Bodily, Verbal, and Mental Actions and Retribution

The actions of body, speech, and mind, as long as they manifest, are karma. Body refers to the actions and deeds of the physical body, speech refers to the actions and deeds of language, and mind refers to the actions and deeds of thought of the seventh-consciousness mind. No matter which sentient being it is, as long as there are actions and deeds, there is karma, and there are karmic retributions; it depends on the wholesome or unwholesome nature and the severity of the bodily, verbal, and mental actions. The actions and deeds of the body can be wholesome or unwholesome, serious or minor; the actions and deeds of speech can be wholesome or unwholesome, serious or minor; the actions and deeds of thought of the seventh-consciousness mind can be wholesome or unwholesome, serious or minor. Consequently, the karmic retributions also differ in wholesomeness or unwholesomeness and in severity. Intentional deeds have their intentional retributions, and unintentional deeds have their unintentional retributions—no one escapes retribution. Those who do not commit mental karma, or commit it only very lightly, are only the practitioners of the third and fourth fruits who have eradicated the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and the bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis; all other beings commit mental karma. Verbal karma is easier to commit than bodily karma; most people speak without restraint, while not so many create karma through the body; but those who create much bodily karma are people whose afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are extremely heavy.