Reply To: Sankhara

#51680
Lal
Keymaster

Everything happens due to causes and conditions. 

  • We all have done innumerable good and bad kamma in our previous lives.
  • Kammic energies associated with them “wear out” over very long times, over many maha kappas or eons.
  • They can bring their vipaka when appropriate conditions materialize. Thus, we can avoid some vipaka by avoiding “bad conditions.” In your example, the probability of getting raped increases if a girl goes out at night alone to a “bad neighborhood.” 
  • Some kamma (anantarika kamma) will definitely bring vipaka, without exception.
  • Some kamma materialize simply because one is born with a physical body (due to a past kamma) and is subjected to natural processes. For example, most people living in an area affected by a flood or an earthquake may be killed.  
  • The subject of kamma vipaka is one of the four “incomprehensible things” (capabilities of a Buddha, subject of jhana, kamma vipāka,  and details of the world): “Acinteyya Sutta (AN 4.77).” 

P.S. Also, see “What is Kamma? – Is Everything Determined by Kamma?

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