minimal amount of hardship and difficulty. We can also reduce the disastrous consequences of our destructive behavior if we are similarly aware.

Throwing and Completing Karmic Impulses

One distinction drawn among karmic impulses is between a throwing karmic impulse (’phen-byed-kyi las) and a completing karmic impulse (rdzogs-byed-kyi las). Both are karmic impulses for action of the mind that occur at the time of death and that affect the rebirth that we take. They arise as the result of karmic impulses for actions of the body or speech that have occurred either earlier in this lifetime or in a previous lifetime. 

In the case of a throwing karmic impulse, this action of body or speech is one of the seven we have been discussing. After the action of body or speech is committed, a sequence of momentary iterations as a karmic seed ensues. Later, in this or some other rebirth, the karmic seed is activated at the time of death, and a throwing karmic urging arises and prods the mind consciousness to take the elements of a next rebirth as its support in the next moment – first the elements of a bardo body. After a period in bardo, another throwing karmic urging arises and prods the mind consciousness to take the elements of the actual rebirth. If the initiating karmic impulse of the body or speech was constructive, it is definite that this is a rebirth in one of the three better rebirth states. If it was destructive, it is definite that this is a rebirth in one of the three worse states.

A completing karmic impulse manifests at the end of a sequence of iterations of a karmic seed that follows from the karmic impulse for an action of the body or speech that is either one of the seven, but weakly motivated by a destructive or constructive emotion or that was to commit a destructive or constructive action not included in the list of seven. It ripens together with a throwing karmic impulse and completes the circumstances of our rebirth. It has no such certainty as to whether the circumstances entail more or less hardships and whether they fill out one of the better or worse states. 

There are four possibilities (mu-bzhi, tetralemma): 

• By the force of both a constructive throwing and completing karmic impulse, we can be born to become a chakravartin emperor or king.
• By that of a constructive throwing, but destructive completing karmic impulse, as a beggar who will always live in poverty.
• By the force of both a destructive throwing and completing karmic impulse, we may be born as a trapped being in a joyless realm.
• By that of a destructive throwing, but constructive completing karmic impulse, as a pet dog of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 

There are also four possibilities concerning how many throwing karmic impulses result in how many rebirths: either one throwing karma or many together can produce either one or a series of rebirths. One heinous crime can produce a series of hellish rebirths, while many constructive actions may be required to obtain a precious human one. In any case, many completing karmic impulses are necessary to round off all the circumstances of any rebirth [as cited by Asanga in “An Anthology of Special Topics of Knowledge.”].

According to Asanga’s Anthology of Special Topics of Knowledge, for a karmic urging to have the force to be able to throw as its result the aggregate factors of experience of a future rebirth, it must at least take place with a gross level of mind. It could not take place during a deep state of absorbed concentration in which the gross level of mind had been temporarily stopped [See also Vasubandhu, “A Treasure House of Special Topics of Knowledge,” IV.95].

Karmic Impulses about Which There Is and Is Not Certainty of the Lifetime in Which Their Results Will Start to Be Experienced

There are some karmic impulses of the body or speech about which there is certainty of the lifetime in which their results will start to be experienced (myong-nges-kyi las) and others about which there is no such certainty (myong-ba ma-nges-pa’i las). The certainty, then, is not about whether or not we will experience any results of them. Unless the continuum of our mind consciousness is purified of the karmic seeds from our karmic impulses, one of the laws of karma is that they will not go to waste; they will ripen at some time. This variable only concerns whether or not there is certainty of the lifetime in which their results will start to take place in. The results involved here are unhappiness as the result of destructive karmic impulses and happiness as a result of constructive karmic impulses.

There are three varieties of karmic impulses that have certainty: 

• Karmic impulses, the results of which are experienced in the form of visible happenings (mthong-chos myong-’gyur-gyi las) – it is certain that these will give rise to unhappiness or happiness during this lifetime. 
• Karmic impulses, the results of which are experienced after taking rebirth (skyes-nas myong-’gyur-gyi las) – it is certain that these will give rise to them in our immediately following rebirth. 
• Karmic impulses, the results of which are experienced later after a number of lives (lan-grangs gzhan-la myong-’gyur-gyi las) – it is certain that they will give rise to them in some lifetime after this one and do the same. 

