Can Kamma Be Changed?
Kamma is often influenced by circumstances: beneficent and
malevolent forces act to counter and to support this self-operating
law. These other forces that either aid or hinder this kamma are
birth, time or conditions, appearances, and effort.
A favorable birth (gati sampatti) or an unfavorable birth (vipatti)
can develop or hinder the fruition of kamma. For instance, if a
person is born to a noble family or in a state of happiness, his
fortunate birth will provide an easy opportunity for his good kamma
to operate. An unintelligent person who, by some good kamma, is
born in a royal family, will, on account of his noble parentage be
honored by the people. If the same person were to have a less
fortunate birth, he would not be similarly treated.
Good appearance (upadhi sampatti) and poor appearance (upadhi
vipatti)are two other factors that hinder or favor the working of
kamma. If by some good kamma, a person obtains a good birth, but is
born deformed by some bad kamma, then he will not be able to fully
enjoy the beneficial results of his good kamma. Even a legitimate
heir to a throne may not perhaps be raised to that high position if
he happens to be physically or mentally deformed. Beauty, on the
other hand, will be an asset to the possessor. A good-looking son
of poor parents may attract the attention of others and may be able
to distinguish himself through their influence. Also, we can find
cases of people from poor, obscure family backgrounds who rise to
fame and popularity as film actors or actresses or beauty
queens.
Time and occasion are other factors that influence the working of
kamma. In the time of famine or during the time of war, all people
without exception are forced to suffer the same fate. Here the
unfavorable conditions open up possibilities for evil kamma to
operate. The favorable conditions, on the other hand, will prevent
the operation of bad kamma.
Effort or intelligence is perhaps the most important of all the
factors that affect the working of kamma. Without effort, both
worldly and spiritual progress is impossible. If a person makes no
effort to cure himself of a disease or to save himself from his
difficulties, or to strive with diligence for his progress, then
his evil kamma will find a suitable opportunity to produce its due
effects. However, if he endeavours to surmount his difficulties,
his good kamma will come to help him. When shipwrecked in a deep
sea, the Bodhisatta during one of his previous births, made an
effort to save himself and his old mother, while the others prayed
to the gods and left their fate in the hands of these gods. The
result was that the Bodhisatta escaped while the others were
drowned.
Thus the working of kamma is aided or obstructed by birth, beauty
and ugliness, time and personal effort or intelligence. However,
man can overcome immediate karmic effects by adopting certain
methods. Yet, he is not free from such karmic effects if he remains
within this Samsara?cycle of birth and death. Whenever
opportunities arise the same karmic effects that he overcame, can
affect him again. This is the uncertainty of worldly life. Even the
Buddha and Arahantas were affected by certain kammas, although they
were in their final birth.
The time factor is another important aspect of the karmic energy
for people to experience the good and bad effects. People
experience certain karmic effects only within this lifetime while
certain karmic effects become effective immediately hereafter the
next birth. And certain other karmic effects follow the doers as
long as they remain in this wheel of existence until they stop
their rebirth after attaining Nibbana. The main reason for this
difference is owing to mental impulsion (Javana Citta) of the
people at the time when a thought arises in the mind to do good or
bad.
Impartial Energy
Those who do not believe that there is an energy known as kamma
should understand that this karmic energy is not a by-product of
any particular religion although Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
acknowledge and explain the nature of this energy. This is an
existing universal law which has no religious label. All those who
violate this law, have to face the consequences irrespective of
their religious beliefs, and those who live in accordance with this
law experience peace and happiness in their life. Therefore, this
karmic law is unbiased to each and every person, whether they
believe it or not; whether, they have a religion or not. It is like
any other existing universal law. Please remember that kamma is not
the exclusive property of Buddhism.
If we understand kamma as a force or a form of energy, then we can
discern no beginning. To ask where is the beginning of kamma is
like asking where is the beginning of electricity. Kamma like
electricity does not begin. It comes into being under certain
conditions. Conventionally we say that the origin of kamma is
volition but this is as much conventional as saying that the origin
of a river is a mountain top.
Like the waves of the ocean that flow into one another , one unit
of consciousness flows into another and this merging of one thought
consciousness into another is called the working of karma. In
short, every living being, according to Buddhism, is an electricity
current of life that operates on the automatic switch of
kamma.
Kamma being a form of energy is not found anywhere in this fleeting
consciousness or body. Just as mangoes are not stored anywhere in
the mango tree but, dependent on certain conditions, they spring
into being, so does kamma. Kamma is like wind or fire. It is not
stored up anywhere in the Universe but comes into being under
certain conditions.
