(E03)-01-What-is-the-actual-meaning-of-Kamma

Good evening. Today the subject of the talk is karma. I'm sure many of you have heard this talk on karma before, and so some of the things here would be familiar to some of you, and there might be certain things that are new to some of you. And karma usually is quite an interesting subject because after the talk usually people have more questions to ask because karma is something that concerns everyone and there are many different aspects of karma which are quite interesting. So I hope you will bear in mind as I go along what questions you want to ask in the end If you are shy to ask, stand up and ask, please perhaps get some paper from the ladies there and write down your question. Now, there are many laws that govern our lives, but the most important one that governs our life again and again is the law of kamavipaka. The law of karma, vipaka. Karma means action. And the Buddha said that intention is karma. That means intentional action. If there's any action you do intentionally, that is karma. And vipaka is the result of it. the result can ripen immediately or sometime later in this life or perhaps in a future lifetime. Now, kamavipaka is sometimes translated as cause and effect. And that is not a good translation. That is something that is used in Chinese, in Mahayana Buddhism, in Chinese books. They say yin guo. something like cause and effect. Why is it not a good translation? Because there are two types of info, two types of cause and effect. Worldly cause and effect and Buddhist cause and effect. The difference can be seen in an example. For example, you are driving a car and suddenly a small boy runs across the road and you hit the small boy and you kill him. Now, you did not have an intention to kill this boy, so you did not create any karma. But however, because you knocked down that boy, what might happen is that the family might come out, and as you stop the car, family might pull you out of the car and beat you up. And in addition to that, another day they might sue you in court, you see. So there is a result of knocking down the boy, namely that you get beaten up. and you get sued in court. But that is worldly cause and effect, does not concern Buddhist kamavipaka because there was no intention on your part. So we have to very clearly differentiate between worldly cause and effect and kamavipaka. Sometimes it can be different if there is no intention involved. How do we create karma? Through the three doors of body, speech, and mind. Through the body, we can kill somebody, we can steal, we can commit adultery. Through the verbal karma, we can lie, we can badmouth somebody, we can cause disharmony by carrying tales from one person to another. We can use coarse speech, rough language, etc. That is verbal karma. And mental karma is like we have excessive greed, covetousness, we have excessive hatred, anger or hatred, and we have extremely wrong views, etc. That is mental karma. But usually this is not just, this mental karma is not just thinking, you know, because thinking is just stray thoughts. It's not mental karma. There has to be some kind of intention behind it.

(E03)-02-What-is-Good-and-Evil-Kamma

Now, what is wholesome karma and what is unwholesome karma? Or what is good and what is bad karma? Good karma is that which benefits other living beings, helps other living beings, makes them happy, etc. or helps ourselves. And bad karma or unwholesome karma is that kind of karma which harms other living beings. For example, killing another living being, stealing, as a result of which somebody suffers, some being suffers, that is unwholesome or evil karma. So good and bad in Buddhism is different from other religions. Good and bad, good is what helps other living beings, benefit other living beings, and bad is what harms other living beings.

(E03)-03-Most-important-is-human-birth

Now human life is very important compared to other life in other realms because here on the human realm we create a lot of karma because we use our thinking mind a lot. When we use our thinking mind we do things We plan to do things and we carry them out with intention. Because of that, we create a lot of karma, for example, compared to animals. Animals, they are a bit like ... somebody told me ... a bit stupid like that. They just accept things as they come along. and they might suffer but they don't think very much so because of that they don't create much karma and even other realms like ghosts, hell beings, heavenly realms where they enjoy and enjoy they don't think of using their mind so much. So because we create a lot of karma, this lifespan, this life as a human being is very very important because it determines the next few lifetimes. The effect of what we do now determines even the next few lifetimes. And sometimes, like for example, in one sutra there was a daughter of a King by the name of Sumanaya came to ask the Buddha what's the difference between a person who likes to give alms, give food to the monks and a person who does not like to give food to the monks. The Buddha said the person who likes to give food to a monk in the next lifetime perhaps is born as a heavenly being, then perhaps another person might not like to give alms, food to monks, but he is also born as a deva in the heavenly realm. Now the difference between the two of them is that the one who likes to give alms, he will have a longer lifespan, he will have a more beautiful body, have a stronger body, have more, a longer life, and have more influence, more power, etc. And then Sumana asked again, then suppose after the deva lifespan comes down as a human being, is there any difference between the two? And Buddha said yes. There will again be a difference between the two in these few things. The one who gives alms will be more beautiful, stronger, have a longer lifespan, and more influential, more well-known and powerful. So, again, Sumana asked, suppose now the two of them renounce and become monks, would there be a difference? And then the Buddha said, yes, there will still be a difference. The one who gives alms, when he becomes a monk, he will get more offerings from lay people. More people will like him and he'll receive more food, more robes to wear, etc., more places to live. Whereas the person who does not give alms, more selfish, then less people will supply him with all the requisites. So you see, the karma follows us sometimes for a few lifetimes.

(E03)-04-Why-we-need-to-understand-law-of-Kamma-Vipaka

Now, why is it we want to know the law of Karmavipaka? Because when we understand the law of Karmavipaka, then we learn to avoid unnecessary suffering. In life, there are some types of suffering which are unavoidable, there are some types of suffering which are avoidable. What is unavoidable is, for example, growing old. Nobody can avoid growing old, becoming sick sometimes, and especially when you're old, and dying, passing away. These three things nobody can avoid. But there are certain things we can avoid. For example, in the worldly sense, drinking and driving. If you drink and you drive at the same time, then you'll end up with an accident. But if with a bit of skill, you know when you drink, you don't drive. When you drive, you don't drink. Then, that is one example. So in the same way, when it comes to karma vipaka, we know if we do a certain action, that it harms some other living being, and the karma will come back to us another day, and we will have to suffer. So knowing the law of karma vipaka, as the Christians say, as you sow, so shall you reap. For example, if you sow paddy seeds, you will have to reap paddy. If you plant rambutan seed, another day you'll get rambutan. If you plant durian seed, you'll get durian. So depending on what you plant, you get back in return

