Law of Cause and Effect -- Buddhism Essentials

               The Law of Cause and Effect is the foundation of Buddhism. Without understanding this universal truth, one's knowledge of Buddhism cannot progress. The more we understand the Law of Cause and Effect, the more we can then put the teachings into practice.

               If Buddhism is like a tree, that would mean that the Law of Cause and Effect is like the roots and the trunk of that tree.

Original Photo by Nicholas_T available on Flickr.com

               If the trunk is cut or the roots are severed, the tree would die. Likewise if you don't understand the Law of Cause and Effect, you won't get what the teachings of Buddhism are all about.

Original Photo by CmdrGravy available on Flickr.com

               First, the word law used in Buddhism is different than the traditional use of the word in the court system.

               By Buddhist definition, a law is a truth that never changes within the Three Worlds and the Ten Directions.

               The Three Worlds consist of the Past World, the Present World, and the Future World.

               The Past World represents the time before we were born as a human being.

               The Present World spans the time from our birth to our death in this lifetime. 

               The Future World is the eternity following death.

               Our life flows eternally through these three temporal worlds of the past, the present, and the future. 

               Looking through a closer lens, the world of the past is not only our countless past lives but also last year... yesterday... an hour ago... and the breath you just let out.

                Similarly, the world of the present is this year... today.... this hour... and your current breath.

                Then the world of the future becomes next year... tomorrow... the next hour... and the next breath you take in.

                So in Buddhism we learn that the three temporal worlds meet in every breath we inhale and in every breath we exhale. Every passing moment of our lives is represented within these Three Worlds.

              Understanding how the Law of Cause and Effect functions in relation to the Three Worlds is known as the Law of Causality in the Three Worlds. Knowing this on a deep level reveals the importance of the present moment and leads us closer to understanding of who we are in that now.

              Moving on to the Ten Directions, they are North, South, East, West, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, Up, and Down. This is a very thorough way of saying everywhere.

               This makes the Law of Cause and Effect valid at all times and in all places.

                Now laws in the United States do not necessarily apply in Japan or the United Kingdom. Drivers in these island nations must obey a traffic law which requires them to operate their cars on the left side of the road. Here in the U.S., however, we drive on the right side of the road.

                                                 JAPAN                                             UNITED STATES

                

                Both are a law in each country, yet each gives opposite instructions on what is the proper way to drive. Depending on where you are in the world, laws are subject to the differing viewpoints of the people living in that country.

                 As the years roll on, laws can change. Many of them can come into question or be challenged as society progresses. Laws fluctuate based on the perspectives of the public at the time.

                    CIVIL RIGHTS - 1960s                                                                            GAY RIGHTS - 2010s

Original Photo by Kheel Center, Cornell University, available on Flickr.com

Original Photo by chadmagiera available on Flickr.com

               

             But since the Law of Cause and Effect never changes and is always valid in all time and space, it is universal truth.

             So now let's move on to define the terms cause and effect.

                A cause is the reason that leads to an effect.

                Cause = Reason

                An effect is the result from a cause.

                Effect = Result

                The Law of Cause and Effect is the energy force behind why things happen, when they happen, and who they happen to. Every event in the universe has a cause. There is not a single effect that has ever occurred without a cause, even though sometimes we falsely think that things can happen without cause. 
                                                           

Original Photo by Stewart Black available on Flickr.com

                 For example, let's say an aircraft in flight suddenly crashes into the ocean.

Original Photo by elias_daniel available on Flickr.com

            






               Search and rescue teams are dispatched to comb the waters for survivors, but there is not even a trace of the plane or its flight data recorder (the black box).

                  When this happens, the cause of the accident is said to be unknown. But just because there is no evidence of the cause, does not mean that there is no cause.



                 The Law of Cause and Effect states there must have been some very real reason that made the plane crash. The pilot could have gotten sick or have steered accidentally into a storm. There may have been unforeseen engine trouble, or the plane may simply have ran out of fuel.

