Dharma Master Jingjie
Looking at the case of Venerable Maudgalyayana (who tried to save his mother
who was reborn in the hungry ghost realm), he tried two methods to help change
his mother's karma. The first was using his supernatural powers. He used his
powers to bring food to where his mother was and gave it to her, hoping she
could eat it. However, he failed because karma did not allow it. His mother’s
karma caused the food to turn into flames when she swallowed it.
Later, the Venerable sought advice from Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha told him to
use the power of dedication of merit instead, saying that he could not rely on
supernatural powers. Therefore, he subsequently made offerings to the great
Sangha. He transferred the merit to his mother through a sincere dedication.
His mother’s karma was like dirty water, but by pouring clean water (merit)
into it, the Venerable diluted her karmic offenses. His dedication helped to
reduce her karmic obstacles. His mother was finally able to eat food.
What does this illustrate? Buddhism's view on causal-conditions is that one
cannot change the result (that has already ripened) directly. This is the main
point to emphasize.
A person's poverty or suffering is due to their karma. If you do not change the
karma at the causal stage, but instead use powers or blessings to change their
poverty at the result stage, this is not the right way.
This is discussed in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha (Compendium of the Great Vehicle).
After describing the qualities of Bodhisattvas, someone asked a question. They
said that since Bodhisattvas have boundless qualities and merits through their
past practice of six Paramitas, they can rain down a shower of countless treasures just by stretching out their palm. Since there are so many
poor people in the world, why doesn’t Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara manifest treasures and food in poor places like Africa and relieve their sufferings…
If sentient beings lack the causes or merits, even Buddhas have no way to help.
If a being possessed the necessary causes but only lack the conditions, then
the Buddhas-Bodhisattvas can use their powers to make their merit manifest
earlier.
For example, your merit might be scheduled to ripen in your next life, but the
Buddhas-Bodhisattvas cure your illness right now. That is only because the
causes are already present. If you do not have the cause, the
Buddhas-Bodhisattvas can do nothing…
Let alone Venerable Maudgalyayana, even Lord Buddha cannot use supernatural
powers to directly bring a sentient being from the hungry ghost realm into the
heavenly realm. The only way is for Lord Buddha to teach them the Dharma,
changing their way of thinking and leading them to repent their past misdeeds.
The outcome cannot be manipulated because cause-and-effect controls everything.
For example, if the apple that grows is not sweet, you have to change its seed
and its growing process. The process within the Buddhist teachings on causes
and conditions is crucial. It might be that the variety of the seed has a
problem, or the method in your cultivation process has an issue; you have to
change the process. Blessings or powers are powerless in the face of karma…
If you have karmic obstacles and a certain master blesses you leading to your
recovery, it is because you already have the roots of virtue (merit) for it to
happen. As a master, he merely mobilized and brought forward your good karma
ahead of time.
There was a case of a female lay practitioner in Taiwan who got cancer. She
went to India to find a master to bless her. The master entered into samadhi,
observed and said, "I can cure your cancer, but you will have to get
cancer again in your next life."
This is because he cannot eradicate the karma; he is just postponing your karma
to the future. The master asked if the woman wanted that. He was telling the
truth. Ultimately, the Taiwanese laywoman chose to simply endure the sickness
in this life and be done with it, rather than carrying it into the future.
No one can enter your inner world to change your karma. It is impossible. They
can only make an adjustment using their powers to mobilize your good karma in
advance; they cannot change it fundamentally.
