A very good and succinct explanation by Geshe Tashi Tsering in his bookThe Buddha's Medicine for the Mind: Cultivating Wisdom and Compassion:"Intention is the most important of all mental events because it gives direction to themind, determining whether we engage with virtuous, non-virtuous, or neutral objects.Just as iron is powerlessly drawn to a magnet, our minds are powerlessly drawn to theobject of our intentions.
An intention is a mental action; it may be expressed through either physical or verbalactions. Thus, action, or karma, is of two types: the action of intention and theintended action. The action of intention is the thought or impulse to engage in aphysical or verbal act. The intended action is the physical or verbal expression of ourintention. Karma actually refers to the action of intention but in general usage itincludes the intended action and the seeds that are left in the mind as a result.How do we accumulate karmic seeds? Every physical and verbal action is preceded bymental activity.
Goodwill motivates a kind gesture; ill will motivates nasty words. Illwill is the intention to cause mental, emotional or physical harm. Thus, before andduring a bad action, ill will is present in our mind. The presence of ill will before andduring this act has an impact and influence on the mind due to which a certainpotential is left behind. This potential is a karmic seed, a seed planted in our mind byphysical, verbal or mental action. The strength or depth of this seed is determined by anumber of factors, including how strong our intention is, whether we clearlyunderstand what we are doing, whether we act on our intention and whether thephysical and verbal action is completed.
Seeds will remain in the mind until they ripen or are destroyed. Seeds left by negativemental events and actions can be destroyed by the four opponent or antidotal powers.The most important of these four powers are regret for the negative act and a firmresolve not to act that way again in the future. Seeds left by positive mental events andactions can be destroyed by anger.Even if we do not act on a negative intention, a karmic seed of diminished potency isstill left in the mind. This incompleted seed is easier to remove. If it is not destroyed, anegative seed will eventually produce an unpleasant and negative effect while apostive seed will produce a pleasant and positive effect.
Karmic seeds do not go towaste even after one hundred aeons. They will come to fruition when the time comesand the conditions assemble.Actions motivated by the wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentientbeings and dedicated to that end have a special feature. The positive effects of such anact will be experienced many times over without being exhausted. For this reason,virtue dedicated to complete enlightenment is likened to a magnificent tree that bearsfruit every season without fail. Such virtues will bear fruit until Buddhahood isattained."
lA fragment of theThe Sutra of the Causes and Effects of Actionsby Shakyamuni Buddha, fromLama Yeshe Wisdom Archivesthat probably conveys the idea very straight-forward:"Then the Buddha spoke to Ananda thus, “This question that you are asking--it is allon account of a previous existence, in which every one’s mind was not alike andequal. Therefore, in consequence, the retribution is of a thousand and a myriadseparate and different minds. Thus the person who in this world is handsome comesfrom a patient mind, and the ugly comes from amid anger; the needy come frommeanness. The height and noble comes from prayer and service, and the lowly andbase comes from pride. The great and tall person comes from honor and respect andthe short-legged person comes on account of contempt.
The person who hinders thebright splendor of the Buddha is born black and thin; and the one who tastes the foodof the fast is born deprived of food. The person who is too sparing of fire and light isborn infirm; the one in whose eyes fault always appears is born night-blind. Theperson who slanders the Law is born dumb; and the person who does not want to hearthe Law is born deaf. ..... The person who is compassionate is born long-lived, and theone who kills living beings is born short-lived. The one who gives gifts is born rich.The one who gives a gift of horse and carriage to the three jewels has many horses andcarriages. Then the person who reads and asks about the sutra is born intelligent; butthe stupid person comes from an animal existence.
The person who cannot stay in hisplace comes from among the apes; the one who binds the hands and feet of livingbeings is born paralyzed in hand and foot. The person who is of evil passions comesfrom snakes and scorpions; the one who keeps the precepts (sila) is complete in the sixkinds of organ, but the person who breaks the precepts is incomplete in the six kindsof organ. The unclean person comes from the existence of pigs; the person who likessong and dance comes from among actors. The one who is greedy comes from dogs;the one who eats alone, their neck is goiterous. The one who castrates living beingshas incomplete pudenda; the one who on one side abuses his superior has a shorttongue. The one who seduces the spouse of another, after dying falls among the geese,and a person who commits incest will fall into the existence of sparrows."
