Karma
Where there is reincarnation, there is karma; the two are inextricably linked.
The divine spark (soul) descends into the physical realm to learn, gain experience, and evolve. In this material world, it must utilize a physical body to act. Every action creates karma. Upon rebirth, the soul experiences the consequences of its actions, according to the impartial law of Heaven.
Throughout history, regardless of intellectual development, humanity has largely believed in the principle of karmic retribution, or cause and effect.
Buddhism teaches: “A father’s misdeeds do not affect his children, nor do a child’s misdeeds affect their father. Good deeds bring blessings, while evil deeds bring misfortune.” (父作不善，子不代受，子作不善，父不代受。善自获福，恶自受殃).
Taoism, in the Treatise on Response and Retribution, states: “Good and evil deeds are repaid like a shadow following the form.” (善恶之报，如影随形).
Confucianism teaches: “Plant beans, and you will harvest beans; plant melons, and you will harvest melons.” (种豆得豆，种瓜得瓜).
There is also the saying: “Good and evil will ultimately be repaid, the only difference is whether it’s sooner or later.” (善恶到头终有报，只争来早与来迟).
Jesus taught: “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” (Qui manie l’épée périra par l’épée).
A French proverb says: “Whoever sows the wind will reap the whirlwind.” (Qui sème le vent, récolte la tempête).
A Vietnamese proverb states: “In the past, karmic retribution was slow; today, it’s immediate.” (Đời xưa quả báo thì chầy, đời nay quả báo một giây nhãn tiền).
These sayings clearly express the concept of karma.
The Creator is perfectly just, rewarding not out of favoritism nor punishing out of malice. He established the Law of Karma, also known as the Law of Retribution, a principle stating that every cause has a corresponding effect.
Look into a mirror: if your face is clean (cause), the reflection will be clean (effect). Conversely, if your face is dirty, the reflection will be dirty.
Throw a rubber ball against a wall: if you throw it gently (cause), it will bounce back gently (effect). If you throw it forcefully, it will bounce back forcefully. This illustrates the basic principle of cause and effect.
Therefore, those who create good karma (wholesome causes) will experience good results (wholesome effects). Those who create bad karma will inevitably face negative consequences.
Karma, or the result of actions, stems from the causes we create in this life or previous lives. These results, in turn, become the causes for future karmic consequences. This continuous chain of cause and effect, like a shadow following the form, binds individuals in the cycle of karmic entanglement, leading to the debts and repayments of reincarnation.
To understand someone’s past karma, observe their current social standing. To understand their future karma, observe their character and actions in this life.
Karma, or karmic retribution, has two aspects: individual karma (Biệt nghiệp) and collective karma (Cộng nghiệp).
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Individual Karma: This refers to the consequences experienced by each individual based on their own actions. Individual karma manifests in two ways: fixed karma and不定 nghiệp (unfixed karma).
a) Fixed Karma: This refers to predetermined karmic consequences. When a soul has reached a certain level of evolution, upon regaining clarity after the disorientation experienced during physical death, it gradually recognizes its past transgressions (*1) and feels remorse. It then resolves to face the consequences in a specific manner, time, or duration in its next life. The soul has the freedom to choose its rebirth circumstances. If it needs to experience hardship to atone for past misdeeds, it often chooses to be reborn into an impoverished or troubled family to facilitate this process.
b) Unfixed Karma: This refers to karmic consequences that are not predetermined. Less evolved souls, clouded by ignorance and unawareness, create negative karma without realizing its implications. Consequently, the karmic retribution they experience is unpredictable and not self-determined.
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Collective Karma: This refers to consequences shared by multiple individuals. Those who participate in a collective misdeed will collectively experience the negative repercussions.
Individuals may also create different karma but share similar karmic burdens due to the nature of their actions, leading them to experience collective consequences.
Similarly, when many benefit from the wrongdoing of one, they share the karmic burden.
Victims of large-scale disasters like earthquakes, floods, shipwrecks, fires, epidemics, wars, etc., are experiencing collective karmic retribution for their shared negative actions.
Despite being strangers, perhaps from different regions, they are brought together by fate to face the consequences collectively.
(*1) In the physical realm, every action, whether virtuous or harmful, noble or lowly, leaves an imprint on the astral substance (matière astrale) of the astral plane (Plan astral). When the soul ascends to the astral plane, these imprints manifest clearly, like a vivid film reel. Buddhism refers to this as the “Karmic Mirror” (Nghiệt cảnh đài).
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