(E03)-05-How-to-aviod-evil-Kamma

Now, so knowing the law of karma, we want to avoid unwholesome or unskillful karma. And this is avoiding evil. And for that, the Buddha prescribed that we, all of us, should keep the five precepts because the five precepts are the basic things to guide us from harming other living beings. The first one is not to intentionally kill. The second is not to intentionally steal. Third is not to commit adultery. The fourth is not to lie. And the fifth is not to take intoxicants to the extent that you get intoxicated. And these are very basic things that some of it is found even in the laws of a country. For example, you kill a human being, the law will get you into trouble, or you steal, cheat somebody in business, or you run away with somebody's wife or husband, that also can get you into a lot of trouble. So these five precepts are quite basic things that all of us have to uphold. However, concerning the first precept against killing, in the early Buddha's teachings, It was not taught that we must become vegetarians. If you want to become vegetarian, very good. But if you don't want to become a vegetarian, then in Buddhism there are two kinds of meat. One type is allowed to be eaten, another type is not allowed to be eaten. The one that is allowed is the type of meat where you don't kill the animal yourself. You don't ask somebody to kill. And the second condition is you don't see the killing. And the third condition is you don't hear the animal cry as it was being killed. With these three conditions, you don't have the direct karma of killing because there's no intention on your part. If you go to the market and buy meat that's already slaughtered, or fish that's already dead, then it's acceptable in the Buddha's teachings. But the other type of meat that is not allowed is when you, for example, you go to the market and you select a chicken and ask the man to slaughter the chicken and you take home. Because you ask, either you kill or you ask somebody to kill, that is not allowed. You see the killing or you hear the animal cry as being slaughtered, and that is not allowed. If you want to know more about this later you can ask.

(E03)-06-How-to-acquire-good-Kamma

Now, the other aspect of karma is after avoiding evil, we want to do good, create wholesome karma that benefits others. So in return, we get the benefit. And for that, the Buddha advised that we do dāna. Dana is offerings, doing charity, and that's one aspect. Another is like keeping the eight precepts once a week because as lay people, you don't have much time to cultivate the spiritual path like monks have. So you put aside one day of a week to cultivate the eight precepts. If you can't do it in the temple, then you try to do it at home. Now there are many other advice given on how to do, create good karma so that you get a lot of blessings. And there's one sutra which is very good called the Mangala Sutra where a Deva, a heavenly being came to ask the Buddha, how do we get the highest blessings? And the Buddha gave a lot of advice like not to associate with fools, to associate with wise men. to respect those who are worthy of respect like your parents, uncles, aunties, elders, teachers, monks, etc. And then having much knowledge of the Dhamma, the Buddha's teachings, that also brings you much blessings. Discussion of the Dhamma with others, having gratitude, This having gratitude is not so common in the world. And one of the first persons we must have gratitude towards is our parents, because our parents have done a lot for us. And it is very much of the Buddhist tradition that we always support and be kind towards our parents and respect our parents. Then another one is like practice of humility. Sometimes people forget, as we succeed in life, we become successful, we become tao te and all that, then our ego increases and that's not good for us. So we learn to be... These things sometimes we forget. When we read the Dhamma, Buddha's teachings, it reminds us to walk the good way. Meekness. In the Bible, it's said that, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the kingdom of God or something like that. So meekness is also another good quality, forbearance or patience. Sometimes people are not nice to us. We learn to be patient. We try to see that perhaps we have done something wrong in the past, so that's why we are getting this kind of karma now. So if we see it that way, sometimes certain things that is difficult to bear, we learn to bear it. Then visiting monks or seeing monks so that we can learn some dharma is another way we can get blessings.

(E03)-07-4-Fields-of-merit-or-demerit

Now in the Buddha's discourses, the Buddha said there are four types of person whom your conduct towards is very, you should be very careful because they are the four fields of merit and also four fields of demerit. If you are good towards them, you get a lot of merit. If you act badly towards them, you get quite a lot of demerit. The first one is the Buddha. The Buddha has passed into Nirvana, so we can't interact with the Buddha, can't do anything about that. The second one is the disciples of the Buddha, monks and nuns. We have to be very careful. not to create bad karma towards monks and nuns, because sometimes if that monk or nun is a good monk or nun, then their demerit can be quite serious. And the third one is mother, the fourth one is father. Mother and father are this good feel of merit, where if you serve mother and father well, we get a lot of blessings. Sometimes some people make a mistake of not being filial towards mother and father, and after the mother and father have passed away, they get a lot of remorse. It troubles their mind. So we know this from the Buddha's teachings and we learn to be good towards our parents while they are still alive. After they have passed away, there's nothing much we can do for them.

(E03)-08-What-are-the-advantages-of-good-Kamma

And the advantages of keeping good karma, of doing wholesome karma, firstly is you have a good reputation because if you don't, for example, you don't womanize, you don't go killing animals, you don't steal, you don't lie, etc., you get a good reputation. The second one, because you have nothing to be ashamed about. If you create good karma instead of evil karma, then when you face a group of people, you dare to face a group of people without a sense of shame, whereas if you did shameful deeds, you would not have that confidence. Another advantage is that When we grow old, we have a very clear mind. People who keep their precepts very clear, when they grow old, they have a very clear mind because they have no remorse to disturb them. When I was in Penang, I used to go to one old lady's house. She was one of my supporters. because I used to live up the hill every morning. I come down to this old lady's house and devotees wait for me there and they give me food in my alms bowl and I walk up to my cave up the hill. So this old lady is in her 80s and she's very thin. The body is not very strong but the mind is very clear. She has got very good memory, and that's a result of keeping very good precepts. Sometimes telephone numbers we forget, she can remember. So, on the other hand, you see some people, they don't have good precepts. When they are in their 50s, their mind is very disturbed, you know, trouble, and then they very quickly, some people at the age of 55, 老毛了, They are already a sinner, talk nonsense and all that because there's a lot of things troubling their mind. Another thing is when we are coming towards death, facing death, then if we have good karma, we are very happy, we have that confidence, you know. Good karma will support us. We know that when we close our eyes and pass away, that our karma, wherever we go, it should be a good place. Whereas another person, if he's done a lot of evil, when the time comes for them to die, they get very scared. If you go to the hospital, you find many people, when they are about to pass away, they are very scared. They dare not close their eyes. Some of them, they dare not switch off the light. Every night, the light must be on. And sometimes some of them are even terrified. And the last thing is if you have good karma, then the Buddha says it will lead us to a good rebirth.

