Sunday, 04/19/2026
Repentance ceremony April 25, 2017
Update: 26/04/2017
This time, Reverend Thich Tam Danh, abbot of Nhat Phap pagoda in Dong Nai province, had the Dharma talk with the topic: "Studying more about the Cause and Effect Rule"
Every Buddhist knows about the cause and effect rule that is so close to our religious life. Nevertheless, we need to review and enhance our knowledge of Buddhism doctrine and faith, especially the new comers.
Buddhists often have questions as:
Can Buddhism devout practitioners transform their karmas? If yes, i.e. people can avoid bad fruits from the karmic trees they planted. Does the cause and effect rule work then?
We find that after the Enlightenment, Sakyamuni Buddha is still subjected to karmic effects when the knife hitting his feet making bleeding. Moggallana, Buddha’s great disciple, was attacked and bruised to death by a group of people. So, is it possible for us to avoid karma thanks to practicing? If no, why does Buddha teach us cultivation?
We should have the general view looking at the progress of cause and effect rule to understand things. It is a continuing transformation from the cause to the result. For example: we sowed a corn seed into the ground, it is not always for us to have the corn plant and fruits. It needs compounded conditions as environment, water, moisture or cares to be healthy, otherwise, the plant can neither grow nor give fruit but withered instead.
Cause and effect is certain for sure. However, with practicing, things will be driven into the good trend. For example, with a handful of salt (bad karma), it would be terrible for us to swallow it at the same time. It would be better for us to consume if we put that salt in a liter of water. And if we put that amount of salt into a pool of water, things will become normal as if there were no salt at all.
Similarly, if we happened to sow bad deeds in the past, now thanks to Buddha's teachings that we try our best to correct things and do penitence, vow to shy away from the evil works, perform lots of good deeds/merits with generosity, release captured creators, ... then the karma will come but things are much better and softer.
Thus, for Dharma practitioners, it is possible for them to transform bad karma into good one, from heavy sins into light results, from suffering into joy. The point is when bad karmas come, we should receive them with ease and bliss in mind instead of hatred or blaming others. The karma will be over soon leaving us with happiness and calmness as ever.
Through the Dharma talk, the Reverend helped the mass understand more about the cause and effect rule, guided participants the practicing way to transform bad karma and have joys in life.
Following are the recorded photographs:
BBT Website