The Buddha speaks of the Karma Sutra - Cause and Effect.
Once upon a gathering at Lin-Shan Assembly, where 1250 followers attended, Ananda, one of the chief disicples, after circling trice with folded hands around Sakyamuni Buddha, bowing in respect, humbly asked: “In the present dark age, where the majority of our people are indulgent in unrighteousness, disrespectful to Buddha’s teaching, unfilial to their parents, immoral, miserable and sordid, among them some are deaf, some blind, some mute, some ioditic, some handicapped in other aspects, and most people inured to killing ... how could we understand the cryptic and fundamental priciples or cases that have brought about his reality and what consequences each individual is to suffer eventually for his deeds. My Lord, would you kindly explain these to us?”
Sakyamuni Buddha told Ananda and the rest of the disciples to listen carefully: I will now expound the law of Karma. Because of Karmic effects inherited from previous lives, some people are poor, some rich, some happy and some miserable. There are four rules inseperable in obtaining happiness and prosperity for your next life.
They are: to be filial to parents; to be respectful to Buddhas, to Buddha’s teaching, and to Buddhist monks; to abstain from killing and to set free sentient beings; and to abstain from eating meat and be charitable.
Then the Buddha proceeded on the Karma Sutra: “Destiny is the aggregate Karmic effects from past life. Past Karma determined your present destiny. Present Karma are to mould your next life. Learn the law of Karma expounded as follows. For Karmas are consequential and my words are truthful.”
Having spoken the sutra to Ananda and the other followers, the Buddha added: “There are innumberable examples of the Karmic law. But I have only mentioned them generally.”
Then Ananda said: “Until the end of the present dark age most human beings would have, through successive lives, accumulated countless misdeeds because of their ignorance of the karmic consequences. But thanks to our Lord and the sutra he has so kindly given us, whoever writes and reads, prints and distributes this sutra, upon venerating the Buddha, will be blessed with eternal happiness and be able to see Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and all other Buddhas in the heavenly realm.”
Effect: Why you are a Government Officer in this life?
Cause: Because you have built Buddha’s images in your previous life.
Whatever you do will come back to you.
Dress up neatly and pay respect to the Buddha.
To protect the Tathagata Monastery is to protect yourself.
For building Buddha’s image is moulding yourself.
Effect: Why in this life you have cars and various trnsportation facilities?
Cause: Because you have repaired broken bridges and paved roads for the benefit of others in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have clothing in great variety?
Cause: Because you have donated warm clothing to monks.
Effect: Why in this life you have splendid food?
Cause: Because you have donated food to the poor in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are starving and clothless?
Cause: Because you were too stingy to donate to charity in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have houses and buildings?
Cause: Because you have donated food to monasteries in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are so prosperous and happy?
Cause: Because you have donated money to build temples and public shelters in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are pretty and handsome?
Cause: Because you respectfully offered flowers to the Buddha’s altar in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are intelligent and wise?
Cause: Because you were a devout Buddhist and a sober vegetarian in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are liked by others?
Cause: Because you have created good relationshp with people in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life husband and wife are faithful to each other?
Cause: Because you have decorated the temple with scrolls and tapestries to Buddha in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have both parents?
Cause: Because you have respected and helped the lonely people in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are an orphan?
Cause: Because you were a bird shooter in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have so many children?
Cause: Because you have printed and distributed sutras in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life a son dies young?
Cause: Because you have commited killing by drowning a baby girl in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are heirless?
Cause: Because you have destroyed flowers habitually in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you enjoy longevity and good health?
Cause: Because you set free sentient being in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are short lived?
Cause: Because you have commited too many killings in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have no spouse?
Cause: Because you have commited adultery in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are a widow?
Cause: Because you have ill treated your husband in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are a serf?
Cause: Because you were disloyal and ungrateful in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have clear and good sighted eyes?
Cause: Because you have donated oil to light up the Buddha’s altar in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you suffer from blindness?