(E03)-09-How-does-past-Kamma-affect-us

Now there's one sutra called the Chula Kama Vibhanga Sutra in the Majjhima Nikaya where somebody came to ask the Buddha. He said something like, Lord, why is it in this world you see people are all different? Some people are born beautiful, some people are born ugly, some people are born healthy, some are born sickly, some have a long life, some have a short life. Some are born to a wealthy family. Some are born to a poor family. Some are intelligent. Some are stupid. Some are influential and well-known. Some are unknown and insignificant. And the Buddha said it's all due to karma in the past life. If a person is always angry, then when the person is reborn, that person becomes ugly. If a person is good-natured, doesn't have a bad temper, when you say something nasty to him or her, he just takes it lightly and smiles, and then that kind of person will be born beautiful. Why? Because every time we get angry, our face becomes fierce. And every time we become fierce, we make our face become fierce. It sort of naturally becomes a habit. Day after day we do that, the face becomes fierce. Then when we are born, we're born with a fierce face. And people say, ugly. Whereas another person who's good-natured, tends to smile, tends to take things, evenly and good natured, so that kind of person becomes very sweet, the face becomes very sweet and it's natural that that person will be born beautiful. And why the person Sickly, Buddha said, if a person likes to harm other living beings, for example, beat, in the olden days, they used to have slaves. Some people like to beat their slaves, you know, or beat their dogs or whatever animals they have. If they continually beat other living beings, make their body painful, then next time when you come back, you will have a sickly body because the body will give you pain here and there as a retribution. But if you don't torture other animals, don't make their body painful, then it is natural next time when you come back, then your body is not painful, so it will be healthy and strong. If a person in the past did a lot of killing, for example, like to go hunting, fishing, etc., enjoy at the expense of other beings' life, then because he made other beings' life short, next time he will get short life. As a result, you see some children, very young, they don't survive. They pass away very young. Some very young also, they get cancer or something. And a person who does not kill, you allow other beings to have long life, it's natural that as a result, you will also have long life. If you have been very selfish in the past, never was charitable, Never help others. So next time you come, it's natural that you are born into a poor family. And even if you try to do business, to open a shop or something, nobody will come and do your business because nobody wants to support you. But if you are very charitable, very helpful towards others, next time Because you give, you get it back. You might be born to a wealthy family. Or if you start a business, a lot of people want to come and support you. So you become wealthy very easily. Sometimes this can be seen, you know, two shops selling the same thing on the same road. One might be very successful, another one business very bad. So some of these things that the Buddha taught, they are very evident, self-evident. You can see around us. Why is a person born stupid? Sometimes, some people are born stupid. The Buddha said it's because in the past, if you don't know something, you don't take the trouble to investigate. That's one cause. Another cause is perhaps you drink too much liquor. Intoxicants spoil the brain. Because if you drink hard liquor, you drink a brandy or something neat, it damages the cells in our brain. And the cells in our brain are limited, you know. If we damage it, then it's quite permanently damaged. So that's another reason. And why a person, on the other hand, is born intelligent? The first reason, if he does not know, he takes the trouble to ask, to investigate. That's one reason. Another reason is he avoids intoxicants like liquors and all that. Third reason is he meditates. As we meditate, we clear our mind, we develop our mind. That brings us intelligence or wisdom. Then why some people are unknown and insignificant and other people are influential and well-known? Buddha said the person who is unknown and insignificant, that person is a small-hearted person, always jealous of other people, very spiteful. That person, next time he comes, will be unknown and insignificant, nobody is bothered about him. Whereas another person who is big-hearted, never jealous of people, has a lot of goodwill instead of ill will. That kind of person, next time he comes, he'll be born very influential and well-known and powerful. So these are the reasons why people in the world are all different. Because of past life karma, each of us come into this life with different qualities.

(E03)-10-What-are-the-advantages-of-good-Kamma

But then, we must remember, we must not put the blame, everything on past life karma, you know. Because the law of karma does not only concern past life karma, it also concerns present life karma. If you say that everything is due to past life karma, then we don't do anything. Just sit down and wait for karma to bring us everything. Evidently, you can see that it's not the way life works. A very good example you can see is, for example, you think of a student in the Form 5 trying to study to get 10 As. So we consider three types of students. The first one, he couldn't be bothered to study, but he goes around praying. He goes to this temple, goes to that Datok Kong and go everywhere praying, trying to get 10 As, but he refused to study. So can he get 10 As? Evidently he won't, isn't it? Why? Because he doesn't put in the effort, he doesn't put in the karma. He only relies on past karma. The second student, he studies very hard, but unfortunately he's born not very smart. Born not very smart, but he works very hard, burns the midnight oil. stays up to 12 o'clock, sleeps 6 hours, and every day he studies very hard. Perhaps he might get 2 or 3 A's, but he won't get 10 A's because he's not very smart. So the third student is born very intelligent, very smart, and on top of that he studies very hard. That is the type of person who will get 10 A's. So the first The second category of student, he studied very hard that his present life karma, but he did not get the support of past life karma, didn't have the intelligence from past life to support him. That's why he did not succeed. Whereas the third type of student, he had the support from the previous life karma, being born very smart, and also worked the present life karma. Both working together, past life karma plus present life karma can get us what we want. That's something we have to remember. And then because of that, the Buddha said that we should strive The Buddha said, the Buddha only show the way. Striving should be done by you. So like, if we understand the Dharma, we want to walk the good way. The Dharma only guides us. We have to do it ourselves. That's why people say Buddhism is a do-it-yourself religion.

(E03)-11-Criteria-of-right-actions

Now, in one sutra, the Buddha said, concerning the doing of karma, before we do any karma, we have to reflect, this karma that I'm going to do, either through the body, through the speech, or through the mind, is it going to harm somebody? Is it going to harm myself? Is it going to harm somebody or harm myself? I should not do it. But if it's going to benefit some other person or being, or it's going to benefit myself, then I should do it and do it again and again. So there is before you do the karma, you must reflect. And then even while we are doing the karma, the Buddha said we should also reflect in the midst of doing the karma, you must reflect whether what I'm doing now is right or not, is right or wrong. Is right, I continue to do. If it's wrong, I should stop immediately. Because sometimes before doing, you forgot to contemplate. So while you are doing, you contemplate. Or sometimes before doing, you forgot. During the doing also, you forgot. Then after doing the karma, we still should reflect back and think carefully that what you did yesterday or three days ago or one week ago or one month ago, whether that was correct or not. Whether you should have done it or you should not have done it. So when we reflect this way, then it's very useful to always live our life very skillfully. Because if we live our life very skillfully, then we will avoid unnecessary suffering. Another very good criterion of karma is whether a karma is good karma, that should be done, or a karma is wrong, that should not be done, is the Buddha said, if it leads to an increase in wholesome states of mind, or a decrease in unwholesome states of mind, in yourself or in others, then you should do it. That is good karma. Good karma leads to an increase in wholesome states in yourself or others or a decrease in unwholesome states in yourself or others. What is wholesome states? Wholesome states are good states of mind, happy states of mind, like non-attachment, goodwill instead of ill will, tranquil mind instead of a restless mind, not being jealous of others, etc. So, this kind of wholesome state of mind gives you peace, gives you a happy state, whereas unwholesome states of mind are those states that make you agitated, make you unhappy. So, that is a very good criterion to remember. On the other hand, If the converse, then it is bad karma or evil karma. Wrong karma or unwholesome karma leads to a decrease in wholesome states or an increase in unwholesome states. That kind of karma we should avoid.

