When beginners first take up the practice of reciting the Buddha’s name, they may soon find themselves continuing the recitation even in their dreams. Yet after a period of time, such experiences often fade away. This is simply because the corresponding karmic merit and supportive conditions accumulated in previous lives have been exhausted. It is like drawing upon one’s savings—once they have been spent, there is nothing left to rely upon. In truth, everything we receive in this life is merely the natural ripening of causes we ourselves created in the past. Nothing comes to us beyond what our karma has brought forth. There is no such thing as gaining something extra or receiving more than the causes we have planted can bear. Yet few people truly understand this.
One of the most common shortcomings among practitioners is the desire to receive without being willing to give. Whenever people feel they have gained something without making much effort, they quietly congratulate themselves for having gotten something for nothing, imagining themselves cleverer than others. Yet this very mindset fundamentally run contrary to the law of karma.
More importantly, the belief that one can gain something for nothing gradually diminishes the greater merit that might otherwise have ripened. Such thinking is profoundly misguided, for it is rooted in a deeply ingrained materialistic worldview. One who truly has faith in the law of karma would not think in this way. Instead, one would diligently cultivate merit. The best way to accumulate merit is by generating bodhicitta—the awakened aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. This teaching is already familiar to many practitioners.
Genuine bodhicitta, however, is difficult to generate. Therefore, we should persevere in cultivating this aspiration while engaging in practices such as making offerings, practicing generosity (dāna), practicing life release, and performing other virtuous deeds to continually accumulate merit and wholesome roots. By practicing in this way consistently over time, our mindstream gradually gains strength. Genuine faith naturally arises, and with it comes a deep and lasting joy.
Most people, however, are unwilling to cultivate themselves in such a patient and steady manner. Instead, they long for quick results, always hoping to find an easier path. Yet as long as we continue seeking something for nothing, we have not truly placed our trust in the law of karma.
The truth is that there are no bargains in saṃsāra. Every gain and every loss arise from causes and conditions that have already been set in motion. Whether wealth is acquired through theft, robbery, drug trafficking, or other unlawful means, or earned through honest work and ethical livelihood, it is still the ripening of one’s own karma. What differs is not the law of karma itself, but the conditions under which karma ripens and the vastly different consequences that follow.
An honest livelihood may demand perseverance and hardship, yet its rewards are often more abundant and enduring. Wealth obtained through harmful actions may appear to come quickly, but in reality it carries immense risks and also exhausts one’s accumulated merit with remarkable speed. It may even consume the merit accumulated over countless lifetimes within a single lifetime, leading to prolonged rebirth in the lower realms. By comparison, the negative karmic consequences associated with an honest livelihood are far less severe.
When our actions are embraced by bodhicitta, merit naturally follows—often in greater abundance than we could ever deliberately seek. Yet the fruits of bodhicitta do not always appear immediately, because our aspiration is seldom completely genuine. Only a sincere motivation possesses the power to bring about swift karmic results.
If one’s bodhicitta is merely superficial, the mind inevitably begins calculating personal gain and loss while expecting rewards in return. Consider wealth, for example. A person who has genuinely generated bodhicitta may think: “I entered this life prepared to accept loss rather than pursue personal advantage. Whether the merit of bodhicitta bears fruit in this lifetime is of little concern to me.
If I remain poor despite cultivating bodhicitta, then I am simply exhausting negative karma. If wealth comes as a result, then so be it. ” Someone whose bodhicitta exists only as an idea, however, cannot help but seek wealth for personal benefit. Such bodhicitta has not yet become the natural disposition of the mind. Because the motivation lacks authenticity, its karmic results ripen more slowly. This is why the fruits of karma do not always unfold according to our expectations.
One who has genuinely generated bodhicitta is motivated by the willingness to accept loss and hardship for oneself while offering benefit and victory to others. Personal gain and loss are no longer the primary concern. When the merit of such practice eventually ripens, one no longer clings to receiving its rewards. Precisely because nothing is sought for oneself, merit often manifests naturally and unexpectedly. This is precisely the paradox of bodhicitta.
Ultimately, our task is to make our motivation increasingly genuine. Having spent beginningless lifetimes habitually protecting and clinging to the self, such a transformation cannot happen overnight. Yet there is no other path. Only through steadfast and continuous practice can our minds be gradually transformed and allow the merit of our practice to continue growing.
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
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