Signs of Dispelling Karma Obstacles

Since beginningless kalpas, every individual has committed an immense amount of negative karma, with numerous karmic obstacles hindering the path of cultivation. Without eliminating the primary karmic hindrances obstructing the Way, it is impossible to attain enlightenment. Only when one's cultivation becomes relatively effective, yielding some results, can a portion of the karmic obstacles be eliminated, thereby removing the conditions that obstruct the Way. How can one know that cultivation has become effective? Through studying the Dharma and understanding the principles of good and evil, one realizes that one has many afflictions, has committed numerous unwholesome deeds, and has accumulated many karmic obstacles. When a mind of remorse arises, the karmic obstacles will gradually be expelled.

There are many channels and methods for expelling karmic obstacles. For example, experiencing retribution for evil deeds manifests as various misfortunes, physical illnesses, being subjected to bullying, slander, contempt, discrimination, and so forth. As stated in the Diamond Sutra, due to the act of reciting the Diamond Sutra, a person who would otherwise fall into the evil paths because of past-life negative karma, through recitation, eliminates that karma. In this present life, they merely experience contempt, and the negative karma is eradicated, avoiding rebirth in the three evil paths in future lives to undergo retribution. Being despised and suffering among humans is a retribution far lighter, by many orders of magnitude, than the retribution in the three evil paths. Even losing one's life is far, far lighter than the retribution in the three evil paths. Therefore, when Buddhists receive retribution in this present life, experiencing bullying, humiliation, or beatings, they should feel fortunate and refrain from retaliating, thereby avoiding suffering in vain.

After cultivation becomes effective, there are many ways to eliminate karma, and there are also many signs indicating that karma is being eliminated. For instance, some people may vomit a lot of filthy substances in their dreams, such as rotten flesh, black blood, yellow pus, or discharge foul impurities from the nine orifices. Others might find themselves in a toilet surrounded by excrement, with no place to step or turn. These filthy substances also represent the greed, hatred, and delusion within the mind. Dreams may also present phenomena that are usually unacceptable, embarrassing, or unimaginable in waking life—all these are signs of karmic elimination. These are phenomena of eliminating karma through cultivation. Having consumed the flesh of sentient beings in the past, the mind and body were impure. After understanding the principles, when the mind becomes somewhat purified, karma is eliminated accordingly, and the elimination of karmic obstacles manifests in dreams.

Dreams can also reveal situations where the mind has become somewhat purified. Mental defilements manifest in dreams through material forms; filthy substances emerging from the body signify the expulsion of defilements. The manifested filthy substances vary greatly, differing somewhat for each individual. Emitting foul odors from the body is also a sign of eliminating karma. This includes the occurrence of physical illnesses, various misfortunes, and all sorts of unsatisfactory events at home or work, with chaos and turmoil occurring frequently.

The more vigorously, effectively, and swiftly one cultivates, the faster and more abundantly filthy substances and phenomena of defilement appear, and the greater the transformation of the mind. The absence of these phenomena indicates that one's cultivation is not yet very effective, failing to stir the root consciousness (manas) and thus failing to activate the karmic seeds. Without a noticeable change in the mind, karmic obstacles cannot be eliminated. One has not yet reached the stage of actual practice, merely engaging intellectually with the theory, being interested in the concepts, without yet reflecting on how to change oneself.

When some people exert their minds in reciting the Buddha's name, their bodies sometimes function like sandblasters, expelling vast amounts of black, filthy matter from the mouth and various parts of the body, such as phlegm, flesh, powder, and so forth. This is the manifestation of eliminating karma from having consumed the flesh of sentient beings in the past. Some people experience vomiting in their dreams, feeling as though they have something like sand or earth in their stomach that they wish to expel but cannot, and when they do vomit, it feels as though their internal organs are being pulled out, with an instant expulsion of exceptionally large chunks of filth. These are all karmic results of previously committed acts of greed, hatred, delusion, unwholesome actions of body, speech, and mind, malicious speech, slander, and other defiling karma.

From these phenomena, one should be able to realize the truth that indeed, reciting the Buddha's name once can eliminate sins as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. As long as one practices according to the principles, one can eradicate vast amounts of negative karma. If one cannot sever the view of self or realize the mind in this present life, merely being able to eliminate karma is already immensely worthwhile. One should strive to eliminate much karma; only when karmic obstacles become slight can one attain enlightenment. One must absolutely refrain from creating new unwholesome karma. Creating unwholesome karma is utterly unworthy and unprofitable. Diligent cultivation to eliminate afflictions is profoundly worthwhile and beneficial.