(E03)-12-Not-all-suffering-due-to-Kamma

Now, in one sutra, the Buddha said that not all suffering is due to karma. Sometimes, we can have some suffering, but it is possible it might not be due to karma. Besides karma, other factors that could cause us suffering could be, for example, the weather. For example, Kuching, suddenly you get what? Pollution index of 1,000. that causes you a lot of suffering. That is not your personal karma. That might be due to some other factors. So it might be due to weather. Another one might be due to your body. Unbalance of wind or unbalance of heat or bile or phlegm, etc. That also could cause you suffering. Another one could be due to carelessness. Another could be due to accident. But usually a lot of things happen because of karma. So for example, if a person is careless while he drinks and drives, maybe he gets involved in an accident and he passes away. If it is due to his carelessness or accident, that means his karma as a human being is not finished, then he'll probably come back reborn as a human being. But if it's due to karma that he has finished his karma as a human being, then he gets involved in an accident, then he won't be reborn as a human being. He'll be reborn in another plane of existence. So that is one other thing to remember. Not everything is due to karma.

(E03)-13-Five-great-Kammic-offences

Now, there are five grave karmic offenses, the most serious karmic offenses mentioned in the suttas. The first one is if you intentionally, purposely shed the blood of a Buddha. That means you harm a Buddha. That's the first one. They will definitely bring you to hell the next lifetime. The second one is you kill an arahant. Killing an arahant, that's also very serious. Another one is you kill your own mother. The fourth one, you kill your own father. The last one, you have a group of monks living in harmony. You go and split them, you know, you tell lies or you create disharmony and make the monks divide. These five type of offenses can bring you to hell the next birth and make you stay there for a long time.

(E03)-14-The-working-of-Kamma-is-very-complex

The working of karma is very complex. The Buddha said in one sutra that four things you should not think too much about. If you think too much about these four things, you'll grow a bit cuckoo. One is the power of the Buddha. Second one is the depth of jhana. The third one is karma. The fourth one is speculation about the future of the world. These four things. Now, why is it karma is not to be thought of? Because karma is very complex, you know. The working of karma depends not only on your present lifetime. It depends on many, many lifetimes. Unsettled accounts, karmic accounts from many, many lifetimes have to be taken into account. On top of that, if you create a karma, The result of it depends on your state of mind at that moment, you know. And also the state of mind of the other person, you do the karma too. For example, if you make an offering to a murderer, to a criminal, to an evil person, then your merit is very small. But if you make an offering to a holy man, then your Merit, your blessings is very great. Similarly, the converse. If you kill the holy man, then your karmic offense is very great. Whereas, you kill a mosquito, karma not so bad, because I'm not encouraging you to kill a mosquito. And because working of karma is very complex, sometimes we find it a bit hard to understand. Why? Because sometimes we see there are certain persons, we consider them as evil persons, uncouth, rough persons, very stingy, very offensive. And yet the fellow is having a good life, driving a Mercedes Benz or he might even be doing evil things like peddling drugs or something. And yet he's having a very good life. Sometimes this could be due to his good karma from the past. And that good karma from the past life is supporting him. And now he's creating a lot of bad karma which has not ripened yet. So because of that, we find it very hard sometimes to see, you know, sometimes people comment, this world is not fair. The good people are not the ones who are happy. You see, a lot of evil people are happy. So that's because the working of karma is very difficult to see. Unless we have psychic power, we can look into the past, look into his past life, then only we can understand.

(E03)-15-We-reap-what-we-sow

There's one very important sutra in the Anguttara Nikaya 5.5.43, where the Buddha said there are certain things in the world that everybody wants, that everybody values, but very hard to get. For example, being beautiful, having a very healthy body, being very happy, having a long life and after you pass away to have a good rebirth. These kind of things everybody wants but are very hard to get. And the Buddha said these kind of things are not to be got only by prayers and vows or even thinking about them every day. If you only pray and make vows, it's useless. You have to walk the way that brings you to what you want. Buddha said, if only by praying and making vows, you can get what you want, why is there so much suffering in the world? This is a very good example. It's just now you mentioned about that student trying to get 10 A's, but he doesn't want to study. He goes and prays and make vows and goes from Dato Kong to Dato Kong, and yet he does not get his 10 A's. So what the Buddha means is that we have to walk the path that brings us to what we want. That means if you want long life, then you must not kill. If you don't kill, then you don't even have to pray for it. Long life will come naturally. Of course, it's natural for most people when they are suffering to pray. And sometimes when we pray, our prayers are answered. But actually, according to the Buddha's teachings, our prayers are answered mainly because we have that supporting karma. If the supporting karma is not there, sometimes, for example, a person might be very, very rich, and then suddenly he gets cancer. And then he goes all around the world to get the best specialist in the world. But if his karma is not supporting him, even the best doctors come from America, UK and Europe, still that person will die. Whereas another person might be very poor and perhaps also have cancer. But if the kamma is supporting him, he might not even have the money to go to some specialist center. Somebody recommend him some herb, pass him to drink urine, and then he recovers. So that's how kamma is so important in supporting us.

