Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute talk, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen presents a grounded introduction to how karma operates in Buddhist philosophy. He opens with concrete examples—people shot multiple times surviving while others die from a single wound—to show why different karmic results arise. He then explains the four defining features of karma: actions ripen when conditions align, accumulated karma does not dissipate, karma accounts for differences between beings, and intentional action matters profoundly. Using vivid stories—a stupa builder’s regret shaping his appearance, Milarepa’s transformation through purification, Angulimala’s redemption—he walks through the ten non-virtuous actions (body, speech, mind), how generosity builds wealth, and crucially, how even heavy negative karma can be purified through antidote practices and genuine regret. Suitable for practitioners beginning to grasp karma’s mechanics.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 04 ALB.mp3
UUID: eb57b4a8-9e2a-4229-aa09-6be70f26de92
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: A Look at Buddhism (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.9 minutes
Words: ~2,923
So for as I’m giving you an example, that if if a person has being shot for, like, many times, even then, if the person doesn’t die. And there this type of person who gets shot many times but not dying. But then there are also persons who get shot once on the legs and then dies because of that. So there are these different types of types of people. So so why the other person don’t die?
Because even like getting hit by many bullets, it’s it’s because that person don’t have a karma to die die and die from the bullets. And then the second one, we just got shot once on its leg and dies out of that. It’s because the person have a to die, like would say, created a karma to die with that with that So if one if one haven’t done the karma, then even if one to fall fall down in in a big fire, one gets saved. One one one will not die because one don’t have the karma to die in this instant. So so the fourth one is karma that is done will not dissipate.
So once if is accumulated, then it won’t it won’t just disappears like a like yeah. It won’t just disappears like it it getting old or it just it just it just then disappears by getting old or by by being too long. It won’t disappear. So whatever karma, if is accumulated, if is done, karma that you have done, then whether it’s a very small karma or whether it’s a big karma, even if it will definitely going to ripen. Whether it’s been like a thousand years or like hundred to thousand years, even then when it meets with condition, that karma happens.
So the reason how the karmic law exists or the karma exists is that just as example here, we here appear to be different. Like some are big, some are skinny, some are male, some are female and all this is because of our karmas. Not that it just happens without without causing without without without cause. So so it shows that it is not made by my by some some persons because there are differences in each individual. There are some differences every individuals.
And this shows that it is because of their karmas. So so that if if say there is someone who is making this, making us, then he or she should be making like the same type of beings. But there’s always differences and if a person who can make us then should be making the same type. But then it is not because some are rich for example as a human being, some are poor, Some are tall. Some are short.
So all these shows that it is because of individual karmas. So Geshe-la here will give a short history. So in long time in India, when Buddha passed away, one of one of his followers one his followers known as the hearers or the arhats built a stupa and where in the stupa, they were they kept the relic of Buddha. So so then he built this big great stupa. And then one one of the worker there thought why he’s, like, building this big stupa when we finish building it up.
He said that. So instead of building huge stupa, why not build a smaller one It’s easier easier. So so then that’s what he said in the beginning, and then finally, they they completed this stupa. It was a big huge stupa. And then when when it is completed, he he saw it very beautiful there.
Then he felt regret over what he thought, and he offered a golden bell to this stupa. So so that because he he thought that what he thought because needs what he thought in the past that that just that thought that he have behind us why we need to be this big stupa. Just that thought though he was born as a human being because of his regret towards his thoughts, he was born as a short and ugly looking person. So he he he was born as human being. The reason is because he he was he reject over his thoughts, what he what he was thinking.
So having ugly appearance and short stature is the result that what he thought why we need this huge stupa, but it can be very small small one. That that that thinking or the made him have that problem. But then he had he had a very, what’s it, very pleasant pleasant sound. A pleasant a very pleasant sound that like, can attract people from long distance long So so being having a pleasant sound or voice, yeah, pleasant voice, is that that because he met this the golden bell often to the to the stupa. Because of that, he had this pleasant voice.
