Master Baizhang and the Fox

2009novice SG

Hi all,

There's a story about a dharma practitioner who gave a wrong answer about the question regarding karma... He answered that enlightened people are not bounded by karma (did i remember wrongly?) and unfortunately created lots of negative karma due to this wrong view... He was reborn as a fox because of that.

After he consulted Master Baizhang, Baizhang's answer was "not ignorant of karma" and the fox was freed from animal realm.

What happens if we share dharma by our kindest intention to help people understand but ours is wrong too? Are we going to be "punished" by similar negative karma like the fox?

bohiruci SG

No ?

The fox rebirth is due to the Zen master believe realisation will supercede Karma.If this is true ,then Buddha wont show having headache for 3 days that he hit a fish head in one of his previous life out of mischief .

As ordinary practitioner, the magnitude of one's karma depends on one level of influence .

sinweiy SG

ya, 万法皆空,因果不空. the Zen master is ignorant of karma and animal realm is asociated with ignorance.

MCK advice is to use "from certain grand master said...".

something like, the Buddha also advice the Sutra to use "Thus have I heard...".

Amitayus48 SG

No ?

Precisely on the non-ignorant of karma that Buddha had gone through with the headache for 3 days, and not the believe that realisation will supercede Karma. There is this super karma of the seed of karma bearing fruit of buddha - seed [buddha]>condition (buddha) >fruition (buddha)

2009novice SG

ya, 万法皆空,因果不空. the Zen master is ignorant of karma and animal realm is asociated with ignorance.

MCK advice is to use "from certain grand master said...".

something like, the Buddha also advice the Sutra to use "Thus have I heard...".

ok that means citation needed. Lol.

sinweiy SG

ya, when not too sure, use citation. of coz not all the time la. simple want ok. :)

moreover, that said, don't even really believe yourself until u attained arhathood.

Almond Cookies SG

Best is dont know dont act smart. Dont know say dont know. Dont act smart and explain to people.