Cultivation Helps Us Transform our Karma or Make It Ripen?
“How do you understand “karmic transformation” and “karma ripens”?
The spirit of Buddhism is very clear: Practising the Dharma is to transform bad karma into good karma. In our mind, there are always existent karmic seeds. When we practise the Dharma, the power created by the practice will influence and transform those karmic seeds.
As a result, there will be some negative karma that will be eliminated and never ripen, while some other negative karma will turn into better one. For example, sexual karma is the karma that every sentient being has. But if we practice well, sexual karma will turn into willpower and wisdom.
Another thing is, during our practice, at first we dont have some bad characteristics but after a period of time, we have these characteristics. It is because the old seeds lying deep in our minds are just awakened to be transformed. Practising the Dharma is not to cause the karma to ripen. Without practice, our karma still stays the same.
On the other hand, practising the Dharma diligently will make our karma be paid more quickly. Therefore, we must understand clearly that practising the Dharma is to transform karma, not for the karma to ripen.” – Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh
