Questions to Master Deshimaru

Question

Do karma and fate mean the same things

Answer

No, they are not the same. Karma equals action. Action of our body, our consciousness, our speech. If I strike you with my fist, for example, that is karma, an action that becomes karma. When we speak we create karma. When we think we create a karma that plants a seed in the alaya consciousness. If you steal that becomes karma, a karma that will not be good and that will bear evil fruit. At a sesshin once, one of my disciples did not behave well - too much sex, too much drinking - and the day he left he had an accident in his car with a young lady. That time, karma returned to the surface very quickly. Even little things reappear. Whatever we do with our body, speech or thought, very certainly karma is created. When you are born you have a karma: that of your forebears, your grandparents, for example. But karma can be changed, whereas fate is a constant. If you practice zazen your karma changes completely, it becomes better. During zazen your body creates the highest karma, because the posture is the highest act. It's the same way with speech: words are not really so good, and being silent is the best karma. The consciousness during zazen is also the highest and creates the highest karma. In this way you can transform your bad destiny into good destiny. Karma is one of the basic principles of Buddhism, although the problem of how to change one's karma exists in other religions, too. How does one disconnect oneself from one's bad karma and have a better karma? I think zazen is the best method. Consciousness is very important. Other religions and philosophies concern themselves only with the karma of body and speech. But how do you create good karma of thought? By means of hishiryo consciousness.