What Is Karma?

Karmic power is also called the habitual force of karmic actions, and it is divided into wholesome karmic power, unwholesome karmic power, and karmic power that is neither wholesome nor unwholesome. For example, a car is speeding at full throttle toward a dangerous place ahead; the car is moving very fast, and the driver becomes aware of the danger ahead and feels that he should slow down, brake, turn around, and change direction. Yet for two reasons the speed does not decrease, and the car simply cannot brake or turn around. One reason is that although the driver is aware of it, he lacks the power to act, or his mind is unclear, he is flustered, and his capacity for action is weak; the other reason is that the car's own inertia is too great, or the brakes have failed. These two reasons cause the car to keep speeding toward the dangerous place.

Although many things are consciously recognized, they cannot necessarily be carried out. Being consciously recognized means the consciousness knows it, but even though the consciousness knows, it cannot accomplish it, because the manas has not made the decision. How can it be accomplished? The car of sentient beings' five aggregates (pañca-skandha), driven by the immense unwholesome karmic power accumulated over beginningless kalpas, is heading inertially toward the three evil destinies. Who is the driver of the car, or its owner? It is, of course, the consciousness that is in charge—the manas. If one wishes to depart from the track leading to the three evil destinies, turn the direction around and head toward the three wholesome destinies, and speed toward the Buddha-land of the Pure Land, the driver or owner of the five-aggregates car is extremely crucial. Why would the manas drive the car toward the three evil destinies? Some say the driver is the mind consciousness; then when the mind consciousness ceases, is the five-aggregates car still running or has it stalled? If the mind consciousness is drunk, how is the car to be handled? The mind consciousness can only serve as the co-pilot, as a navigator, guiding and urging the driver to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.

Sentient beings head toward the three evil destinies because of the three fetters, which bind the five-aggregates car as it travels along the road to the three evil destinies; in fact, it is the three fetters of the manas, the driver, that make the manas drive the car along the road to the three evil destinies. Therefore, what is called karmic power mainly refers to the karmic power of the manas. When the manas eradicates the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and severs the three fetters, it will turn the direction around and drive the car onto the wholesome destinies.

When facing the realms of the six sense objects, karmic power manifests. For example, in the face of wealth and sensual desire, the manas of different sentient beings has different karmic power, different habitual forces with which to deal with wealth and sensual desire. If the power of unwholesome karma is great, one will greedily seize wealth and sensual pleasures; if the power of wholesome karma is great, one will abandon wealth and sensual pleasures without regard, and even give them away in generosity (dāna); those who are neither wholesome nor unwholesome will follow conditions and take the middle way. When sentient beings' karmic power manifests, all exhortations become like a breeze past the ears—they do not enter the ear and cannot be heard. If the power of wholesome karma is great, even in adverse circumstances one is not defiled, does not join in the corruption, and still maintains a pure heart. One who dwells in the mire yet remains undefiled is called a bodhisattva. If the manas does not change the force of its unwholesome karma and the afflictions are not subdued, then wanting to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), sever the three fetters, and escape the three evil destinies is absolutely impossible. The four right efforts (samyag-vyāyāma) of ceasing evil and cultivating goodness must be well cultivated; if evil is not ceased and goodness is not fulfilled, the three evil destinies cannot be avoided.