Original Photo by BobMacInnes available on Flickr.com

             Just because it is unexplained to us or we can't figure out why does not mean there is no cause. Every phenomenon in the universe, no matter how strange, has a cause. Never in a million or even trillion cases can there be an effect without cause.

             Sakyamuni Buddha taught us that the most important thing for us to consider about our future is this relationship between cause and effect.

The Law of Cause and Effect

 Good cause, good effect.

Bad cause, bad effect.

Own cause, own effect.

            Here the word "cause" means an action, and "effect" means an outcome.

            Buddha revealed the Law of Cause and Effect to us so we can see that we determine our future by our own choices now.

    Practice good actions, and you will get good outcomes.

  Practice bad actions, and you will get bad outcomes.
Whatever you practice is what you alone will receive.

               Using farming as an example, if you plant watermelon seeds, you will get watermelons. And if you plant radish seeds, you will get radishes. Whatever you decide to plant is what will grow. You can never plant watermelon seeds and receive radishes. It's just not possible!

               Even if a farmer hits his head and plants seeds without knowing what kind they are, he can tell instantly what kind of seeds he planted by what grows there later.

Original Photo by Amy Gaertner available on Flickr.com

           











               "Oh, I must have planted watermelon seeds here!" he exclaims upon seeing the watermelon.


            In this way even though we don't remember what seeds we've planted, we can tell by the results we currently receive in the present.

                Some may challenge this and ask, "Wait, but can't good causes lead to bad results sometimes?" OR "What about bad causes leading to good results?"

           The answer to both these questions is: NEVER!          

    Good cause = Bad Effect       Impossible!    

 Bad Cause = Good Effect   No Way!

             According to the Law of Cause and Effect, we are always the ones who determine our own destiny, for better or for worse.

             When we hear terms like fate, destiny, and fortune, they can often be misleading because they imply events are fixed in advance by other forces. But in Buddhism, these words still represent the effect created by our own past choices.

Original Photo by docksidepress available on Flickr.com

            That's because the forces of nature, our lives, and everything in the universe operate by the Law of Cause and Effect. This absolute principle is the universal truth, always and everywhere, without exception to anyone.

           We all want the good life, and we all of course want to avoid bad times. The Law of Cause and Effect reveals to us that the good or bad choices we make in every, single, given moment make or break our future moments.

           It is completely up to you to decide your own fate. And all you have to remember is...

Stop Evil; Do Good.

           Find out more about the Law of Cause and Effect and the role of condition in the next post.

Law of Cause and Effect -- Foundation of Buddhism

               Buddhism was taught in India by Sakyamuni Buddha 2,600 years ago. Buddha's teachings were compiled in more than 7,000 written works known as sutras.

Original Photo by Wonderlane available on Flickr.com

                The foundation for all those sutras is the Law of Cause and Effect. If Buddhism is likened to a tree, the Law of Cause and Effect is like the trunk and the roots.

               If the roots or the trunk are cut, the tree dies. Likewise without knowing the Law of Cause and Effect, you can't really understand Buddhism.

                So what exactly is a law?

               The true essence of a law in Buddhism is something that applies everywhere, all the time.

                Everywhere = Ten Directions (Up, down, and the eight directions on a compass)

                All the Time = Three Worlds (Past, Present, Future)

                A scientific law can be disproved with new data or proper evidence, and one country's law may not apply or may even be illegal in a foreign state.

               The Law of Cause and Effect, according to Buddhism, represents Universal Truth.

               The Cause and Effect Sutra explains that every event, action, or moment in this lifetime has its own cause and effect.

         Cause -------------------------------> Effect

Word Art by QuotesEverlasting available on Flickr.com

                      Even great scientific mind Albert Einstein knew the importance of causality in our understanding of the world and how it operates. Causality is a word used for describing how things affect each other.

Examples of Causality

                  Let's look at a technical example within one of the most tragic airline crashes in history, Japan Airlines Flight 123. Years prior to the incident, the plane had what's known as a tail strike during a landing. 

