Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen distinguishes throwing karma—the action determining your rebirth—from completing karma, which shapes your experience within that birth. He illustrates: a naga might have negative throwing karma but experience happiness (positive completing karma); a human born virtuous may suffer greatly due to negative completing karma. He explores four karma categories based on cause and accumulation, and when karma ripens: this life, next life, or future lifetimes. A central puzzle: if one karma can span multiple rebirths, how does a being complete it in the next life? Throughout, Geshe Dhawa frames karma study as practical motivation for ethical discipline and achieving precious human rebirth with eight qualities.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 19 GP 1996 05 05.mp3
UUID: 748c9e1c-a6fa-4d4c-ad0a-3cc2df0bd480
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Graduated Path (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1996-05-05
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.6 minutes
Words: ~2,634
So quoting a line from the teachings of Ramadan Kabbal. As Ramadan Kabbal explains or advises that because we have fear in the suffering of lower realms that we restrain from the ten non virtuous actions. And because we wish high rebirth or greater happiness for that purpose, we, what do say, we accumulate all all types of virtues, even the little one. So just achieving the high state achieve the supreme path, one need to achieve this precious human body. So this precious human body with eight qualities to achieve that, one needs to collect the necessary causes and conditions.
So, we need to collect the necessary causes to achieve the precious human body with eight qualities And we also need to know how to collect these causes. So setting up this motivation that I listen to this teaching in order to understand that and in order to collect the necessary causes for achieving the precious human body to benefit or for the sake of other sentient beings. So in this way, you generate this motivation and we do short meditation here. So, the teaching that this level we’ll be speaking today is how on why one need to achieve the higher rebirth, the higher higher rebirth that which has the eight qualities. So Higher rebirth here is that of humans and gods.
And and last time, Geshe-la explained how karma is how we collect karmas and briefly on that part is completed. And and to hear how explain to you some more on karma, how karma increases and how karma completed. So so how I I said how common increases that is, I think, I made a mispronounce translation, how the throwing karma and then completing karma. That is what I’ll be explaining. And the throwing karma is one.
There might be like a completing karma or completing karma can be either virtue or non virtue. So, if non-virtue karma, if that is what the throwing karma throws one to the lower realms, that doesn’t mean one will have a negative completion of karma. There’s nothing definite. Nothing definite that one will one will have a negative completion. For example, one is if our throwing karma at which throws one to the lower realms, then the completing karma to the negative.
And both is like throwing karma that which throws us to the lower realm. That’s the throwing karma. And the completing karma in the lower realm also is got negative, both of them. So then next, like being born as a, what do you say, Nagas, are said to be the throwing karma is negative but then the completing karma as well as being born as a naga, being born as a naga, the completing karma is explained as bhochu’s bhochu’s completion. Completion karma is known as the bhochu.
So some other examples that of the our pets like dog and and cats and some other animals which their throwing karma is negative. But then while in their life, the completing karma, They, I wanna say, in their life, completing karma is known as a virtuous one. Some animals which there’s no danger in their life, lifespan. And this is completing of being virtue is because of their past virtuous actions. So so then next letter, human beings, for example, who goes through great sufferings, different illness, is said to be, their throwing karma is virtue.
Other virtue is karma, they are being born as human. But then their completing karma all their life. Go through this great suffering and sicknesses. Is the completing karma is said to be non virtue one. And and similarly, other example, like as a human being, being a slave for someone for whole life, that too is completion karma is, what do you say, non virtue.
So again, karma can be classified into two that a karma that is definite that one will experience its result and karma that which is indefinite or the karma that the result that one would not experience. So there are two types of karma. So the karma that one will definitely experience this result is those actions which is caused and accumulated or those actions which is completed like the preparation and the actual part and then completion which is the action which is completed in that way. Whether it’s virtue or non virtue, they are the actions which one will explain its result definitely. And the next one which is not completed, the karma which are not completed, this is which is the second one.
The result of those karma is not definite with that one need to experience. So karma that one will definitely experience its result is that which is complete, the action or the karma which is completed, is ready to face, which ready to meet the conditions to ripen its result. So so the karma that what do say, the karma that is not definite, which you are not sure whether you will experience it as result or not, it’s depending on the condition. The first one has the condition to experience and the second one, the condition is not certain. If you meet with the condition then you experience.
If you don’t meet with the condition then you won’t experience. So again, which is what you said that which is caused and accumulated and which is karma which is So karma, is caused. So karma again can be classified into four different ways, which karma which is caused and accumulated, and karma which is caused but not accumulated, and which is accumulated but not caused. And which is caused and and accumulated. Like, there are four.
Accumulated but not caused. So so karma which is caused but not accumulated, which, as example, the So in the in the dream in the dream, like taking a life of human being or killing human being and such, I’ve got it as the karma which is, you know, what’s done and not accumulated or caused and is not accumulated. So and and also similar to those other others as example, which which you are like you’re forced to do, like things which you don’t want to do but you have to do. These these actions are known as caused but not accumulated. So so then also there are actions or karma which which you have the beginning or the preparation and you have the completion but not having the actual part.
So those actions such as like the one or like have the preparation completion but not having the actual part such as the wish to kill human beings or like a feeling like how good if I can kill human. These are known as one with the karma with preparation and completion, but not the actual part. So this one is the example to which is not caused but accumulated. So that is the example for that. So so then so then those actions which you you perform happily or those actions that you perform without any regret, these are the actions which is both accumulated and caused.
