Bodily, Verbal, and Mental Actions and Retribution

The actions of body, speech, and mind, as long as they manifest, are karma. Body refers to the actions and creations of the physical body, speech refers to the actions and creations of language, and mind refers to the actions and creations of thought by the mind of the seven consciousnesses. No matter which sentient being it is, as long as there are actions and creations, there is karma, and there are karmic retributions; it depends on the wholesome or unwholesome nature and the severity of the bodily, verbal, and mental actions. The actions and creations of the body have wholesome and unwholesome aspects, and degrees of severity; the actions and creations of speech have wholesome and unwholesome aspects, and degrees of severity; the actions and creations of thought by the mind of the seven consciousnesses have wholesome and unwholesome aspects, and degrees of severity. Consequently, karmic retributions have wholesome and unwholesome aspects, and degrees of severity. Intentional actions have their intentional retributions, and unintentional actions have their unintentional retributions—no one escapes retribution. Those who do not commit mental karma, or commit it only very lightly, are limited to those of the third and fourth fruits who have eliminated the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis; all others commit mental karma. Verbal karma is easier to commit than bodily karma; most people speak without restraint, while not so many create karma through the body. Those who create much karma through the body are people whose afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are extremely heavy.