We need not finish experiencing these results at the times when they first appear. What is specified is the lifetime in which we start to experience their results 

Reinforced Karmic Impulses and Enacted Karmic Impulses

The difference between karmic impulses about which there is certainty of the lifetime in which their results will start to be experienced and those about which there is no such certainty is determined by the variables of whether or not the karmic impulse for an action of the body or speech has been enacted (byas-pa) and whether or not it has been built-up and reinforced (bsags-pa, Skt. upacaya).

A karmic impulse for an action of the body or speech is enacted if the action is committed and reaches its conclusion. It is, in addition, built up and reinforced if it has been preceded by an action of the mind that has deliberated (ched-du bsams-pa, Skt. saṃcintya) and has reached the decision to commit the action. If it has been preceded like that, then even if we do not commit the action of body or speech, we build up on the continuum of our mind consciousness a karmic seed from the not-yet-happening action of body or speech.  

There are four possibilities. For example, in the case of the action of the body being taking the life of someone:

• Doing it unknowingly, or in a dream, or not for any special reason but “just for the heck of it” (ched-du ma-byas-pa’i las), or being forced by someone else to do it against our will, or doing it not in accord with what we had planned, or mistakenly, or because of having not been mindful, or doing it half-heartedly only once and then feeling immediate regret and vowing never to do it again – in such cases, the karmic impulse of our body has been enacted, but not built up (byas-la ma-bsags-pa’i las).
• Working out, over a long period of time, all the details and plans for an assassination and then not carrying out the deed – in such a case, a not-yet-happening karmic impulse of our body has been built up but not enacted and so it is not reinforced (bsags-la ma-byas-pa’i las).
• Committing a premeditated murder – in such a case, the karmic impulse of our body has been enacted, built up and reinforced (byas-la bsags-pa’i las).
• Almost running over someone with our car – in such a case, a karmic impulse of our body has neither been enacted nor built up (ma-byas-shing ma-bsags-pa’i las). 

Only a karmic impulse for an action of body or speech that has been enacted, built up and reinforced has certainty of the lifetime in which it will start to ripen. All the others have no such certainty.

In the case of a karmic impulse for an action of the mind (thinking about and deciding to commit an action of the body or speech), there cannot be one that we have built up (deliberated) without actually enacting it in the process; and in the case of one for an action of the mind that we have committed, there cannot be one that we have committed for no special reason but “just for the heck of it,” nor one which we were forced to do against our will by someone else. All the other possibilities, however, can occur. [As cited by Asanga in “An All-Inclusive Text for the Actual Foundation”; and by Asanga in “An All-Inclusive Text for Ascertainments” (gTan-la dbab-pa bsdu-ba, Skt. Viniścaya-saṃgraha).] 

In Asanga’s Anthology of Special Topics of Knowledge, five types of actions are mentioned about which there is also no certainty about the lifetime in which we will start to experience their results: 

• Those that arise at the urging of someone else’s orders, for instance when a soldier is forced by his captain to shoot someone
• Those that arise at the urging of someone else’s insistent request, such as when someone with a terminal sickness or mortally wounded pleads with us to put an end to their suffering
• Those that arise from our own unawareness, when we do not know that what we are doing is destructive
• Those that arise from an uncontrollable compulsion due to one of the three root disturbing emotions and attitudes of longing desire, hostility or closed-mindedness
• Those that arise from our incorrect understanding, such as when we think to do something helpful, but out of naivety do the wrong thing. 

If these last two, however, are both built up with deliberation and then actually committed, there is no longer any uncertainty about them. We are sure to experience their results.

There are eight types of actions the results of which we are certain to experience in the form of visible happenings during this life:

• Destructive actions brought on by extreme regard for our bodies, possessions or compulsive existence
• Constructive ones brought on by extreme disregard for these three
• Extreme thoughts of malice toward any limited being
• Extremely strong thoughts of compassion and wishes to be helpful to others
• Extremely strong thoughts to harm the Rare Supreme Gems, our spiritual mentors and so forth
• Extremely strong actions brought on by respectful belief and firm conviction in such objects
• Destructive actions brought on by a lack of gratitude and with which we vie against those who have helped us the most such as our parents, our spiritual mentor and so forth
• Extremely strong actions brought on by gratefully wishing to balance the kindness of those who have helped us the most. 

[As cited by Asanga in “An All-Inclusive Text for the Actual Foundation.”]