Original Graphic by Wikimedia Commons user Anynobody

                       This caused the plane to have a weakened structural defect in the rear of the plane. A repair was carried out, but it did not meet proper safety requirements. However, the plane was still cleared to fly.

Original Graphic Art by Wikimedia Commons user Phoenix7777

                       Years later when JAL Flight 123 departed Tokyo headed for Osaka, the metal structure from the repairs tore open under pressure, resulting in loss of control. The aircraft then crashed into nearby Mount Osutaka.

Original Graphic Art by Wikimedia Commons users Eluveitie and Gauravjuvekar

                  CAUSE                       EFFECT

                 Tail strike -----------------------> Weakened Structure

                 Weakened Structure -----------> Faulty repair

                  Faulty repair -------------------> Mechanical failure

                  Mechanical failure ------------> Crash

                                                      

                     The same principle applies to our own efforts in our day-to-day to lives. Say you're in college, and you do all your homework and study hard for every quiz and exam. 

Original Photo by Sean MacEntee available on Flickr.com

                     You receive internships allowing you to network with many different employers and gain valuable experience. 

Original Photo by UC Davis College of Engineering available on Flickr.com

                     Because of all this effort, you are able to find work easily after graduation.

Original Photo by NASA Goddard Photo and Video available on Flickr.com

       CAUSE                                 EFFECT 

         Study for test ----------------------------> Knowledge

         Knowledge -------------------------------> Internship

         Internship ---------------------------------> Experience

         Experience --------------------------------> Land a job

                      In these two examples, you can clearly see the relationship between the causes and the effects. The plane had a defect, and so it crashed. The student put in a lot of effort, so she got hired.

                      Not all relationships between causes and effects are this easy to spot. But no matter how big or how small, every event in the universe is carried out through the Law of Cause and Effect.

                      From a hair falling off your head and landing on the floor to the creation of the grand Himalayas Mountains rising up from the bottom of the sea floor. There is not one effect in a even a trillion cases that did not begin with a cause.

                    Buddha further clarified cause and effect to guide us in this essential passage:

Good deeds bring good results.

Bad deeds bring bad results.

Your own deeds bring your own results.

                        Let's think about a farm to illustrate this point.

Original Photo by snowpeak available on Flickr.com

                       If you were a farmer and you planted sunflower seeds, there is no way you could expect in your right mind to grow watermelons. It's simply impossible.

Sunflower seeds --------------------X-------------------> Watermelons

      NO!!!

                             Obviously, the only way to grow watermelons is to plant watermelon seeds. And without planting any seeds, you can't get any fruits.

Watermelon seeds ------------------------------------> Watermelon

YES!!!

                       The seeds we plant with our thoughts, words, and actions are known as karma.

   Karma is what determines our destiny.

       

                          You may know about karma from before as...  


                                                     "What goes around comes around."


                         Or you might have heard one of these famous quotes:

"Our life is what our thoughts make it." - Marcus Aurelius

"Luck is a word devoid of sense. Nothing can exist without a cause." - Voltaire

"Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." - Leonardo DaVinci

"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours." - Dr. Wayne Dyer

"I’m a true believer in karma. You get what you give, whether it’s bad or good."  - Sandra Bullock

                 Though these are great examples, it's important to remember that in Buddhism your fate is never given or never chosen by a god. According to the Law of Cause and Effect, it's determined by you and your own actions.

               We usually go along with this concept when we have good karma.

"I must have done something great to deserve this!"

               But when tides turn and we have bad karma, the last thing we do is go over all the bad things we've done. Instead it's,

"Why me?"

               Yet everything in your life is tied to your past actions, words, or even thoughts. The place you were born, the country you live in, being male or female, the people you love or meet on the street, are all determined by karma.

              Because the Law of Cause and Effect is so vast, there are many more factors to consider like the concept of the Three Worlds and also varying conditions. It takes time to fully grasp and understand this Universal Truth on a deep level.

But in short, it means...