Oh, So so this this, what do you call, this talk or the story, it just came in. So so let us explain about karma having the four four features, four types. So not just forget about the explanation of karma or also try to practice it like keeping it in mind about the law of karma, keeping it in mind and then engaging in in in those actions, like engaging in the actions that are collecting positive actions and avoiding negative actions. So then as soon as one has this wish to engage in or practice the law of karma, which is avoiding negative actions and collecting positive actions. For that reason, there’s the explanation ten avoiding ten non virtuous actions.
Mhmm. So so those are, like, summarized those negative actions are summarized into ten ten ten, which are the the close ones. So so as a as a a as a first step or the beginning step for us is to practice avoiding the ten non virtuous actions or committing the ten virtuous actions and by keeping these pure that one creates a cause to to to be born as a human being in one’s future. So so then so then this practice of this practices leads ones to take the birth as a human being. And then if one wishes to be to be born as a as a wealthy human, then what one should practice is to practice one should practice generosity and and as a result of practicing generosity that one one one receives well, you know, in one’s future.
So so what we wish is what we is that to have happiness and we do not want suffering. So just waiting for this doesn’t help but one should work to collect the cause of those two. So at present, the enjoyments that we have, we don’t have problem with the living, we have a good place to live, and so on. This is all a result of our past actions. And and similar to that that those who are born as an animal, they are born as an animal because of their past So even being born as an animal, for example, dogs and cats, some of them are fed very well like has no problem with food.
That is that in their past life they have done something, created a cause to be born as an animal, but also have done some practice of giving so that as a result, that they have no problem with the food. As all of you here, it’s not possible that we will stop committing every negative actions right here. But if you keep it in mind that those negative actions are not good to do, then slowly it’s possible that one one one engage always in a positive actions. So so for today, we stop here. Tonight, stop here.
And if you have any questions, you’re welcome. Any questions that you’d like? So if one is sworn to tell lie or telling lie in this when one is so so then it has a negative action. It it has a negative result. So then if one is not telling lies but if one is showing something what it is the right thing, then being honest then it has a positive result.
Yeah? Yeah. When and if So because the mind of that being, whoever is born as animal or healthy has all these different kinds of imprints, virtue and non virtue. So whenever the imprints ripens by meeting with the condition then that being dies there and then takes a rebirth as a human or whatever they commonly do. So it’s it’s like a a kilo of different grains, like all together but then one of them just meets with the conditions or meets with the soil and moisture.
Then it it grows. So that’s how it is. So in in the Buddhist teachings, it explains that every sentient beings within them or within the mind of every sentient being there is so called the Buddha nature. So as long as one don’t have the the intention to kill the dog, like, even if the if the dog even if dog dies there, one doesn’t receive the full negative action of killing the dog. So as is explained before in that to to receive a full action full negative action of killing, you to have the the the basis or the object and intention to kill and action and the completion.
So so this one one example we gave, for example, don’t have the intention or the motivation to kill. So So so so don’t have the full negative action. And then to look look looking after the child. One might also create a positive karma in there. So like if a dog is attacking the child and feeling compassion towards the child that you chase the dog.
Yeah. Yeah. Mhmm. As there is one it can be purified. That negative action can be purified.
So one like, there’s one quality, one one good quality of negative action. Which is one, I would say, huge quality of negative action. So that the quality is that if you apply the antidote towards those negative action and do the purification, then that negative action can be purified. Being able to or that which purifies is the quality of, how do you say, mikdash. That that’s what we’re teaching you by the saying it is.
Just in the second moment of committing the actions, the imprint is kept in our mind. So whatever action that one have committed, for example, killing, then remembering that action of killing and knowing that one will have to experience that result. So thinking over this and then feeling regret over one’s actions and applying those different antidotes of different practices to purify. It can be purified. So like for the purification, there are four powers which have been explained to to do the purification.
So the great yogi, the Milarepa in in the in the early life have committed many heavy negative actions taken in the life of many. But then in his later life he well practiced the teachings and then I did the purification practice where he, on that very life, achieved the the enlightenment state. So the the as I explained with the Milarepa is that Milarepa’s uncle and Milarepa’s mother had a had a problem had a problem. So so had some problem with his mother and the uncle and that he was he he can’t do much at the at the very beginning. At the very beginning, he was very weak.