An example of an action the results of which we are certain to experience after taking rebirth would be any of the ten constructive actions that have the power to throw us into another human rebirth in our next life. An example of one with results certain to be experienced later after a number of lives would be any constructive action that can cause us to be reborn as a human in some life after our next one.

In Asanga’s Anthology of Special Topics of Knowledge, another division is mentioned of: 

• Actions the results of which will be experienced in common (las thung-mong-ba, collective karma)
• Actions the results of which will be experienced not in common (las thun-mong ma-yin-pa)
• Actions the results of which will be experienced mutually by several limited beings (sems-can rnams-kyi phan-tshun-gyi dbang-gis ’byung-ba’i las). 

The first is karma shared by everyone in common so that it results in the mundane environment in which everyone lives or an epidemic disease that everyone contracts. The second are karmic actions done exclusively by one person and which result in their own inner mundane world of experiences not shared with anyone else, such as one isolated person’s contracting a very rare disease. The third are actions committed by several people together that result in something that only they will experience and no one else, such as the occasional joyless realms or a shared hysteria.

Having considered all the sufferings and problems of the three worse rebirth states and having seen that they are the result of thinking, speaking and acting negatively, we have decided firmly to follow the safe direction indicated by the Three Rare Supreme Gems. Thus, we have determined to stop committing the ten destructive actions and to practice only the constructive ones. As a result, we can prevent ourselves from falling to one of the worse rebirths in our next life and attain instead the aggregate factors of experience of a human or some divine being. 

However, simply to attain this much is not enough. If we wish to attain not only a superior status, but also a superlative state of either liberation or enlightenment, the realization of our fullest potential, we need the most favorable working basis possible. Such a basis is not only a precious human life with full respites and rich with opportunities, but one with the eight ripened good qualities (rnam-smin-gyi yon-tan brgyad) that allow for the most rapid spiritual progress and the least amount of hindrances.

The Eight Ripened Good Qualities

The eight ripened good qualities are: 

• A long life (tshe ring-ba), in terms of both our life expectancy and our success in living it out fully
• A sound, handsome and healthy body (gzugs bzang-ba), with complete sense faculties and excellent features, complexion and physique, such that everyone finds our appearance pleasing
• A good, reputable family (rigs mtho-ba), which is famous and commends the respect and esteem of our community, country and even the world
• A great wealth, both in the material sense and also in terms of a wealth of friends, relatives and associates, and with control and influence over that wealth (dbang-phyug che-ba)
• Honesty and credibility of speech (tshig-brtsun) such that everyone considers us a trustworthy and reliable source to settle any questions or disputes
• A reputation for being someone with great power (dbang che-bar grag-pa, Skt. maheśākhya) to help others, someone with such outstanding qualities as courage and diligence in giving of ourselves so everyone will wish only to please us
• Being a man (skyes-pa-nyid yin-pa), in the sense of having those masculine powers and traits that are constructive, such as being strong, intrepid and dispassionate
• Strength of body (lus-stobs) and mind (sems-stobs), with the stamina and will-power not to become tired, sick or downtrodden in any circumstance. 

Put in another way, these qualities concern our ability to stay in a better state of rebirth, our bodies, birth, material means and friends, our credibility, reputation, ability to be a vessel for achieving all good qualities and our strength to face any task.

The Benefits of the Eight Ripened Good Qualities

As ripened results, these eight qualities in and of themselves are neither constructive nor destructive, neither good nor bad. However, if we possess them and, through knowing what can be accomplished with them, we utilize them properly, they can become the circumstances for helping build up more easily a network of positive force beneficial for ourselves and others. If we do not possess them, but are aware of their functions and the benefits of having them, we will become motivated to try to achieve them. We pray not only to be reborn with these qualities, but to be able to use them properly. Like power, they can be dangerous if mishandled.

[1] With a long life we can see through to their completion many constructive undertakings for ourselves and others. We will be able to help and serve others for an extended period so that we can attend to their needs as they grow and develop. By having the time to actualize and then to keep actualized for a longer time many positive goals that can act as a root for bringing happiness to everyone, we can travel the path for spiritual progress to its ultimate end. As it takes a long time to build up beneficial habits of the mind, if we die young it will be difficult to gain proficiency in any.