Stop Evil; Do Good.

               We all want favorable effects and are afraid of negative outcomes. So once we understand the Law of Cause and Effect, it's only natural to refrain from committing evil, the cause of future sorrow, and to do more good, the cause of future happiness. 

               In the next post, I will review the more advanced concepts of the Law of Cause and Effect. By listening to Buddhism, we come to know ourselves by observing our true self within the teachings.

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Source: http://www.desicomments.com/quotes/subject/karma_quotes/

Law of Cause and Effect -- Part Three

               When using the term Three Worlds, it means the Past World, the Present World, and the Future World.

Original Photo by puuikibeach available on Flickr.com

      Past World                                            Present World                                        Future World

World before birth                         Human life (80-100 years max)                        World after death

   The Past World and the Future World are both related within the Present World. The Law of Cause and Effect penetrates the Three Worlds, which represents all time.

               Our True Self, our deepest sense of life, is not limited to this physical body. The physical body and its six billion cells disappear at death. Our True Self, our true life, also penetrates the Three Worlds. So once the physical body is gone, this True Self remains.

   The True Self is also referred to as the Alaya Mind or Alaya Consciousness. Alaya means storehouse in Sanskrit. Therefore, it can be referred to as the storehouse mind. It is like a safety deposit box, or a storage unit.

Original Photo by toolstop available on Flickr.com

                 Buddhism teaches that there are eight minds within human beings. Seven of them disappear at death with the physical body, but the Alaya Mind is the part that remains.

                The Alaya Mind is our self since the countless ages past. It lasts forever, long after our death. It flows from the beginning-less beginning and into the never-ending future. It is the invisible flow of life present in every moment.

                 Throughout life, we perform various deeds and actions that fall into three categories. They are also known in Japanese as Go, or karma.

Go \ Karma

Mind - Deeds

Mouth - Deeds \ Actions

Body - Deeds \ Actions

 

       We perform countless deeds with our mind, mouth, and body. These are the seeds which create our fate. The mind is performing them the most and has the strongest power. What moves the body and mouth is the mind.

                       My mind caused me to write out my notes on this lecture on Law of Cause and Effect from Takamori-sensei, the current living master of Pure Land Buddhism. Then I decided to put the content online to share the teachings. You are now reading this because your mind encouraged you to look into Buddhism, and you then found Mirror of Dharma Blog by searching Google or you clicked a link to this page. This example demonstrates a chain of causes and their subsequent effects.

       In our life, the mind always remains the strongest of the three, because it invisibly drives all our choices. Because of this, wrong thoughts can't be enforced at this level from outside forces. Mouth and body can of course be regulated.

                  For example in criminal cases, people discuss and debate whether or not the act was premeditated. The law examines what the murderer had in his mind. The mind has this strong energy, so a greater emphasis must be placed on it.

Original Photo by JohnE777 available on Flickr.com

                We have learned about good causes, bad causes, and own causes. So what kind of seeds do we have in our hearts and minds?

                 Even without knowing these causes or the Law of Cause and Effect, the actions of the mind, mouth and body are converted into invisible karmic power. The terms karmic power and seeds of karma are interchangeable. These energies are what is stored in the Alaya Mind. All our actions are recorded invisibly and stored within this storehouse mind. The karmic power within it flows throughout all the Three Worlds (past, present, future).

                    Karmic power thus becomes the cause, but cause alone cannot bring an effect. It requires a condition. You reap the effect only when the condition arrives. Karmic power lasts forever and never disappears. This means all our thoughts, words, and actions become invisible power stored into our Alaya Mind for all time.

                   The Chinese characters for the word "input" translate to "entering the power." When we use a word processor, we are "entering the power" of our thoughts to be stored into data onto a hard disk.

Original Photo by boredwithacamera available on Flickr.com

                    Putting weight on the keys of the keyboard is the condition that allows the process to take place. The commands or words we see on the monitor are the effect.

