Sentient Beings Are Mostly Accustomed to Creating Unwholesome Karma

Many people diligently study the Dharma teachings every day, one might say with utmost dedication. Yet, occasionally, when encountering slanderous remarks against the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—they express approval. This single act of praise destroys the majority of their accumulated merit and virtue from cultivation, rendering their diligent efforts largely ineffective, no matter how hard they strive. Ignorance severely obstructs the path of cultivation. If one does not find a way to repent for their ignorance, it is uncertain whether their good or evil karma will ultimately outweigh the other. Why do so many people fail to recognize the weight of their own ignorance? Why are they unaware of their own lack of wisdom, insisting on voicing ignorant and unwise opinions on crucial aspects of the Dharma? What will be the ultimate outcome of such cultivation? Why not consider this? What constitutes evil karma? Slandering the Three Jewels is the worst kind of evil—is there anything more evil than this? It would be better to commit some evil karma like killing, as the karmic retribution would be lesser.

Creating evil karma is very easy. A single sentence can accomplish evil karma; even a single word can create grave evil karma; even a facial expression or a symbol can generate evil karma. Few people feel that there is anything wrong with this or that it will bear any ill consequences. When suffering the retribution, they fail to connect it to the cause that brought about such an effect. They do not reflect on or analyze the source of the suffering, nor do they repent for their unwholesome physical, verbal, and mental actions. Many do not even know what constitutes wholesome physical, verbal, and mental actions versus unwholesome ones. Generally, they simply yield to the afflictions of ignorance within their minds, never opposing their unwholesome mental factors, allowing their habitual tendencies of affliction to manifest and spread freely. Most people have very poor awareness; they are oblivious to their own mental activities, lack the ability for introspection, and have no desire to introspect. They merely indulge their faults and defend their shortcomings. What is the result of such indulgence? The result is that everyone experiences distress, suffering, obstacles, and dissatisfaction. Upon death, they will fall into the three evil realms to endure immense suffering. Even after emerging from the three evil realms, they remain unenlightened, leading to an endless vicious cycle and continuous wandering within the six realms of rebirth.

Creating good karma is actually very easy too. A single sentence can accomplish a good karma; even a single word can create good karma; even a facial expression or a symbol can generate good karma. Yet, many people disdain performing such good deeds because they lack the habit. Every day, unwholesome mental factors manifest more frequently and abundantly than wholesome ones. Therefore, for each person, evil karma outweighs and outnumbers good karma. This is why, despite many people believing in Buddhism and studying the Dharma, they still fall into the three evil realms upon death, unable to secure a human rebirth. The proportion going to the three evil realms is over ninety percent, or even higher.