KARMA
The Law of Cause and Effect
The word "RENGE" in the phrase "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" signifies "Lotus Blossom" which in turn is a symbol of the Law of Cause and Effect, or "Karma". The law of cause and effect is one of the fundamental laws of physics. Absolutely nothing can happen without there being a cause for it to happen. If you put your finger in a candle flame you will receive a nasty burn. The CAUSE of your burn is the action of putting your finger in the flame and the direct EFFECT is the actual burn you receive - the effect simply would not come about without its cause. It is easy to think of many examples like this which are drawn from the ordinary physical world. On this purely physical level the law of Karma can be proved scientifically. Buddhism teaches that the law of Karma goes much deeper than the physical world and applies to the whole of existence, the whole of the universe itself, in both its seen physical aspect and its unseen spiritual aspect.
Sometimes the effect immediately follows the cause, like in the "burnt finger" example above. At other times the effect may be delayed by minutes, hours, or even years. We suffer from the effects of millions of causes that we have made in the past. This is an awesome thought when taken in isolation, considering the Buddhist teaching that life is eternal and that we have all lived in some form or other from the infinite past.
The good news is that we also benefit from the good causes we have created in the infinite past and that in our future, we shall definitely benefit as a result of all the good causes we are making now.
A much-quoted passage from Buddhist scripture (the Shinjikan Sutra) states: "If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if your want to understand what results will me manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present."
This is where Buddhist teaching is truly liberating. Karma is not simply fate which must be endured or enjoyed. It is something which we can take control of NOW by means of our present thoughts words, and deeds. The finest possible cause we can make is to raise our life condition to its highest possible state, the Buddha state. Nichiren Daishonin taught us a direct and powerful means of doing this. He taught us to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. By doing this we put ourselves into harmony with the law of life itself and this is such a powerful cause of good fortune in our lives that it can counteract bad causes accumulated over many lifetimes and change forever the predominant karmic patterns which we may simply have endured in the past.
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