                   It’s also like the the call log on a cell phone, and there are so many other examples. Society and our world become more familiar when integrated with Buddhist fundamentals.

                    So Alaya Mind flows through the past, present, and future. This is why at birth, we receive the effects of certain characteristics like being American, Japanese, Male, Female, etc. These effects had to be determined before the result took place.

                   But how were they determined? They were made as a result of our past choices in the past life. This is why though we are all human beings, no single person has received the same experience. The different effects we all have were determined by each and every one of us in the past life and the past world.

                     It is not by accident. Our fate does not occur without cause. Different causes mean different effects. Karmic power from the past flowed into this present life. Our parents were the condition.

                     Some may claim the father is the cause and the mother was the condition. But then why do siblings have different effects? It must be the karmic power from each child's past.

                      A cause itself doesn’t result in birth as a human. It must combine with a condition in order to make the effect. This is how we came to be born, but it is not only in this life. We have repeated birth and death ceaselessly. 

      Past             Present                 Future

                    Cause    --- >   Effect

                         Cause       --->     Effect

           To know the causes of the past, look at the effects within the present. To know the effects of the future, look at the causes being made at present. This concept remains constant within the Three Worlds.

If you're happy now = that's a good effect = which means you’ve done good things

If you're miserable now = that's a bad effect = which means you’ve done bad things

                 What we are suffering from is the deeds of our own past. So what about our future? How about after we die? Look at the cause in your present through the actions of your mind, mouth, and body. If you’re doing bad things, you must then suffer in the Future World.

                   If there is no past life, then there is no cause to be born. Without a past, there is then no future.

                                 If someone kills one person, they can be executed once. But if they kill ten people, they can still only be executed one time. Karma dictates that if you kill ten people, you will be executed ten times. What about the other nine offenses? They must be reaped in the future life. All the pain the killer caused must occur to them in their afterlife.

                  If the Law of Cause and Effect were false, it would not be able to span the Three Worlds and Ten Directions. This Law of Cause and Effect of Three Worlds remains valid for all time and all existence. The teachings of Buddhism are all based on this principle making understanding of this concept extremely crucial.

                  Your future is contained within the causes of your present. Look deeply at yourself and the actions of your mind, mouth and body. Look closely into the image that reflects back to you.

Original Photo by nattu available on Flickr.com

                

What is your body doing?

What is your mouth saying?

What is your mind thinking?

                   Listening to the words of Buddha in this way shows us our True Self. Without knowing the Law of Cause and Effect, this cannot be clear.

                    Look within the Mirror of Dharma at present. This is why listening to Buddhism is so essential.

Law of Cause and Effect -- Part Two

               Without knowing the Law of Cause and Effect, you can’t understand Buddhism or the teachings of Buddhism.

                 To review, here are the three core principles:

Good causes bring good effects.

Bad causes bring bad effects.

Your own cause brings your own effect.

                Our deeds or actions are like seeds. These seeds become causes.

Original Photo by photofarmer available on Flickr.com

Good Cause = Good Seed                               Good Seed = Good Result

Bad Cause = Bad Seed                      Bad Seed = Bad Result

Good Result = Happiness / Favorable Situation

Bad Result = Unhappiness / Unfavorable Situation

                All humanity is living to obtain happiness. Politics, science, medicine, the arts, all of them exist to make our lives happier.

Original Photo by US Mission Geneva available on Flickr.com

               The most important thing is how can we obtain happiness, and to know this we (as well as politicians) must first understand the relationship of the cause and effect.

                All effects have a cause. This is a true throughout the Three Worlds and Ten Directions. Without knowing the cause of happiness, we can’t enjoy that happiness as a result. We’ll be unfortunate if we are unaware of this principle.

                The emphasis is placed on the Law of Cause and Effect as the sole determinant of our fate.