[2] With a sound, handsome and healthy body, we will attract potential disciples even by the mere sight of us. Others will naturally flock to us, listen to what we have to say and be inclined to accept it. Our mere good looks will cause others to have respectful belief in us, as was the case with Atisha and Milarepa’s disciple Rechungpa. In this way, we will be able to reach greater numbers of people much more easily. On the other hand, if we are ugly, deformed or diseased, others out of naivety and superstition will find us repulsive and shy away. We will have to overcome a great deal of their prejudice in order even to communicate with them, let alone be of some help. 

[3] By being born into a good, reputable family, people will heed our advice concerning their welfare and will obediently do as we suggest. They will not even think to question our competency. In some countries, if we are born into a low social caste or class, people will look down upon us as their inferior. How could we know anything more about life than they? Although such an attitude is based on naivety and pride, it will be very hard to reach such people if we are born with a social stigma.

[4] By having a great wealth of material prosperity and friends and having our say with it, we will be able to attract others initially by our being a giving person and helping them with their material needs. Then, we can slowly attend to their spiritual ones by indicating the Dharma measures to take in life. If we are poor and do not have any influential friends, it will be difficult to help when someone comes to us in need.

[5] With honesty and credibility of speech, we will inspire confidence in others to take what we say as true. Through our speaking kindly, giving encouragement and setting ourselves as examples, we will naturally gather others under our good influence. In this way, we will be able to ripen them into kind and warm people. If no one believes what we say and everyone just thinks us a hypocrite or a fool, how can we teach anyone anything or set ourselves as good examples?

[6] If we have a reputation for being someone with great power to help others, then by our always assisting people in accomplishing their constructive tasks we will win everyone’s gratitude. No one will hesitate to do whatever we tell them. Helping others is a far more effective means than aggression for influencing others to do what is good for them. The subjects of a benevolent ruler would never think to transgress their good advice and council, while the subjects of a tyrant or dictator can only think of ways to revolt. Furthermore, if we never do anything to benefit others and have no reputation for having the power to help, no one will turn to us or listen to what we might suggest.

[7] Regardless of our gender, if we are a man in the sense of being strong, intrepid and dispassionate, we are a vessel for achieving all good qualities, a vessel for accomplishing all undertakings through our strong intentions and diligent hard work. We will be unafraid regardless of what circle we might find ourselves in. We will not be shy to stand up for what we know is right or to indicate the Dharma before any crowd. If we are dispassionate and objective, we will have the broad discriminating awareness to differentiate all the subtle things that are happening and handle any situation that might arise. If we are a weak, cowardly and overemotional person or someone coarse, militant and cold-hearted, we become seriously hampered in our ability to help ourselves and others.

Furthermore, simply being a male has several advantages in and of itself. In this degenerate age women have a harder time because of social discrimination based on naivety. In some countries they are not even allowed out of the house. As a male, we will have less difficulty in going anywhere, speaking with anyone, sharing a meal and so forth. This is because we will have less worries about people getting the wrong idea or trying to make advances on us, although this can still be a problem. We will have less interferences and obstacles for living alone, undisturbed, in quiet isolated places since there will be less danger of our being assaulted or bothered.

This does not mean that as a woman we cannot reach enlightenment in this very lifetime. This is definitely possible. 

[As cited by Tsongkhapa, “An Explanation of (Nagabodhi’s) ‘Stages of Presentation (of The Guhyasamaja Tantra)’” (rNam-bzhag rim-pa’i rnam-bshad), 18b, citing “The Guhyasamaja Tantra” XIII.24, as commented upon by Chandrakirti in “An Illuminating Lamp” (sGron-gsal, Skt. Pradīpa-uddyotana).]

The point is that a woman has more social obstacles to overcome, especially if she is born in a land where women are not treated as equals and have no rights or personal freedom. However, this should not daunt us. When the fully realized Tara was an ordinary woman in a former life and first developed bodhichitta, she noted that there were few women with the courage and self-confidence to follow the full path of spiritual growth. She therefore intrepidly vowed always to take birth in a female form and to achieve enlightenment as a woman. This she did and how many beings has she been able to help with her comforting warmth, gentleness and deep understanding!

[8] With strength of body, we will have the stamina to endure great physical hardships, as did Milarepa, and to do whatever practices are required to achieve enlightenment. With strength of mind, we will have great will-power and never find it tiresome to work to fulfill our own or others’ aims. We will never feel we cannot be bothered. In fact, we will take great joy in these endeavors. By the stability and self-confidence that this will give us, we will achieve the strength of mind to analyze and know the condition of each individual person and situation we encounter. This will act as a cause for quickly being able to obtain the clairvoyant powers of advanced awareness to read others’ minds, see their past and so forth, which will allow us to help them even more.