(E03)-16-Only-prayers-and-vow-are-useless

Now, there's another very important sutra, Samyutta Nikaya 42.8.6. One day the Buddha came to a certain village of Brahmins, and these Brahmins came to talk to the Buddha. So the Buddha came to this Brahmin village, and the Brahmins came to talk to the Buddha, and they said to the Buddha, they said, Lord, there is a type of Brahmins in the West. They have a peculiar tradition. besides the tradition of carrying water and bathing in the river three times a day, they believe that when their relative passes away, they should immediately take the corpse out of the house, outside, under the open sky, and hold the corpse high up. Then they make the corpse face heaven. Then they shout the name of the person who passed away and ask him to go to heaven. and they believe because that man is facing heaven, he can see heaven and they shout to his soul, his soul will naturally go up to heaven because they help to direct him to heaven, you see. So these Brahmins asked the Buddha, they said, Bhagavan, now that you are here with us, you are Narahana Samasambuddha, I think you can help all the human beings in the world go to heaven. That's an interesting question, isn't it? We also like to know whether the Buddha can use his psychic power to help all of us go to heaven. So the Buddha said, I will ask you a question first. Please answer me first. So the Buddha said, suppose a man came to the edge of a lake, a deep lake, and he took a rock in two hands, and he held up this rock and threw it in the middle of the lake. So what happens? The rock will sink into the water. As the rock is sinking into the water, all the people come together and shout at the rock, you know, and praise the rock and ask the rock to float up to the surface and float to the shore. So the Buddha asked the Brahmins, is it possible for the rock to float up? Then they thought for a while, and then they said, it's not possible because the rock is something heavy. It will naturally sink in the water. How can it float up? So the Buddha said, in the same way, suppose a man has done a lot of evil. He has not done any good, killed a lot of people, cheated a lot of people, et cetera, et cetera. And when he passed away, everybody came comes along and shouts and asks him to go to heaven. Is it possible? Then after thinking for a while, they said they think it's not possible because this person has done so much evil, like that stone, he will sink into bad rebirth. So the Buddha said, then The Buddha said, suppose now another man comes to the edge of the lake, and he takes a cup, a container, and the container contains oil, and he throws the container with the oil into the middle of the lake. What happens? The container or the cup will start to sink, but the oil, being light, will float to the surface. As the oil is floating up to the surface, suppose all the people came along and shouted at the oil, and asked the oil to sink into the water. Is it possible for the oil to sink? And after thinking for a while, they said, no, it's not possible because oil is light, it will naturally float up. So the Buddha said in the same way, if a person has done a lot of good, has never harmed any living being, when he passes away, even if a lot of people were to come together and shout and curse him, ask him to go to hell, is it possible that he will go to hell? So they said it's not possible. Being a good man, he will naturally go up to heaven. So by answering these questions, these people understood what the Buddha meant, that the Buddha himself cannot help us. Whether we rise or we sink depends on our karma. That's why Buddhism is a little bit unlike other religions in the sense that we don't say by becoming a Buddhist that heaven is guaranteed for you. You, whether you go to heaven or you go elsewhere, depends on your own karma. In Buddhism, we cannot bribe heaven to open the door for us. Now, concerning this, you find, like in the Sixth Patriarch Sutra, somebody also asked the Buddha in the Ryūjūtanjing, asked the Buddha, is it true that some people say when we recite the Buddha's name, we can be reborn in the Pure Land? And the Sixth Patriarch said, if your heart is pure, the Pure Land is very near. If your heart is impure or evil, the Pure Land is very far. And he said, if people in the East, by reciting the Buddha's name, can be reborn in the West, then what do the people in the West do? So from here, it's quite obvious that our mind, our heart is very important. If you have a good heart, then the Pure Land is very near. If you have a bad heart, an evil heart, the Pure Land is very far.

(E03)-17-Same-actions-brings-different-results

Now, another thing that karma, the result of karma is different for different people, you know. As I said before, it depends on the person who does the karma and on the other person that the karma is done to. And it depends on a few conditions. So if we You see this, a good example is, for example, if we plant rambutan seeds, firstly we don't expect to get durian fruits. If you plant rambutan seed, you will only get rambutan. And also the amount of rambutan that you are going to get depends on several conditions. Some people plant rambutan seed, they get a tree which bears very little fruit. Some people plant, even sometimes the tree can be very short, bears a lot of fruit. And also whether the fruit is sweet or sour also depends on other conditions. So in the same way, to give a very good example, the Buddha gave this example. Suppose now you are at the back of your house doing some cooking. Then a beggar comes and trying to ask for some money, comes from the front of your house, he sees nobody, and then he walks into your hall, your front hall, and he finds $10 or $100 on the table. And then he sees nobody around, he pockets the $10 or $100 and he walks out. Just at that time, perhaps you came out from the back, and you saw this beggar walking away, and you saw your money missing from the table. Most people, what they'll do is either they shout and catch that beggar or they phone the police and get the beggar arrested, right? So what happens? That beggar ends up in jail, right? But suppose a very famous man came along, suppose some politician, some Tan Sri or some Dato' to visit the constituency. In the same way, he comes to the front of your house. Then you saw him walking away and you saw your money missing. Who do you call the police? Maybe somebody like, maybe our Prime Minister. You think if I call the police, maybe he won't get jail, I get jail. So, see, two persons doing the same karma, the result can be different. So, because of that, the Buddha said, it is possible that a person with very little good karma, who has done a lot of evil deeds, that when he does another small evil deed, the small evil deed can even pull him down to hell. Whereas a person with a lot of blessings, he does the same evil deed. Perhaps the Buddha said he might feel sorry for a few days, and after the few days, there is no more karmic debt to pay. So from here, you see, if we have a lot of good karma, it supports us, and even we do some evil, it becomes minimized. And on the other hand, if we have a lot of blessings, if we do some good, then it multiplies.

(E03)-18-How-to-overcome-past-evil-Kamma

How do we overcome past evil karma? To overcome past evil karma, the Buddha said, we have to do a lot of good karma now. And the Buddha gave a very beautiful simile of salt and water. In the Buddha's days, they did not have fine salt as we have now. They have lumps of salt. So the Buddha said, suppose a man took a lump of salt and he put into a cup of water and he stirred the water and he drank. the water will be very salty, right? But the Buddha said if a person took the same size of lump of salt and put it into the river and stirred the river water and you drink the river water, it's not salty, right? Why? Because in the river there's a lot of water. In the cup there's so little water. Now the Buddha said the water represents the good karma. The salt represents the evil karma. So when we have a lot of good karma, it dilutes our evil karma. That is why it's very important that we do a lot of good to overcome our past evil karma. What is past, we can't do anything about. We can only do, we only take care of the present. So to take care of the present, we have to do a lot of good.

