Kamma is cetana, so said the Buddha. It is literally translated as intention is the cause (for effect to take place). There is a word in Pali, kamma vipaka to mean because of cause (kamma), hence the effect (vipaka). What it is to mean is that whatever one intents it is exactly one will get, whether the person realizes it or not. The law of cause and effect is just, irrelevant whether our intent comes from ignorance or wisdom. Ignorance begets ignorance, wisdom begets wisdom. How would it be possible that the means be different or inconsistent with the goal?
If one’s goal is peace and yet each mean is inconsistent with it, then one can be sure that one is unsure of his goal. If my goal is peace and yet each moment I am not giving peace a chance to arise, and instead defend and attack as my intention, how could the outcome be peace?
If I am judging in my mind, the wrong in you, which is a wrong intent, the outcome of that judgment is dis-ease. Even if I feel that I am more superior then you through the judgment, that superiority though seems to have pleasantness in it, is far from true. Where there is a comparison there is already a tug-of-war of holier than thou. There is already tension in it but not obvious to one. Due to its ignorant nature where wrong is constantly seen as right, hence dis-ease is experience as ease, in a deluded way. The next time you feel superior over an inner judgment of another, sense deeply what is in the feeling. Be determined to see what is really there that you are not seeing. This already set the motion of cause for effect to take place – if you wish to see the truth, truth has to arise. It cannot be otherwise.
If one is determined to see the truth, nothing but the truth, one has already set motion in his subconscious mind to surrender and accept to the fact that what he sees is false. Through that acceptance, truth has to be revealed so as to let you realize where the false is. Imagine situations where you don’t determine at all. The mere intent of not having that determination already means you are fully accepting what you are experiencing. Do you see this truth?
Hence it is interesting to observe that we are consistently being supported to realize the truth, and this can only be true if we support ourselves in being determined to see the truth. What we ask is what we get.
If I want to be rich, my intention is not richness, but to get out of poor. Hence my effect is constantly to get out of poor, so as to be rich. I may be rich, but I don’t see myself one as I am having a constant view in my mind that I am in lack. Now, If I am already rich, why the need to want to be rich? My intent though that is what I think, is not what it is. You can only tell the actual intention if you look deep within the mind. The nature of cause and effect is just – having no discrimination in whatever intent one makes.
