Right view of karma

[Alakso]

Is this a Right View of Karma?

Cause and effect create karmic seeds. Causes and conditions we create nourish the karmic seed continuously or intermittently until it ripens and produces fruit. If we don’t nourish the karmic seed then it lays dormant until the causes and conditions come together for it to grow. When we die the karmic seeds with the most growth will have the biggest affect on our mind stream going forward to our next life, while the seeds we never nourished will have little affect on our mind stream and next life.
When we become awakened all karmic seeds in all stages of growth along with cause and effect that produces them will disappear.

So it would seem to me that a Buddhist purification practice would really consist of not nourishing the karmic seeds that need purification.
While at the same time providing maximum nourishment to the karmic seeds we want to nourish so they can bear their fruit?

[paul1]

Yes, all the details can be found here:

Ahara Sutta, Food

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn46/sn46.051.than.html

It can be seen that the crucial factor is attention, either appropriate or inappropriate.

[rcdaley]

MN 135/MN 136 are helpful.

As is: Kamma: A Study Guide

Important to avoid the “bank account” thinking regarding kamma. I always found that to be good advice.

[Thito]

Sounds more like commentarial / traditional theravadan right view.

From whst I understand in EBT, all karma must ripen before one dies if one attains Arahantship, which is evident with Maha Moggalanas death and Angulimala getting stoned.

But whether this is Right View of that belonging to Ariyans, no, I would classify it as mundane right view, not ariyan right view.

For example, Angulimala was clearly on the path and right before Arahantship before he got stoned and yet the Buddha felt it was necessary to tell him about the fruit of his kamma, implying it’s not necessary to know for developing on the path

Then Ven. Angulimala, early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his outer robe & bowl, went into Savatthi for alms. Now at that time a clod thrown by one person hit Ven. Angulimala on the body, a stone thrown by another person hit him on the body, and a potsherd thrown by still another person hit him on the body. So Ven. Angulimala — his head broken open and dripping with blood, his bowl broken, and his outer robe ripped to shreds — went to the Blessed One. The Blessed One saw him coming from afar and on seeing him said to him: "Bear with it, brahman! Bear with it! The fruit of the kamma that would have burned you in hell for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, you are now experiencing in the here-&-now!" [3]

Therefore I would say Supermundane right view has nothing to do with past and future (such as future rebirth), but about how to stop the 3 poisons from manifesting here and now.

In the same way, there is the case where a trifling evil deed done by one individual takes him to hell; and there is the case where the very same sort of trifling deed done by the other individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

…

"Now, a trifling evil deed done by what sort of individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment? There is the case where a certain individual is developed in [contemplating] the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind, developed in discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the immeasurable. A trifling evil deed done by this sort of individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.099.than.html

i.e. those with Supermundane (Ariyan) Right view see the result of actions here and now, rather than it manifesting unnoticed, snowballing and becoming a habit that turns into a lifestyle and identity which changes one’s quality of life (heaven vs hell).

[Green]

@Thito

Therefore I would say Supermundane right view has nothing to do with past and future (such as future rebirth), but about how to stop the 3 poisons from manifesting here and now.

I believe supra mundane right view is the kind of view not connected to defilements, which means based upon cessation, dispassion, or in other words, based upon egolessness reality, based upon wholeness, completeness.

Thoughts about future, ‘what will i be in the future?’ ‘i practise for my happiness after death in a heavenly realm’ etc are based on ego.

@Thito

i.e. those with Supermundane (Ariyan) Right view see the result of actions here and now, rather than it manifesting unnoticed, snowballing and becoming a habit that turns into a lifestyle and identity which changes one’s quality of life (heaven vs hell).

This is, i believe, more about the 3 kinds of true knowledge. True knowledge, such as the knowledge of how being are reborn according kamma, apparantly do not have every arahant. According texts Buddha had.

[Green]

@Alakso

Cause and effect create karmic seeds.

I am not sure what you mean. I believe karmic seeds are created by intention not perse related to cause and effect. For example, when an intention to hurt someone, verbally or physically, arises in you, and you regurarly feed that violent vinnana state, that emotionally loaded vinnana state becomes stronger and stronger. It will pop up more easily. When such loaded vinnana moments become really strong because of repeated grapsing and feeding them, they become kamma seed. Kamma seeds are loaded. Loaded with the sphere, the views and intention, in which they were created. They have therefor a potential to bring forth a result if there are right conditions met.

But this does not mean that any cause and effect relation is about kamma seeds, i believe.
For example, a blind man accidently killing ants has no violent intentions, so that cannot lead to a kamma seed with violent intention and wrong view. But ofcourse there is cause and effect. Ants are killed.

@Alakso

When we become awakened all karmic seeds in all stages of growth along with cause and effect that produces them will disappear.

I am not sure. I am told that also an arahant will still have to bear fruits of kamma while living
Maybe someone else can comment on this and give clarity

@Alakso

So it would seem to me that a Buddhist purification practice would really consist of not nourishing the karmic seeds that need purification.
While at the same time providing maximum nourishment to the karmic seeds we want to nourish so they can bear their fruit?

The point of purification seems to be the end of tanha. When tanha ends nothing will be instinctively grapsed anymore. Noformations arising here and now, not feelings, and not a new existence at death.

It is not the ulitmate goal of Dhamma that bright kamma can bear fruit for example as rebirth in a deva realm. The ultimate goal is to make an end to the kamma that is bright, dark and mixed.
I believe you can see it like this: kamma is always connected to ignorance, even bright kamma.

[Alakso]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to comment and provide info and links so I can learn. I’m not knowledgeable enough about karma to discuss it but I wanted to be sure I was heading in the right direction.