Apart from what i think the sutta’s transmitt, i belief- no i know- volitional activities, what we are intend upon, where we are inclined to, our plans, tendencies, intentions and the deeds following upon that, shapen, for a great deal our future.
For example, if one is intend on enjoyment of the senses, or on intoxication and eat to much or drink to much or use drugs, one cannot be surprised, illnesses, both bodily and mentally, can arise. Future suffering is, more or less, guarenteed. Ofcourse, these results cannot be seen separate from the decisions and deeds made.
This is not meant to blame people, as lot of people experience it. It just describes how our own intentions or volitional activities and deeds are shaping a future. It is like the weather. Even when a storm is not there, all the ingredients that it will arise in two days are there. After two days it arises.
Also situations in which one gets involved do not manifest by chance. Often they are strongly related to kamma, intentional actions and deeds. For example, if one enjoys being in company of bad friends who steal etc. one cannot be surprised one day one will be in prison, or maybe be shot. One cannot say that this results have nothing to do with ones intentions, tendencies and own deeds.
But we are not alone too and results are influenced by so many factors then our own intentions and deeds alone. Think about the weather, the sun and the moon. They influence our voltional activities and deeds too. There is external influence.
From studying the sutta’s i have concluded that the difference between people in good health and being sickly, live long and live short, being ugly and beautiful, say the clear differences, those can be understood as due to kamma.
But if one would zoom in and look for a cause for a certain illness or pain or suffering one must be careful to immediately think that must be due to kamma. It seems like the sutta’s teach there can be more causes for sufferings then kamma alone.
Is is our kamma when we die when a big rock would hit the earth or when so many vulcano’s would burst out and this would cause a small ice-age? Or is it our kamma when the sun ends it life-cycle and we will have no more energy and heat from the sun?