What Is Karma?

Karmic power is also called the habitual force of karmic actions, and it is divided into wholesome karmic power, unwholesome karmic power, and karmic power that is neither wholesome nor unwholesome. For example, a car is driving at full speed toward a dangerous place ahead; the car is moving very fast, and the driver becomes aware that the road ahead is dangerous and feels that he should slow down, brake, turn around, and change direction. Yet for two reasons the speed does not decrease, and the car simply cannot brake or turn around. One reason is that although the driver is aware of it, he lacks the power to act, or his mind is unclear, he is flustered, and his capacity for action is weak; the other reason is that the car's own inertia is too great, or the brakes have failed. These two reasons cause the car to keep speeding toward the dangerous place.

Although many things are consciously recognized, they cannot necessarily be carried out. Being consciously recognized means the consciousness knows it, but knowing it does not mean being able to do it, because the manas has not made the decision. How can it be done? The car of sentient beings' five aggregates, driven by the immense unwholesome karmic power accumulated over beginningless kalpas, is heading inertially toward the three evil paths. Who is the driver or the owner of this car? It is certainly the consciousness that is in charge—the manas. If one wishes to escape the track leading to the three evil paths, turn around, and head toward the three wholesome paths, toward the pure lands of the Buddha realms, the driver or owner of the five-aggregates car is extremely crucial. Why would the manas drive the car toward the three evil paths? Some say the driver is the mind consciousness; then when the mind consciousness ceases, is the five-aggregates car still running or has it stalled? If the mind consciousness is drunk, how is the car to be handled? The mind consciousness can only serve as the co-pilot, as a navigator, guiding and urging the driver to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.

Sentient beings tend toward the three evil paths because of the three fetters, which bind the five-aggregates car as it travels along the way to the three evil paths; in fact, it is the three fetters of the manas, the driver, that make the manas drive the car along the way to the three evil paths. Therefore, so-called karmic power mainly refers to the karmic power of the manas. When the manas eradicates the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and severs the three fetters, it will turn the car around and drive it onto the wholesome paths.

When facing the realms of the six sense objects, karmic power manifests. For example, in the face of wealth and sensual pleasure, the manas of different sentient beings has different karmic power, different habitual forces in dealing with wealth and sensual pleasure. If the power of unwholesome karma is great, one will greedily seize wealth and sensual pleasure; if the power of wholesome karma is great, one will disregard wealth and sensual pleasure, even giving them away in generosity (dāna); those who are neither wholesome nor unwholesome will follow conditions and take the middle way. When sentient beings' karmic power manifests, all exhortations are like wind past the ears—they do not enter the ear and cannot be heard. If the power of wholesome karma is great, even in adverse circumstances one is not defiled, does not join in the corruption, and still maintains a pure heart. One who dwells in the mire yet remains undefiled is called a bodhisattva. If the manas does not change the force of its unwholesome karma and its afflictions are not subdued, then wanting to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), sever the three fetters, and escape the three evil paths is absolutely impossible. The Four Right Efforts (samyak-prahāṇa) of ceasing evil and cultivating goodness must be well cultivated; if evil is not ceased and goodness is not fulfilled, the three evil paths cannot be avoided.