Cause: Because you have distorted truths and misled others in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have wry mouth?
Cause: Because you have intentionally blown out candles before the Buddha’s altar in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you ae dumb and deaf?
Cause: Because you have vituperated your parents in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are hunch back?
Cause: Because you have jeered at Buddha’s followers in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have disabled hands?
Cause: Because you have commited evils with your hands in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have lame legs?
Cause: Because you were a robber in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are born as a horse or an ox?
Cause: Because you have never paid your debts in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are born as a pig or dog?
Cause: Because you have deceived and harmed others in your prevoius life.
Effect: Why in this life you suffer from constant illness?
Cause: Because you have offered flesh (meat) to monks in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are healthy?
Cause: Because you have offered medicine to cure the sick people in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are imprissoned?
Cause: Because you have relentlessly commited evils in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are starved to death?
Cause: Because you have plugged snake pits and mouse holes in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you die of poison?
Cause: Because you intentionally poisoned a river or a water source in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are forlorn and friendless?
Cause: Because you were unfaithful and deceitful to others in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are born as a dwarf?
Cause: Because you have read and written sutra on the floor in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you spew blood?
Cause: Because you have eaten meat while praying in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are deaf?
Cause: Because you have attended Buddhist instructions with levity in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are afflicted with ulcers?
Cause: Because you have offered meat before the Buddha’s altar in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you have bad bodily odour?
Cause: Because you have sold incense with dishonesty in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you die by hanging yourself?
Cause: Because you hunted animals by using ropes and nets in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are bereft of a spouse?
Cause: Because you have been unduly envious and jealous in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are struck by lightning or burnt by fire?
Cause: Because you have commited dishonest trading with customers in your previous life.
Effect: Why in this life you are wounded by beasts or snakes?
Cause: Because you have creatd enemies in your previous life.
Whether you reaped or you sowed…
If you suffer in hell, blame yourself for what you did in your previous life.
Cause: If you in this life recite the Cause and Effect Sutra.
Effect: You will be respected by many people in your next life.
Cause: If you in this life print and distribute the Cause and Effect Sutra free to all…
Effect: You will become a leader to humanity in your next life.
Cause: If you doubt that be a vegetarian is cultivating charity.
Effect: Witness the happy and prosperous people around you.
Cause: It is good to cultivate giving to the Triple Gems.
Effect: You will be rewarded in return…
Cause: If you carry the Cause and Effect Sutra...
Effect: You will be free from disaster and calamity.
Cause: Do not think that the Cause and Effect is fallacious.
Effect: It will manifested either immediately or later in your life…
Cause: If you spread the truth of the Cause and Effect Sutra…
Effect: You will be wise and intelligent life after life.
Effect: You are a Minister or an Officer in this life…
Cause: You gain the fruits because you cultivated with pains in your previous life.
Cause: If you in this life insult the Cause and Effect Sutra…
Effect: You are no longer a human being in your next life.
Cause: If in this life you transcribe the Cause and Effect Sutra…
Effect: The generations will be smart scholars and lived happily.
Cause: If you recite and act according to the Cause and Effect Sutra…
Effect: Whatever you do will be witnessed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattva.
Cause: It is impossible to exhaust the speaking of the law of Cause and Effect...
Effect: The fruit of a good deed will come in due course…
Cause and Effect: The good cause that you have accomplished in your previous life will be the foundation of your good fortune.
Cause and Effect: The good seeds you have planted in this life will give you good fruits in your next life.
Cause: If you doubt the efficacy of Cause and Effect…
Effect: See how Maugalyayana could save his mother from suffering.
The Cause and Effect must not be treated as a small matter.
The Buddha’s words are truth, you must not slight.
Cause: If people deeply believe in the Cause and Effect Sutra…
Effect: This will bring them together to the land of Ultimate Bliss.
The Buddha Says:
To understand your previous life
Look at what you have in your present life
To have a preview of your next life
Examine your daily act in this life.