Commentary on the Pitāputrasamāgama Sūtra (146)

The Karmic Retribution for Developing Fearful Thoughts Upon the Ruin of the Nasal Faculty

Original Text: The Buddha said: "So it is, great king. So it is. Foolish ordinary beings, upon seeing the ruin of their nasal faculty, develop fearful thoughts and create foolish karmic actions—three bodily, four verbal, and three mental karmic actions. From the very moment of initial creation, these actions perish instantaneously. Once these actions perish, they do not abide in the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above, below, or in between. However, when the final moment arrives and the life faculty is completely extinguished, the karmic retribution of one's own deeds fully manifests before them, just as when one wakes from a dream and recalls the events of the dream."

Explanation: The Buddha said: "Great king, it is indeed so. Foolish ordinary beings, upon seeing the ruin of their own nasal faculty, give rise to fear and create foolish karmic actions—three bodily, four verbal, and three mental karmic actions. From the very beginning of their creation, these karmic actions perish moment by moment as they are created. After these actions perish, they do not abide in any direction—east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above, below, or in between. Yet, when life approaches its end, the karmic retribution from one’s own deeds in this lifetime fully manifests, just as after awakening from a dream, one still recalls the events of the dream."