The Causes for Attaining the Eight Ripened Good Qualities

These eight ripened good qualities that make it possible for us to achieve our spiritual goals more easily with our precious human lives each have their causes. If we are convinced of the benefits of having these qualities, we will naturally take keen interest in building up the positive karmic force that will ripen into our attainment of them.

[1] Refusing to kill or harm any living creature; saving the lives of people, animals and insects, such as by buying dogs from the pound, sheep from the slaughterhouse, rescuing insects drowning in a pail of water; working to have people, animals and so forth released from captivity, such as even freeing goldfish from bowls and birds from cages; giving others food; nursing and giving medicine to the sick and so forth are all causes for our attainment of a long life.

[2] Building up a habit of patience and not to become angry; offering butter lamps and candles before statues and thangkas of the Buddhas, before collections of their written works and stupas to honor them; commissioning or making ourselves new such statues, thangkas, printings and stupas; repairing such representations of Buddha’s enlightening body, enlightening speech and omniscient deep awareness when they become old or broken; painting or covering them with gold leaf; offering new robes for the statues and cloth covers for the texts; presenting other people with new clothing, jewelry and so forth are the causes for a sound, handsome and healthy body.

[3] Whether we are a householder or have taken robes, not being conceited or boastfully arrogant about our skills, education, social class, ethical self-discipline, intelligence, following, clothing, possessions and so on; deflating our pride and showing respect to others such as by prostrating to our spiritual mentors and being a servant to humanity; being humble and assuming a lowly position; respecting our teachers, those who have entered monastic life and our elders; serving those who have been kind to us, especially our parents and those who have great qualities; and helping the needy, sick and the poor are all causes for being born into a good, reputable family.

[4] Repainting statues and so on of the Buddhas and offering them gold leaf and new robes; giving food, clothing and money to beggars and those who ask for our charity; helping such needy persons on our own initiative without making them grovel or beg; presenting gifts to people with good qualities or those with problems when either are lacking resources; building up the strong habit of love with which we wish everyone to be happy; reuniting separated friends and relatives; and eliminating misunderstandings are the causes for a great wealth of material prosperity and friends and of being able to have our say with it.

[5] Exercising great care about what we say; keeping our word; and decisively ridding ourselves of the four destructive actions of speech are the causes for having honesty and credibility of speech.

[6] Showing respect to special objects worthy of veneration such as spiritual masters, the Three Rare Supreme Gems, our parents and also our elders in general; making offerings to them of our services and goods; praying for our attainment of all ripened good qualities; not abusing whatever power of authority we have are all causes for having the reputation for being someone with the power to help others.

[7] Taking delight in those masculine qualities that are constructive; taking no delight in the lot that a woman must face in an ignorant world; seeing the shortcomings and limitations in our degenerate age of having a female body; despairing the idea of having such a body by thinking how inconvenient it would be for the most unhindered intensive practice; turning back the intentions of those with longing desire for a female body; reciting A Concert of Names of Manjushri (’Jam-dpal mtshan-brjod, Skt. Mañjuśrī-nāmasaṃgīti); praying to be reborn a male and to have those masculine qualities that are constructive; not being childish or calling our adversaries bad names; rescuing humans and animals from being castrated and so on are the causes for being a man.

[8] Accomplishing what other people cannot accomplish or cannot even think to accomplish with their bodies or minds; helping others; taking on heavy loads from others; doing difficult physical and mental tasks ourselves; not hitting others; and providing others with food and nourishment are the causes for having strength of body and mind.

Causes for the Growth of the Eight Ripened Good Qualities

If we gather the causes for the growth of these eight ripened good qualities with purity of thought, action and field (bsam-sbyor-zhing dag-pa), we will harvest these qualities in great abundance. 

[1] Purity of thought involves two points with regard to ourselves and two regarding others. With regard to ourselves:

• Whatever constructive actions we do as causes for these qualities, we dedicate their positive karmic force for our attainment of enlightenment, without having any hope or expectations for receiving their ripening results. 
• We work to accomplish these causes with total sincerity from the depth of our hearts and with great strength and resolve. 

