Discourses on the Parent-Child Sutra (Part 91)

Ten Kinds of Evil Karmic Retributions All Manifest at the Time of Death

Original Text: The Buddha said: "Great King, it is so, it is indeed so. When foolish ordinary beings see an evil form with their eyes, they immediately give rise to vexation, aversion and renunciation, seeking to destroy it, criticize its faults, and thus create the karmic action of hatred. These karmic actions consist of three kinds of bodily karma, four kinds of verbal karma, and three kinds of mental karma. The karma initially created perishes instantaneously, moment by moment. This karma does not abide in the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above, below, or in the middle. At the brink of death, when the life faculty ceases, the karmic retribution of one's own deeds all manifests clearly before one, as when one awakens from a dream and recalls the events of the dream."

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, it is indeed so, you are correct. When foolish ordinary beings see an evil form with their eyes, they immediately give rise to anger and annoyance in their minds, generating aversion and renunciation, wishing to destroy the evil form, criticizing its various faults, thereby creating the karmic action of hatred. Their karmic actions are divided into three kinds of bodily karma, four kinds of verbal karma, and three kinds of mental karma. The karma initially created perishes instantly, moment by moment. This karma does not abide in the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above, below, or in the middle. When approaching the end of life, as the physical body is about to perish, the karmic results of one's own deeds all manifest clearly, just like awakening from a dream and still recollecting the events of the dream.