But then he did some practices that made him powerful and he how do you say? He made a shower of hail, hail and killed many beings in that village where his uncle and others are living. And many many many many animals have been also killed by the hail, the hail. So same thing, another story with another person known as Angulimala. And that is, they have killed, like at the time of Buddha, he have killed nine hundred ninety nine people and and then he needs to kill one more one more person.
If he if he kill one then he’s like killed one thousand people. So at the very end he met, he somehow met the Buddha and then he received teachings and did the purification practice. And at that very life, he also achieved one of the arhat states. Yeah. Me?
Yeah. So this one, one need to meditate in in combination together. So the meditation on love wish to lead wish to lead everyone into happy states. And and then the compassion, for example, is the wish to free all sentient beings from suffering. So these two, like, for example, these two meditations should go together.
Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah. So so as the action you committed is not because you have the motivation to kill. It’s it’s done the action is done out of compassion.
So but then that the sheep died or stopped or died after he came. So so in this action, they are both like there is also because out of compassion, you did that action. You you have committed also great merits. And another thing that you took the life of that being you also have accumulated negative. So so that one have already committed the action.
So so what one can do there as was explaining was to do the purification practice and whatever refuge protector that one follows, visualize that and then think over the actions that what we have done and then I’ve done those actions but in the future I will never repeat that action again. Never repeat that action again. And with this this mind with this in mind, if you confess those other practices, then it can be it can be purified. So as Geshe-la explained here about karma today, and if you, like, if you have done many different karmas, bad or negative karmas, you shouldn’t you shouldn’t like just worrying about your action. Just being getting what is it?
Worrying about your karma, what what you have done doesn’t help much. So so instead of worrying, what one should do is that one should one should feel regret over one’s action and make this conviction or determination that I will never repeat those bad actions again. So so if if it happens that again one is repeating the same action in the future, one should point oneself like it was one. As Poin yourself and then tell not to commit again. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So it’s because it’s all So it’s all all it’s it’s all happened because of karma. So so shows that also because one have I wanna say one have it shows that there’s a choice choice one can make. So for example, one have a choice because it’s karma, it has a choice which is that one have a choice to do virtuous karma and one does that and one experiences virtuous result.
So if if one don’t don’t have the choice, then one doesn’t come to create negative karma as well as positive karma. Yeah. So the ten non-virtuous actions are the four through our speech. Lying, telling lies, what is called divisive speech. Which is more to say dividing two persons, making telling such and such and and such, like, different things to person.
And then idle gossip. So the idle gossip or also known as the meaningless talk and which is talking without any meanings. So these are known as the four four that is committed to our speech. Or verbal action. And then three to our body.
Which is first one is killing. And second one is taking what is not giving or stealing. And then and then then the third one is, sexual misconduct and engaging in sexual activity. And for example, as a monk shouldn’t engage any sexual act. So if those are for the for the lay, it is known as the sexual misconduct.
So these are three non virtuous actions through our body. And then again three from our mind. And which is ill will. The ill will. So more it’s more what do you say?
So what we call three, like the wish wish to have what do call? Others belonging. The wish for others belonging or to yeah. Covered. Covered.
And then ill will. That’s what we went through. So which is ill will is that bringing harm to one to others which is beside one. That is any any sentient beings. And then next is wrong view.
So with the wrong view, if you if you don’t believe the teachings or the Dharma, then So if you don’t believe the Dharma, then there’s nothing to talk about wrong views. So so as long as one one believes in in Dharma, in in the teachings, then like not accepting the law of karma is a wrong view. Or or or saying there’s no refuge objects, and that is also a wrong wrong view. And also thinking that by committing a negative action, one will one will reborn in a high high state. That also is wrong view.
So these are the ten negative actions, non virtuous actions, which are not so difficult. It’s nothing so heavy that one cannot do. So on top of that, what what what I think helpful is what I think helpful is to avoid alcohol drinking also.