With regard to others: 

• When we see in anyone aspects similar to these eight qualities, whether to a great, medium or minor degree, we stop ourselves from ever feeling jealous, competitive or from belittling them. Rather we rejoice in their qualities. 
• Even if at the moment we are unable to be like these persons, we think many times each day, with great resolve, to try to come to experience their fortunate lot.

[2] Purity of action with regard to ourselves is to work very strongly to achieve these causes over a long period of time without interruption. Regarding others, we encourage anyone with these qualities who has not taken proper advantage of them to use them properly. Furthermore, when we meet people who have been using them well, we praise them in order to enhance their taking of pleasure in their actions. We encourage them to continue and not give them up.

[3] Purity of field refers to what we look to as the causes for achieving these qualities. We do not, for instance, think to cheat others in order to grow rich. Rather, we regard the above-mentioned causal thoughts and actions as the field that yields the copious and excellent crop of these eight ripened good qualities. With these eight, we will be able to take the full essence of life by being the most helpful to ourselves and others. [As cited by Asanga in “Bodhisattva Stages of Mind” (Byang-chub sems-dpa’i sa, Skt. Bodhisattvabhūmi).]

Shantideva has said in Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior, II.62: 

“From destructive actions comes (nothing but) suffering; how can I be liberated definitely from that?” It’s proper for me to think, day and night, constantly only about that.

As we wish to be utterly free from our problems and suffering, both now and in the future, we follow the safe direction indicated by Buddha, Dharma and Sangha by making the firm decision to lead our lives with belief in the facts of the laws of behavioral cause and effect. 

During meditation sessions, we build up the beneficial habit of mind to be aware of these laws by repeatedly looking at both our constructive and destructive actions and discerning them in the light of their happy or suffering results, the certainty of their yielding these results and so forth. We also look at our own pleasant or problematic experiences and try to discern them in light of their possible causes.

Between sessions, we make a strenuous effort to avoid thinking, saying or doing anything destructive that would build up any further negative karmic force and to engage in constructive behavior by remaining ever mindful and conscientious of the laws of behavioral cause and effect.

These laws are a fact of life. We should not fool ourselves and try to deny or repudiate them simply because we do not like them or because we want to justify doing something destructive or negative. To behave in this manner is to be like the founder of the non-Buddhist Charvaka School (rgyang-phan-pa, Skt. cārvāka, lokāyata). He stubbornly denied that our actions have any results so as to avoid any censure for having sex with his daughter.

Also, we should not think because we have heard about the voidness of everything that this means we have license to do anything we feel like and that nothing matters since all laws and rules are null and void. Voidness means the total absence of the fantasized, and one of our greatest fantasies is to think that our behavior has no results, that we can do something and our act will occur all on its own without creating any repercussions or waves of effects. 

As Tsongkhapa has said in The Three Principal Aspects of the Path (Lam-gtso rnam-gsum), 13cd: 

(When you know how) voidness dawns as cause and effect, you will never be stolen away by views that grasp for extremes.

As best as we can, we try to apply our understanding of behavioral cause and effect to our daily life without being hypocritical. We try not to be like what Geshe Potowa (dGe-bshes Po-to-ba Rin-chen-gsal) has described:

There is a wide gap between the heavens and the earth, the near and far shores of the ocean, the mountains of the east and the west and between an ordinary person and the Dharma!

When Geshe Ben Gungyal (’Ban Gung-rgyal, ’Phen rKun-rgal) was living in his cave, he kept two piles of stones: one white, the other black. During the course of each day, he would set aside a white stone for each constructive thought or deed that he had or committed and a black for each destructive one. At the end of the day, he would take account and if the white outmatched the black, he would shake his left hand with his right and congratulate himself by saying, “Well done.”

However, should he be left with a larger collection of black stones, he would grab hold of his right hand forcefully with his left and scold himself severely by saying, “You’re supposed to be a meditator building up positive habits! A fine example you’re setting for others! I’m going to run down to the valley right now and tell everyone what a hypocrite and a fraud you are and what a dark and devious mind you have! Then we’ll see what your teachers and patrons have to say!”

It is very beneficial to take stock each night, before going to sleep, of all we have done during the day. The more we analyze our experiences and actions in light of the laws of behavioral cause and effect, the more insight we will naturally gain. 

As Geshe Tolungpa (dGe-bshes sTod-lung-pa chen-po rin-chen snying-po) has said:

When someone who understands the concepts (of behavioral cause and effect) correctly investigates (themselves), it is like loose rocks set in motion down the side of a mountain. The longer they go at it, the more will come.

