A. The brief teaching of the essence.
(i.e. All happiness and suffering come from the mind, from
self-conditioning, from accumulating good or bad karma. The message
here is that we are conditioned by our past choices, but still have
enough freedom to see through it. No total freedom, no total
determinism. That is the introductory model; and its problem is
"How is individual karma transmitted between lives? What is the
support? Is karma individual, or universal?")
Why do these lives of wandering in the sufferings of samsara, each
with its own appearances of joy and sorrow appear?
They occur because of karma:
Thus, Samsáras heights and depths of pleasure and pain
Arise from former accumulations of our karma.
That is how it has been taught by the Sage, the Buddha.
(i.e. Our conditions, our happiness and suffering are not
causeless, or the fruits of chance, or decided by an omnipotent
god. There is a reason why some people are happy, while some others
are suffering a lot. If we observe carefully our actions and their
effects we will understand that there is logic of cause and effect.
Then we will understand that our own happiness and suffering are
caused by our own past actions.)
(i.e. Saleyyaka Sutta - The Brahmins of Sala, MN41:
4. When they were seated, they said to the Blessed One: "Master
Gotama, what is the reason, what is the condition, why some beings
here, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in
states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition,
even in hell; and what is the reason, what is the condition, why
some beings here, on the dissolution of the body, after death,
reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world?"
5. "Householders, it is by reason of conduct not in accordance with
the Dhamma, by reason of unrighteous conduct, that beings here on
the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in states of
deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell.
It is by reason of conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, by reason
of righteous conduct, that some beings here on the dissolution of
the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in the
heavenly world.")
From the different conditions of beings, different fruitions of
their associated karma exist. Many kinds of connection with their
happiness and sorrow ripen. The Hundred Actions says:
E ma ho! Karma comes from the world.
Joy and sorrow are a painting produced by karma.
The assembly of conditions arises karmically.
Happiness and suffering are produced by karma.