Karma of Body, Speech, and Mind and Their Retributive Results

Any action of body, speech, or mind, once it arises, constitutes karma. Body refers to physical actions and conduct, speech refers to verbal actions and expressions, and mind refers to the mental actions and thoughts generated by the seventh consciousness. Regardless of which sentient being it is, as long as there are actions and conduct, there is karma, and there will be corresponding retribution. The nature and severity of the retribution depend on whether the actions of body, speech, and mind are good or evil, and whether they are weighty or light. Physical actions may be good or evil, and may be weighty or light; verbal actions may be good or evil, and may be weighty or light; mental actions generated by the seventh consciousness may be good or evil, and may be weighty or light. Consequently, the retribution will also be good or evil, and weighty or light. Intentional actions bring intentional retribution, unintentional actions bring unintentional retribution; there is no action that escapes retribution. Only third and fourth fruition saints and Bodhisattvas on the grounds, who have eradicated the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, do not commit mental karma or commit only extremely minor mental karma; all others commit mental karma. Verbal karma is easier to commit than bodily karma; most people speak without restraint, while those who commit many bodily karmic actions are relatively fewer. If someone commits many bodily karmic actions, that person is one whose afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are extremely severe.

All dharmas generated by the actions of body, speech, and mind are stored as seeds. Intelligence and wisdom are stored; in future lives, one will still possess intelligence and wisdom in the same matters, while matters one did not understand in this life will remain incomprehensible in the next life. Every undertaking, whether good, evil, or neutral (non-defined), is entirely recorded and stored by the tathagatagarbha. No action is done in vain, nor is it as if done actions become void. Words spoken are not spoken in vain; they will all bear fruit in the future, yielding an outcome.

Karmic seeds must have conditions fully assembled before they can manifest. The karmic seeds accumulated over immeasurable kalpas cannot all manifest simultaneously. Rather, whichever karmic seed ripens first will yield its retribution first. If they were all to manifest together, the retribution would appear interwoven with good and evil, joy and suffering, making cause and effect seem even more intricate and complex.