By sincerely examining our life in this way, we will begin to understand how these laws operate. Then, as our desire grows stronger not to experience any more problems and suffering, and as our beneficial habit of mind grows stronger to discern events in terms of their causes and effects, we will naturally begin to modify and improve our behavior. 

As Dromtonpa has said:

My master Atisha always told me not to act wildly or speak like a fool since dependent arisings are very subtle.

Geshe Puchungwa (dGe-bshes Phu-chung-ba) used to read about the Dharma during the day, and at night he would think about what he had read. One evening, his disciple heard many upsetting noises coming from the master’s room. When he inquired what was wrong, Puchungwa said: 

I’m not sick, but I read today that the Buddha has said that if you act destructively you will fall into a joyless realm like a bag of sand turned upside-down. When I think about this, I am devastated.

This is why Puchungwa always used to say near the end of his life:

Now that I am old, I have turned to reading only the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. It tells me all about the results that will come from what I have done.

When we find full certainty in the laws of behavioral cause and effect, we will never act destructively or negatively again, even if someone tries to force us to do so. This is because we will have realized, as Geshe Sharawa (dGe-bshes Sha-ra-ba) has said: 

It doesn’t matter what type of terrible problem or suffering arises. Even if you are unjustly banished to a dreadful region or thrown into prison, the Buddha could only say it was all your own fault and that from having done this or that karmic action, this or that has happened to you.

Our future is completely in our own hands. As Nagarjuna has said in A Letter to a Friend, 14:

Anyone who previously didn’t care, and later develops a caring attitude, becomes as beautiful as the moon when parted from clouds, like Nanda, Angulimala, Ajatashatru, and Udayana.

Nanda was Buddha Shakyamuni’s cousin with such extreme infatuated attachment for his wife; Angulimala was a mass murderer; King Ajatashatru had assassinated his father; and Udayana was a king who had killed his own mother. Yet each was able to purify himself of his negative karmic forces and gain liberation. How was this possible? It was through openly admitting to having been wrong and sincerely applying the four opponent forces.

We have already discussed these purifying forces in connection with the preparatory practices. However, since this is such an important point, it is the custom to review it here once more.

[1] The first opponent force is to feel sincere regret for what we have done. This is based on our full confidence in the laws of behavioral cause and effect. We recall and visualize whatever destructive action we have done and then go on to imagine ourselves experiencing its effects. In this way we will sincerely regret what we did the same as if we had taken poison. If the force of this first opponent is strong, we will naturally be led to take the others.

[2] The second force is that of remedial behavior to counter and override our negative karmic force. Six such methods have been mentioned by Shantideva in A Compendium of Trainings (bsLab-btus, Skt. Śikṣāsamuccaya):

• Reciting sutras on profound topics, such as the Heart Sutra
• Meditating on voidness – this is the strongest opponent for purifying ourselves of our negative karmic forces and propensities
• Reciting mantras, such as the hundred-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva (rDo-rje sems-dpa’) or the six-syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara
• Building statues or making paintings or drawings of the Buddhas, specifically when done with great faith and not out of business, and commissioning such works
• Making offerings to the Buddhas and their stupas
• Reciting the names of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as those of the thirty-five Buddhas for the open admission of our downfalls (ltung-bshags de-bzhin gshegs-pa so-lnga). 

[3] The third opponent force is our promise to avert repeating our mistake, while [4] the fourth is what we must rely upon, namely reaffirming our taking of safe direction and our bodhichitta aim.

When we apply these opponents, we must continue until we receive certain signs of our purification. These come in dreams such as those of vomiting, drinking milk or eating yoghurt, seeing the sun or the moon rising, flying or walking through the air, seeing fires constructive, overcoming criminals or crazed wild bulls, seeing monks or nuns, coming across trees that ooze a white liquid, riding horses or elephants, climbing mountains, staying in beautiful houses, listening to discourses on the Dharma and so forth. Moreover, we must have such dreams repeatedly, not merely as a chance occurrence.