(E03)-19-Not-every-Kamma-will-ripen

Another thing is that all karma that we do or each karma that we do has a potential to ripen. However, not every karma will ripen. The Buddha said if every karma will ripen, then we cannot get out of samsara. We cannot get out of the round of rebirth. Why? Because our karmic account is so great. We have been in the round of rebirth, uncountable number of lifetimes. So if everything had to be paid, then we would not be able to get out of samsara. But however, because not all karma has to ripen, then we can get out of samsara. And a very good example is the example of Angulimala. the bandit who killed hundreds of people. This bandit lived in the forest and he was so strong and powerful and quick. He killed many, many people who passed through the forest and that is partly because he had very good karma from the past. So after doing a lot of killing, the king was asked by the people to get an army to go and kill him because people were afraid to pass that mountain because so many people were already killed. And the Buddha saw that this person could be helped. So the Buddha went to the hills alone. He walked through the hills alone. And this bandit Angulimala, he saw the Buddha walking. And he saw the Buddha was alone, he thought, oh, it's very easy to kill this man. And he had the habit, after killing people, he had the habit of cutting off their thumbs, their thumbs and their fingers, and make it into a garland and wear it around his neck. That's why his name was Finger Garland, Finger Garland, because Anguli is finger, Anguli Mala. Mala is a garland. So he was very well-known bandit. So when the Buddha walked through the hills, this bandit, I'm giving mala, he came from behind. And he ran after the Buddha with his knife and his bow and arrow and all that, all arm. He ran behind the Buddha and was coming behind. He wanted to kill the Buddha. But even though he ran very fast, he found that he couldn't get near the Buddha because the Buddha used his psychic power. And however fast he ran, he found he couldn't get near to the Buddha at all. So he stopped. Then he shouted at the Buddha, and he asked the Buddha to stop. And the Buddha turned around, looked at him, and the Buddha told him, I have stopped, but you have not stopped. Then he thought to himself, why this man says I have not stopped? He has stopped. Then he realized that the Buddha was a holy man, so he threw aside his weapons, and then he knelt down in front of the Buddha and asked the Buddha to explain. Then the Buddha told him, I have stopped from harming all beings, but you have not stopped. Then the Buddha taught him some Dharma, and after listening to the Dharma from the Buddha, he changed completely, and he asked the Buddha to allow him to become a monk. So the Buddha walked back to the walk bank, down the hill back to the monastery, and Angulimala followed. And then after that, Angulimala became a monk. So the king was asked to go and kill Angulimala, but the reputation of Angulimala was so fierce that even the king was scared, even with his army. So he went to see the Buddha in the forest monastery, hoping to get some blessing from the Buddha so that he won't get killed. So he went to see the Buddha and Buddha saw him all in armor, all armed with his army. And the Buddha asked him, where are you going? So he said, I've been asked by a lot of people to go and catch and kill this Angulimala. So that's why I was planning to go. And then the Buddha told the king, suppose you saw the Angulimala now as a monk, how would you react? Then the king said, if I saw Angulimala as a monk, that's something unimaginable. But if I saw him as a monk, I would pay respect to him and support him like other monks. Then the Buddha pointed out to Angulimala. He said, that is Angulimala. So when the king turned around and saw Angulimala, all his hair stood up. This man is so fierce that one look at him, all the hairs stand up. So then the Buddha pacified the king, said, don't be afraid. He's a changed person. He's no more the same man. And the king found it hard to believe. Then since the Buddha said that is Angulimala, he had to believe. So after that, he supported this Angulimala. But Angulimala, because his karma of killing so many humans was so great, that after he became a monk, he went on his alms round, Pindapada. Sometimes people would throw rocks at him, and sometimes he would come back with his head full of blood. And he'll come and with tears in his eyes, he'll come and see the Buddha. And the Buddha asked him to bear it, told him, you have to bear this. If you don't strive hard now, there are hells and all that waiting for you. Then he probably knew. So he strove very hard, and then he became an arahant. And after he became an arahant, you see, imagine all that karma that he was supposed to pay back, didn't have to pay back. Right? So that shows if we strive very hard, then we can shorten, you know, all the accounts to talk.

(E03)-20-Most-beings-reborn-into-woeful-planes

One other thing the Buddha said that most beings after we pass away will be born into the woeful planes, you know. And that's because of the ego. Because of our ego, we want to protect ourselves, we want to protect those whom we consider as part of ourselves. That means our family members, those of our same race, those of our same religion, those of our same country. So sometimes we do a lot of evil deeds. And because of that, the Buddha said most beings after we pass away will fall into the woeful planes. There are three woeful planes. plane of hell beings, that's the worst, and second after that is animal realm, and slightly better than that is the ghost realm. These three are the three woeful planes of rebirth, and human beings are in the middle, and on top of us are the deva realms, heavenly planes. So, possibly, as a rough estimate, maybe out of every 10 persons, only 2 or 3 come back as a human being or go to heaven. Perhaps 7 or 8 might be reborn into the woeful planes. So because of that, we should be very careful to live our life. We should take some trouble to learn the Dhamma because life is very short. As I mentioned before, on the average we live up to 70 If you calculate how much time you have left, you have 30 more years. You are 40, you have 30 more years. That only means 30 more new years to celebrate. One goes by, you have 29. Another goes by, you have 28. Time is very short, so we have to make the most use of it.

(E03)-21-How-to-take-rebirth-together

If you want those that you love to have the same rebirth as you, to meet them again in the future, because there was an old man and an old woman came to see the Buddha, and the two of them were very well matched. And they told the Buddha, from the time they got married as teenagers up to the present, at that time they were very old, they loved each other so much, they never even had a thought of anger towards each other. So they said they'd like to meet again in the next life. And they asked the Buddha whether it's possible. The Buddha said if two persons, if people have the four things in common, they can meet again. The first one is the faith. Faith, that means you have the same religious beliefs and all that. The second one is morality. That means your morals are just as good or just as bad. Their precepts. The third one, generosity, whether you are just as generous or just as selfish. And the fourth one is wisdom, whether you are just as wise or just as foolish. So these four things are the same. We'll meet again. But the fact that we meet now, the Buddha said, is very hard. to find a being who is not related to you in the past. Everybody that we meet were related to us some way or other in the past. We might have been father and children or mother and children or something. Because if you think about it, in this world there are so many Billions of people, but the number of people we actually meet, we actually come to know, not many, right? So these people that we come to meet, come to know are those who have affinity with us from the past.