                                                               Result                                               Cause

Good Fate\Destiny         =            Good Actions

Bad Fate\Destiny             =            Bad Actions

Own Fate\Destiny           =             Own Actions

                When we have a good destiny we can accept this, but during a bad destiny we cannot. That’s when we believe “others’ cause, others’ effect.” I must be suffering from what others have done, we think. We blame the judge and jury for our crimes, but if this was true we’d be receiving the effect of their deeds. Buddhism teaches own cause, own effect. If you don’t understand this third point, you can’t grasp the other two principles either.

                Even though we hear the Law of Cause and Effect, we still have this mentality of being persecuted during bad times. The thief who thinks the rope is the cause of his suffering is completely WRONG. The thief is suffering from his own doing. Once of aware of this, he has to reflect on what’s he done. He has to lament what he’s done.

Original Photo by Editor B available on Flickr.com

                We blame others all the time. "It must have been that guy," we say. But then we are just like the thief. We cannot understand this truth of the Three Worlds and the Ten Directions.

                We wonder then intensely how this can be true in the cases of accidents or the victims of violent crimes, especially where children have been injured or killed. Why do they have to suffer? The effect of being hurt was caused by an attacker.

                Is this still own cause, own effect? Yes, it is something they have done in their past, but we just can’t say that politely. Instead we go saying the cause was the murderer, and the victims did nothing. But the Law of Cause and Effect remains true regardless. When we hear about these tragedies in our lives and on the news, we just can’t accept it.

                For example, let’s talk about the Akihabara Massacre which took place in Japan in June of 2008. A man drove a truck into a crowd killing three people and injuring two. He then exited the vehicle and began stabbing those around him. Using a survival knife, he killed four and injured eight others. But why did those victims have to be there at that place and time? If they were just a little further or had arrived an hour before, they would have been spared. Why did they have to be there at that place and that time?

Original Photo by Almir de Freitas available on Flickr.com

                The effect is that they were killed. Why did those 7 people have to suffer is the issue. The effect of being killed had to have had a cause. As we have learned in the Law of Cause and Effect, own cause, own effect. The result of being killed in the accident has to have been caused by something the victims had within them.

                If you believe that the cause is the murderer, you still believe others cause own effect. So again what was the cause in this case?  Own cause, own effect. This principle penetrates the Three Worlds and Ten Directions. The seed had to have been planted by the victims.

                We say again, it can’t be like that. The victims did nothing wrong. But it is the same as the example of the thief and the rope. It is natural to hold a grudge against the murderer, so the point has to be made clearer.

                Own cause, own effect is the truth. There is not even a single case for others’ cause own effect. Good causes bring good effects, Bad causes bring bad effects, Your own causes bring your own effect.

                If being killed is the result, then the cause for this result must be something the victims had within themselves. The victims had cause to be at that site at that moment. Many visitors had passed through Akihabara in great numbers that day, totaling tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. There had to have been a seed the victims had to bring them to that exact place and time. If they didn’t have that cause, they wouldn’t have been there and others would have died instead.

                It was a cause they had that in turn caused them to be killed. Others around them did not have that cause. It is because of own cause own effect. But then does the murderer have nothing to do with them?

                The murder is the condition. An effect needs a combination of cause and condition. In this way, it could better be called the Law of Cause, Condition, and Effect.  A cause itself can’t bring an effect. Only when a condition combines with a cause can effect arrive.
 

                Usually we omit condition, but it is really the Law of Cause, Condition, and Effect. If the law could have intervened in time and brought justice, the effect wouldn’t have come about. This is why we must enforce the law in order to remove bad conditions from society.

Original Photo by Tim Pearce, Los Gatos available on Flickr.com

                The other people around did not have the cause of murder within them. Seven people had their cause and condition combined to have a sad effect. It is a cause they had. All of which happens to you comes from your own cause. When unfavorable results occur, we must reflect on our own doings. We must lament what we have done.

                This must be understood deeply. A mass murder makes people think others’ cause, own effect. But why to only them? Only they received the result. The survivors’ causes must have been different. The murder was the condition.

                There is more to come on this topic. In the next post, we will explore how past causes relate to our destiny and gain insight on the True Self.