So so then so then, like, even if one even one doesn’t wish to do the act of killing, if one is forced to do that act, then it is caused but not accumulated, karma. So if if you don’t wish to do the act, but you are forced to do the act, then it is, how would you say, act done but not accumulated. And if you wish, if you have the wish to do, but but then you haven’t done even the action the actual action, it’s known as the the action not done, but accumulated. So so then if if it come say if it’s both done and accumulated, or if it’s a karma which is definite that you’re going to experience it’s a result, even if that karma, if one is to purify those negative actions of the karma, then it becomes like that which is done but not accumulated. Or which is caused but not accumulated.
So so and, again, in the dream time, in the dream when you like, if you dream killing human beings or meeting with your your guru or lamas, then after when you wake up from your dream, if you if you rejoice in those dreams, then both becomes like action which is done and accumulated. So so, again, with with these two, the non-virtuous, like, intended to do this negative action and actual actually doing negative action, these are two different. So so for example, again, thinking over these two, this by doing this action, it’s negative and by doing this action, it’s positive. So at that time, think over those negative actions and positive actions, but they you don’t accumulate negative action or positive action. So to to accumulate karma, whether it’s virtue or non virtue, one, you know, one have to engage in that action, whether it’s virtue or not, to accumulate that karma.
So so again, there are three ways karma karma is ripened and one karma that is in this very life and the karma which ripens its result in our next life and then the karma which ripens our future other life. So the common that is experienced in this very life, it’s depending on its basis and intention, basis and intention and so on. Like if that karma is done, if the karma is ripened in this life, that if the result is ripened in this very life, then it’s the karma which is ripened or the result ripening in this very life here. So, and these karma that which common those result I experience in this very life. For example, depending on the base, like, for example, if one had done negative actions on the basis of a person who is is on the path of person who is meditating on the path of cessation.
And that is the very first moment whoever had achieved the path of cessation. And the very first moment whoever had taken the vows, the the monk monk vows, or the very first moment we have have taken the lay vow, or And and the very first we have we have we have taken in the very first time, the first moment where where one have taken the Bodhisattva vows, to them, to these different beings, if one to on the basis of these different being, if one to do some negative act, then that negative karma ripens in this very life. And and again And then again, that of if one is to accumulate these negative actions, it relies upon the refuge object, one’s one guru or or one’s parent, and then the negative the negative act result of that action we’ve experienced in this very life. So so for example, if one if one have treated one’s parent like very badly while one is during the age of fifteen or sixteen, then the result of that action something obvious that one will in a later life, experience the result of those actions. So so then next, through our intention or or motivation, how how the action can be those result of those action can be experienced in this very life.
So just with virtue, with virtue’s action, if you if you you you done the action with with virtue’s motivation, then the result the result can be experienced in this life. And similarly with non virtue if you have no reject in doing negative actions and you happily perform those negative actions, then you said also that the result be, the result of that action can be experienced in this very life. So so then now the next type of karma, which result is experienced in next life, which is that whatever karma what I’ve done in this life, the result of those actions or those karma is experienced in next life. No other, what is it, nothing obstructs from experiencing it in our next life. So there is what do you say?
They might have a doubt in here and doubt arising here, but let’s say if he explains that kind of any if he explain here, then we won’t have the doubt later or won’t have the let’s say, it will become clear that we don’t have to ask question later. So with the karma that is experienced in next life, which is that one karma can, there’s nothing definite that one karma can only, I would say, give rise to one body. It’s nothing definite. Nothing definite. It’s it’s possible that one karma can give rise to many many bodies.
So so So when we say the result of that action which is experienced in the very next life, then if there’s many bodies, if a karma is possible to to to give rise to many bodies, then how come the person can experience the the being can experience the karma and then completely in the next life? So they might have to stop. So so so then if the doubt which is like if one, say, one have a karma to experience the karma that one will experience in the next life, and if it happens that it continue, if we still experience the karma after a few lifetimes, then there’s a gap in between a few lives. So how come this is possible that I would say, doubt that one might have. So so so though one yeah.
If though the there is gap of different lives and different lifespan, but all those lifespan which which is happening in in our future, all those lifespan is a is a result of one karma. So so well, result of one karma. So so then next type of karma that the result of outcome the result that we’ll experience in in other lifetimes, which is mean after, say, every, like how do spell, all the, like, those are the third lifetimes, which those karmas that one will experience in in in those are third lifetimes. So up to here is a brief explanation on karma. And now next is still on karma, which thinking or contemplating the particular karmas.
So so as this as explained in the very beginning, which are contemplating or thinking about the negative karmas, which are negative karmas and which is having the fear fear of the lower realms and and restraining doing the negative actions. So so then and then thinking about the particular virtuous actions, if one is to to to do the virtuous actions, then that is what makes one possible to achieve the higher So for us who is known as the practitioners, just achieving a mere human and god’s form of the birth. Just having human and god’s birth is not, what do say, nothing extraordinary which achieving this, yes, it will help one not to experience the suffering of lower realms, but it’s nothing more than that. So so so to to achieve that, what is it, liberation or the liberated state, one need to achieve the special rebirth that is one with this age qualities. So so if one have the eight qualities, then one doesn’t miss anything while one practice on the path.
So while one trouble on the path, so it is regarded as special. So so what are these the eight qualities and how how how does it functions and what what we need to collect those? This will be explained. So these eight qualities is the first one is having a long life. So, and having a beautiful form or beautiful form and color.
So then the third one is high caste or born in a high family. And then, So the fourth one is wealthy or powerful.