Flowering Retribution and Fruiting Retribution

Flowers are unripe fruits, the state before fruiting, and of course they are not as nutritious as the fruit; the fruit is the sublimation and crystallization of the flower, with nutritional value higher than the flower. Buddhism often uses flowers and fruits as metaphors for and classifications of karmic retribution of wholesome and unwholesome deeds. The karmic retribution of wholesome and unwholesome deeds is divided into flowering retribution (puṣpa-phala/dṛṣṭa-dharma-vedanīya-karma) and retributive fruit. Flowering retribution refers to the recompense received in this life, while retributive fruit is the recompense received in future lives when karmic conditions ripen. For a given karmic action, if there is flowering retribution, there will also be retributive fruit; even without flowering retribution, there will still be retributive fruit. The greater the flowering retribution, the smaller the retributive fruit; when there is no flowering retribution, the retributive fruit is the greatest.

Recompense is like brewing wine—the longer it takes, the mellower it becomes; it is also like a bank deposit—the longer it is kept, the higher the interest and the more abundant the returns. For wholesome karma, if the person who performs wholesome deeds is poor, he will hope to receive the flowering retribution as soon as possible, the faster the better, so that he can enjoy it right away; because his merit is insufficient, he urgently needs the recompense. Some people, out of ignorance, or because they perform wholesome deeds with an expectant mindset, wanting to gain immediate benefits, seek only the flowering retribution. After receiving the flowering retribution, there may still be retributive fruit in future lives, but it may be extremely small.

For those who commit unwholesome deeds, the faster and greater the flowering retribution, the slower and smaller the retributive fruit. If such a person has a conscience and understands the principles, he will willingly accept the flowering retribution so as to eliminate the influence of the unwholesome karma as quickly as possible, thereby avoiding the suffering of retributive fruit in future lives. Only the ignorant who do not believe in cause and effect will try every means to evade the flowering retribution, hiding their unwholesome deeds with a fluke mentality.

Of course, if the wholesome karma is very great, it will naturally attract the appearance of flowering retribution without anyone seeking it, and the retributive fruit in future lives will also be great; if the unwholesome karma is very great, it will likewise attract the appearance of flowering retribution, and evasion is useless. Both wholesome and unwholesome deeds will naturally have their retribution, as long as the conditions of time and circumstance are complete.