Is the Negative Karma from Violating Precepts Decreed by the Buddha or Determined by the Law of Karma?

To address this question, one must understand the starting point and principles behind the World-Honored One’s establishment of precepts: why were these precepts established, and if they had not been established, would there be no karmic retribution without any transgressions? For example, the act of killing is a transgression. If killing were not a transgression, would one still fall into hell and suffer retribution? Clearly, the law of cause and effect exists independently of whether precepts exist. Even if killing were not a transgression, one would still fall into hell and suffer evil retribution. Evil retribution—or even good retribution—is not decreed or cursed into existence by the Buddha; it is determined by the karmic law of Tathagatagarbha. The reason the Buddha established these precepts was to let sentient beings know which actions are permissible and which are not, and what karmic results arise from specific deeds. This serves to regulate their minds and conduct, reducing or preventing the creation of evil karma to avoid suffering evil retribution. The precepts were instituted for sentient beings to follow precisely to shield them from such retribution. Even without the constraints of precepts, Tathagatagarbha records every moment of a sentient being’s mental, verbal, and physical actions, collecting karmic seeds. When these seeds ripen, karmic conditions manifest, and evil retribution follows. Therefore, consider: is it better to accept precepts and live with restraint, or to remain unrestrained without precepts? Sentient beings predominantly accumulate evil over good. Without restraint, acting on impulse, they inevitably follow evil habits to create evil karma, making evil retribution unavoidable and rendering them frequent visitors to the three evil destinies. Observing each person’s physical, verbal, and mental actions reveals that the habits leading to the three evil destinies are numerous and glaringly obvious, yet individuals remain unaware, often convinced of their own righteousness. Some, lacking good habits cultivated through practice, unconsciously try to instruct me on cultivation and conduct when they see my actions diametrically opposed to their own, not realizing it is they who are inverted—and wishing for me to become inverted like them. Such individuals, if familiar with the Buddha, would similarly presume to dictate the Buddha’s cultivation. If no Buddha appeared in the world, there would be no precepts, yet karmic retribution would still exist. Ordinary beings would remain trapped in an endless cycle of creating karma and suffering retribution, with no means of escape. Thus, precepts are of utmost importance. Without upholding them, spiritual progress is virtually impossible.