(E03)-22-Does-rebirth-depend-on-type-of-death

Once a cousin of the Buddha by the name of Mahanama came to see the Buddha, and he told the Buddha, he said, Lord, I was thinking, suppose one day I might have a violent death. I might, when I go out of the city, I might get killed by bandits, or I might get attacked and killed by a tiger, or I might get run down by Force or something, you know. And if I die a violent death, could I be reborn into a woeful plane? So that's an interesting question. We have a violent death. So the Buddha said, don't worry, Mahanama, don't worry. For a long time you have practiced the Dharma, you have lived your life according to the Dharma, and your mind is inclined towards the Dharma. And because of that, you, when you pass away, your mind will bring you that way. The Buddha didn't explain further, but to my thinking, what the Buddha is trying to say is that our everyday mind is very important. If you are a good-natured person, your everyday mind, that is your natural frequency. So when you pass away, you will go to a state where beings are also peaceful, because your mind is peaceful. But you are a type of person who's very agitated, very hot-tempered, very angry every day, and does a lot of violence and all that. Immediately you pass away, that everyday mind of yours will bring you to a rebirth where people are also violent, and full of anger and all that, like the asuras, asura. So our everyday mind is very important. That's why it's good for us to learn the dharma and then after that we practice the good way. So our mind is inclined towards dharma and that will bring us to a good rebirth.

(E03)-23-Worldly-and-Spiritual-merit

There is one incident mentioned in the books about this Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma was an Indian monk who went to China a long time ago. He was one of the earliest monks from India to go to China. And he was very famous. He was a very famous monk. And the king, the emperor, heard about him and invited him to the palace. And this emperor had done a lot of charity. He built a lot of temples and monasteries for the monks and nuns. He did a lot of, built a lot of orphanages and a lot of charity, charitable work. So when he thought he had done a lot of merit, So when he met this Bodhidharma, he told this Bodhidharma, this monk, he said, I've done a lot of merit. I've done a lot of good deeds. Do you think I have a lot of merit? And this Bodhidharma, being a holy man, holy man, they talk very straight, you know. He told him, you have no merit. So when he heard he had no kongta, you know, merit, the king was very unhappy and he thought to himself, I've done so much good, this monk says I don't have any kongta. And refused to talk to this monk. So this monk left the palace and went on his way. And later, the king was talking to his advisor. Why this monk talks like that? Then the advisor said, if this monk says that is so, then it must be so, because he's a very holy monk. Then this king thought, maybe it must be true if this monk says so. Then the king asked his advisor to go and call that monk to come back. Then the advisor said, this monk, once he decides to leave, nobody can call him back. So what this Bodhidharma was trying to say is that there is a difference between worldly merit and spiritual merit. Worldly merit is what they call futa, octet, right? Spiritual merit is kongta, kongta. Worldly merit is that blessings that brings you to a good rebirth, you know, like you do a lot of charity. As a result of that, you can be reborn in the heavens. But spiritual merit is that merit that brings you out of samsara and brings you out of the realm of rebirth. So we have to differentiate between worldly merit, futa, and spiritual merit, kongta. And doing a lot of worldly merit is good. It helps us. It supports us. But if we want to get out of samsara, then we have to study the Buddha's teachings and we have to meditate. And that's about the, that's the difference.

(E03)-24-Transfence-of-merit

And then one other thing is about transference of merit. If our relative has passed away and we wish to do some merit for that person, In India a long time ago, they used to also offer food for their departed relatives, just as we do on the All Souls Day, Qingbing, we offer food at the graveyard. But Chinese, after offering food, we take back and makan, right? We eat. Indian is slightly different. After they offer, they burn it, burn everything. So this Brahmin came to ask the Buddha. He said, we do this offering for our relatives who have departed. Do they actually get it? It's an interesting question. So the Buddha said, it depends on where they are reborn. If they are reborn in heaven, they won't get it. If they are reborn as a human being, they won't get it. If they are reborn as an animal, they won't get it. If they are reborn in hell also, you can't help them. Only if they are reborn as a ghost. that they will get it. And the Buddha didn't explain further. But to my thinking, why it's possible that a ghost will get it, is because when your relative has passed away as a ghost, he'll go here and there, and he suffers because he can't find food, he cannot get clothes to wear. So he'll think, who can help me? Only my relative will help me. That's why ghosts like to come near and live near human beings, you know. Some people they see ghosts, some people they dream of ghosts. So because of that, if our relative has passed away, the chances of helping the relative is quite remote. Only if that person is born as a ghost, then he will come back to get the help. So for our Theravada tradition, if we want to help our departed relatives, very simple, we don't have much rituals. We go to the temple and offer food to the monks and offer a piece of cloth or robe. Because when that person is born as a ghost, what does he need? Firstly, he needs food. Secondly, he needs clothes to wear. These are the two most important things. If you do a lot of chanting for that person, it's no use. Because a person who's hungry, he doesn't want to listen to all the chanting, isn't it? He wants makan. So, for us, very simple. Offer food, offer clothes.

(E03)-25-Buddha's-advice

There is a contemplation. The Buddha advises all of us to make this contemplation. The first one is I am of the nature to age. I have not gone beyond aging. Second one, I am of the nature to sicken. I have not gone beyond sickening. Third one, I'm of the nature to die, I've not gone beyond dying. Fourth one, all that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me. The fifth one, I'm the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, abide supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that I shall be the heir. Thus we should frequently recollect. These are the five contemplations. The first three is that we are growing old and one day we become sick, one day we will die. The fourth one is those that are beloved to us, those who are very dear to us and our property and all that will change. We have to, they will separate from us or we will separate from them. The fifth one is karma is what is supporting us. We will inherit the result of karma. And every day we are supported by our karma. So we have to be very careful about our karma. This is a good contemplation to make every day.

(E03)-26-Be-prepared

The last thing I'd like to say is that sometimes when we have problems, for example, especially if we get sick, people who have cancer and all that, we go everywhere looking for a miraculous cure. We hear of this place, very powerful, and then we go there and look for a cure. We hear another place, we go everywhere looking for a cure. But if we understand the Dharma, then We make some effort, but we don't become unduly alarmed. Most people, when the time for death comes, they become very alarmed because they are not prepared for it. Whereas, understanding the Dhamma makes us prepare for it because if we understand the Dhamma that everything is impermanent, that one day because we are born, we have to die, and if we accept the fact then even when death comes, we accept it calmly. Because if you can't accept it, then you suffer a lot. You see people going here, going there, looking for a cure for their cancer. But even if they get a miracle, even if a miracle happens, and then they are cured, how long more can they live? Maybe another five years, maybe another ten years. Another day, death will come again. And when you see the face of death, you shake and tremble again. But if you understand the Dhamma, then we are prepared for it. So I will end here now and I hope you have some questions to ask.