No matter how great a negative karmic force we have built up on our mental continuums, even that of actions the results of which we are certain to experience, it is possible to purify ourselves of it by sincerely applying all four opponents. There are many ways in which this purification can occur. For instance, the causes for our great sufferings in one of the worse rebirth states can transform into causes for us to experience either less sufferings there or none of the ones we would have otherwise had to experience; or these causes could ripen on us in this very lifetime in the form of a headache and in this way be gone. Likewise, some problem we would have had to experience for a very long time could pass in a shorter period. Or it is even possible to purify ourselves completely from the karmic force so that there is no ripening (rnam-smin, Skt. vipāka) of it at all. Since it all depends on the strength of mind with which we carry out the purification, the strength of the opponents we use, and whether or not they are all complete, and on how long and continuously we apply them, there can be no certainty in this matter.

Applying the four opponents before achieving non-conceptual straightforward cognition (bare perception) of voidness can eliminate negative karmic force but not its karmic tendencies on the mental continuum. Nevertheless, it can prevent these tendencies from ever ripening. Only an untainted pathway mind (zag-med lam, Skt. anāsrava-mārga), such as one with such a straightforward cognition of voidness, can remove the tendencies as well as the constant habits (bag-chags, Skt. vāsanā, instincts) from these karmic forces.

Each time we apply the opponent forces, we keep these points in mind and yet nevertheless imagine afterwards that our mental continuums are now cleansed of their negative karmic forces and perfectly pure. We crown this off (rgyas-’debs) by remaining in a non-objectifying state (mi-dmigs-pa, Skt. anupalabdha, objectless state) in which we do not see anything as being concrete or fixed. By repeatedly applying the opponents in this way, we tread a middle path between naivety and superstition concerning our behavior and its effects.

Furthermore, negative karmic forces can only be overridden if they have not yet ripened. If we have the karmic force to become blind, we can purify ourselves of it only before we lose our sight. If we have lost it already, it is too late. If we have a hot chili plant, putting sugar at its roots will not make it sweet.

Although any degree of negative karmic force, no matter how compelling, can be overcome in this way before it ripens, it is always better not to have acted destructively at all. If we lose a leg, we can replace it with an artificial limb. Although we can function with this wooden or plastic leg, it would have been far better had we not lost our limb in the first place. Likewise, although we can avoid having to experience the suffering results of our negative karmic forces, still it will take us much longer to develop the actual realizations of the bhumis and pathway minds than had we not acted in this negative fashion. This is why highly realized beings never would knowingly do anything destructive, even at the cost of their lives.

As Tsongkhapa has said in his Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path (Lam-rim bsdus-don), 12:

Since the fullest strides in actualizing the supreme pathway minds will not come about until I’ve attained, as a working basis, (a precious human life) with a full set of (eight) definitional factors, let me train in their causal (constructive acts) so that I won’t have an incomplete set of them. As it’s utterly essential to cleanse away from my three gateways these tarnishes (I have) from stains of negative karmic forces and downfalls (from vows), and especially obstacles from karma, let me cherish continual devotion to (applying) the full set of four opponent forces.

The ennobling, impeccable Lama has practiced like that. Let me, too, who strives for liberation, cultivate myself in the same way.

Previously, we have been taking keen interest (don-gnyer) in the mundane phenomena of this life. There was nothing contrived (bcos-ma, artificial) about our total involvement (snang-zhen). If we took any interest at all in our future lives, it was just paying lip service to what we had heard or read. However, now we have considered well our good fortune at having a spiritual mentor and a precious human life. We have thought about our impending death and probable fall to one of the worse rebirth states. Dreading this and confident in the ability of the Three Rare Supreme Gems to provide us with a safe way out, we have entrusted ourselves to their direction.

Now we have pondered the laws of behavioral cause and effect. We have seen that if we act constructively and never destructively and purify ourselves of our negative karmic forces, we can be assured of a rebirth with respites, enrichments and all favorable conditions and ripened good qualities for continuing spiritual progress. When our main interest has shifted to working keenly to benefit our future rebirths, and now our involvement in the mundane things of this life is only secondary, we have gained realization of the pathway mind of someone with an initial scope of spiritual motivation.

Tsongkhapa has said in A Grand Presentation of the Graded Stages of the Path (Lam-rim chem-mo), 132b4:

Although (you may have reached an initial realization), you must make your (confident belief) firm (in what you have understood). Then, once you have obtained (a firm conviction), you must rigorously practice (what you believe).

Only when we have fully integrated this first level of Dharma measures into our daily life, can we seriously build on this foundation the pathways of mind of intermediate and advanced motivation. When based on our having turned from our obsession with this life, these paths lead us to liberation and enlightenment for the benefit of all.