An intention is a mental action; it may be expressed through either physical or verbalactions. Thus, action, or karma, is of two types: the action of intention and theintended action. The action of intention is the thought or impulse to engage in aphysical or verbal act. The intended action is the physical or verbal expression of ourintention. Karma actually refers to the action of intention but in general usage itincludes the intended action and the seeds that are left in the mind as a result.How do we accumulate karmic seeds? Every physical and verbal action is preceded bymental activity.
Goodwill motivates a kind gesture; ill will motivates nasty words. Illwill is the intention to cause mental, emotional or physical harm. Thus, before andduring a bad action, ill will is present in our mind. The presence of ill will before andduring this act has an impact and influence on the mind due to which a certainpotential is left behind. This potential is a karmic seed, a seed planted in our mind byphysical, verbal or mental action. The strength or depth of this seed is determined by anumber of factors, including how strong our intention is, whether we clearlyunderstand what we are doing, whether we act on our intention and whether thephysical and verbal action is completed.
Seeds will remain in the mind until they ripen or are destroyed. Seeds left by negativemental events and actions can be destroyed by the four opponent or antidotal powers.The most important of these four powers are regret for the negative act and a firmresolve not to act that way again in the future. Seeds left by positive mental events andactions can be destroyed by anger.Even if we do not act on a negative intention, a karmic seed of diminished potency isstill left in the mind. This incompleted seed is easier to remove. If it is not destroyed, anegative seed will eventually produce an unpleasant and negative effect while apostive seed will produce a pleasant and positive effect.
Karmic seeds do not go towaste even after one hundred aeons. They will come to fruition when the time comesand the conditions assemble.Actions motivated by the wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentientbeings and dedicated to that end have a special feature. The positive effects of such anact will be experienced many times over without being exhausted. For this reason,virtue dedicated to complete enlightenment is likened to a magnificent tree that bearsfruit every season without fail. Such virtues will bear fruit until Buddhahood isattained."
lA fragment of theThe Sutra of the Causes and Effects of Actionsby Shakyamuni Buddha, fromLama Yeshe Wisdom Archivesthat probably conveys the idea very straight-forward:"Then the Buddha spoke to Ananda thus, “This question that you are asking--it is allon account of a previous existence, in which every one’s mind was not alike andequal. Therefore, in consequence, the retribution is of a thousand and a myriadseparate and different minds. Thus the person who in this world is handsome comesfrom a patient mind, and the ugly comes from amid anger; the needy come frommeanness. The height and noble comes from prayer and service, and the lowly andbase comes from pride. The great and tall person comes from honor and respect andthe short-legged person comes on account of contempt.
The person who hinders thebright splendor of the Buddha is born black and thin; and the one who tastes the foodof the fast is born deprived of food. The person who is too sparing of fire and light isborn infirm; the one in whose eyes fault always appears is born night-blind. Theperson who slanders the Law is born dumb; and the person who does not want to hearthe Law is born deaf. ..... The person who is compassionate is born long-lived, and theone who kills living beings is born short-lived. The one who gives gifts is born rich.The one who gives a gift of horse and carriage to the three jewels has many horses andcarriages. Then the person who reads and asks about the sutra is born intelligent; butthe stupid person comes from an animal existence.
The person who cannot stay in hisplace comes from among the apes; the one who binds the hands and feet of livingbeings is born paralyzed in hand and foot. The person who is of evil passions comesfrom snakes and scorpions; the one who keeps the precepts (sila) is complete in the sixkinds of organ, but the person who breaks the precepts is incomplete in the six kindsof organ. The unclean person comes from the existence of pigs; the person who likessong and dance comes from among actors. The one who is greedy comes from dogs;the one who eats alone, their neck is goiterous. The one who castrates living beingshas incomplete pudenda; the one who on one side abuses his superior has a shorttongue. The one who seduces the spouse of another, after dying falls among the geese,and a person who commits incest will fall into the existence of sparrows."