(E03)-27-How-come-Theravadin-monks-eat-meat

The question is, why do Theravada monks eat meat? Now, this is a very sensitive question and there are many different opinions concerning meat-eating, but it is best that we refer to the Dhamma Vinaya, the Suttas and the Vinaya to know exactly the Buddha's views about meat-eating. When we look into the Suttas and the Vinaya, it is quite clear that the Buddha and his disciples did eat meat. For example, in the Jivaka Sutta, Majjhima No. 55, a personal physician of the king, the Raja, by the name of Jivaka Kumarabacha, came to see the Buddha, and he seemed unhappy, and he asked the Buddha whether it was true that the Buddha and his disciples ate meat that was purposely slaughtered for the Buddha and his disciples. And the Buddha said no. The Buddha said that he and his disciples only ate meat with three conditions. Firstly, that they did not see that the animal was purposely or specifically killed for them. They did not hear that the animal was purposely or specifically killed for them. they did not suspect that the animal was purposely or specifically killed for them. With these three conditions, then only is meat allowed. Without these three conditions, meat is not allowed. So, from this Uttara, we know that the Buddha's disciples ate meat. Another one is in the Anguttara Nikaya 8.2.12, where a general by the name of Siha, he had just been converted to Buddhism and he invited the Buddha and his disciples to his house for a meal and served the Buddha and his disciples meat. Now the external ascetics were jealous of the Buddha and his disciples and went around spreading the word that the Buddha and his disciples ate meat that was purposely slaughtered for them and Sikha, the general Sikha was very annoyed and denied this. Another sutra is the Amagandha Sutra in the Sutta Nibbata, where it was stated that the previous Buddha, Buddha Kassapa, was reviled by an external sect ascetic for eating meat, and this external sect ascetic said that the Buddha was defiled because of meat eating, and Buddha Kassapa said that defilement does not come from eating meat, but from the mind itself. In the Vinaya, we find it is also very clear that the Buddha's disciples ate meat because in the Vinaya, the Buddha said that there are ten kinds of meat which were not allowed. Human meat, elephant meat, horse meat, and then wild animals like leopard, tiger, snake, bear, even dog, etc. The reason was that before making this precept, it seemed that the disciples of the Buddha, in their travels, when they came to certain villages, they would serve some of these meat of the wild animals. But after eating the meat of the wild animals, when they went into the forest to meditate, because of the odour that came, because of the sweat, For example, if they ate tiger meat, then when they sweat, they would emit the odour of tiger meat. And because of that, they were attacked by tigers, and similarly for the other animals. And because of that, generally the Buddha made this rule, which means to say that normal meat, that is, chicken, duck meat, pork, beef, etc., were allowed. Now, it is also stated in the Vinaya that if a monk is sick, then it is allowed for him to ask for special food like milk and honey, meat and fish, etc., but not if he was not sick. And also clear meat soup was allowed for a sick monk in the afternoon or evening. And there are many other instances in the Vinaya which shows that the Buddha and his disciples ate a kind of meat that was allowed. And why? Because with the three conditions mentioned before, if you don't slaughter the animal and don't ask somebody else to slaughter, don't see the slaughter and don't hear the cry of the animal as it was slaughtered, then there is no direct karma involved in eating this type of allowed meat. Now as far as indirect karma is concerned, it is true that there is indirect cause but not actually karma. There is an indirect cause indirect contribution but that is to do with worldly cause and effect and not karmavipaka or Buddhist cause and effect because we see that even by being a vegetarian we still do contribute to the killing of animals indirectly just by living. For example, we all want to live in houses and because we want to live in houses they have to clear the forest, large areas of forest to build housing estates. In the process, many animals are killed. We want to use electricity. Because we want to use electricity, the government has to build dams to dam the river. When the water rises in the rivers, a lot of animals are killed in the process. So we are also a party indirectly to the killing. And because we want to use household items, they have to clear large areas of forest to build factories. In the process also, many animals are killed and we want to eat fruits and vegetables and they also have to clear large areas of forest land to plant the fruits and vegetables and that also causes indirectly the killing of animals. In addition, the farmer sprays insecticides to kill the worms and the caterpillars and also the insects like grasshoppers, and snails, etc. And even by eating vegetables and fruits, we are also a party to the killing. And because we want to be free of disease, the government employs people to shoot dogs without license every day. And even just living we cause indirectly the killing of animals. Now, some people say that because of eating meat we create a demand and that causes the killing of animals to provide the supply of meat. Now this has to do with worldly cause and effect and not Buddhist cause and effect which has to do with karma because there is no direct karma of killing but there is an indirect cause but that reasoning is not valid as far as karma is concerned because if it were valid then we should not be driving cars or even sit in a car or a bus. Why? Because by driving a car or sitting in a car or bus we contribute to the demand for cars and that causes the car industry to make more cars and vehicles every day. Now we know by statistics that every day in the world 2,000 human beings are killed by motor vehicles every day and countless number of animals. So by driving a car or sitting in a car or bus, we are indirectly a party to the killing of 2,000 human beings every day and countless animals, which is worse than the eating of meat in a way. So that kind of argument that the by eating meat you create a demand that has to be satisfied is true only from the point of view of worldly cause and effect. Now most vegetarians believe that if the whole world became vegetarians there would be no killing of animals but that is quite a wishful thinking. Every day in Australia thousands and thousands of kangaroos and rabbits are killed every day because they eat the crops and fruits etc. And if we were to free all the animals and everybody became vegetarians, imagine how fast the animals would multiply and they would be running all over the place and the government would have no choice but to kill the animals even if we did not eat the meat It is the karma of animals in a way to be killed. And as far as Buddhists are concerned, we should follow the Buddha's teachings and not be involved in the direct karma of killing. If we want to be vegetarians, that's very good from the compassion point of view. But if we chose to eat meat, then only the type of meat that is allowed by the Buddha with the three conditions should be taken. We don't see, hear or suspect that the animal was purposely or specifically killed for us.