What Is Karma?

Karma, also known as the habitual force of karmic actions, is divided into wholesome karma, unwholesome karma, and neutral karma. For example, imagine a car speeding forward at full throttle toward a dangerous place ahead. The car is moving very fast. The driver realizes the danger ahead and feels they should slow down, brake, and turn around to change direction. However, for two reasons, the car's speed does not decrease, making it impossible to brake or turn. One reason is that although the driver is aware, they lack the will to act, or their mind is unclear, they panic, and their ability to act is weak. The other reason is that the car's own inertia is too great, or the brakes have failed. These two causes cause the car to continue speeding rapidly toward the dangerous place.

Although many things are realized, it does not necessarily mean they can be acted upon. Realization means the consciousness knows, but knowing with consciousness does not equate to being able to act, because the manas (the volitional consciousness) has not made a decisive choice. How then can one act? The vehicle of the five aggregates of sentient beings, propelled by the immense unwholesome karma accumulated since beginningless kalpas, is habitually speeding towards the three evil destinies. Who is the driver or owner of this car? It is, of course, the master consciousness, the manas. To break away from the path leading to the three evil destinies and turn the vehicle towards the three wholesome destinies, towards the Buddha's Pure Land, the driver or owner of the vehicle of the five aggregates is absolutely crucial. Why would the manas drive the car towards the three evil destinies? Some say the driver is the consciousness (vijnana), but when consciousness ceases, is the vehicle of the five aggregates still running or has it stalled? If consciousness is drunk, how is the car handled? Consciousness can only act as a co-pilot, as a navigator, guiding and urging the driver to grasp the steering wheel firmly.

Sentient beings are drawn towards the three evil destinies because they are bound by the three fetters, which bind the vehicle of the five aggregates to the path towards the three evil destinies. In reality, it is the three fetters of the manas-driver that cause the manas to drive on the path to the three evil destinies. Therefore, the so-called karma primarily refers to the karma of the manas. When the manas severs the view of self and severs the three fetters, it will turn the vehicle around and drive it onto the wholesome path.

When facing the six dusts (objects of the senses), karma manifests. For instance, in the presence of wealth and sensual desires, the manas of different sentient beings possesses different karmic forces, different habitual forces for dealing with wealth and sensual desires. If the force of unwholesome karma is strong, one will greedily grasp at wealth and sensual desires. If the force of wholesome karma is strong, one will disregard wealth and sensual desires, even practicing generosity with them. Those with neutral karma will follow conditions and take the Middle Way. When the karma of sentient beings manifests, all exhortations are like wind whistling past the ears – they do not enter the ears, they are not heard. If the force of wholesome karma is strong, even in adverse circumstances, one remains undefiled, does not join in the turbidity, and still maintains a pure mind. One who remains unstained while dwelling in mud is called a Bodhisattva. If the manas does not change its force of unwholesome karma, if afflictions are not subdued, then wishing to sever the view of self, sever the three fetters, and escape the three evil destinies is absolutely impossible. The Four Right Efforts – to prevent unwholesome states from arising, to abandon arisen unwholesome states, to cultivate unarisen wholesome states, and to maintain arisen wholesome states – must be diligently practiced. If evil is not severed and goodness not cultivated, the three evil destinies are unavoidable.