What's exact reason that if I do bad to others, bad will happen to me?

Discussion
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I’m looking for the exact chain of causes and effects that give rise to my suffering when I do bad to others. For example, if I engage in violence and kill other animals for my taste, I will give rise to suffering. I wish to understand how.

Here’s what I think. I do not believe in the idea that I will incarnate into that animal in another world and be killed in the same manner. Instead, I think that doing violence against others somehow induces afflictions within me. I’ve experienced it myself but I don’t understand how this exactly works.

I’ve given a lot of thought to it and came up with this idea that when we are violent towards others, we give rise to the feeling that “I am more important than others”, and this feeling is rooted in ignorance and since ignorance is the root of afflictions, indirectly it leads to my afflictions. This is what I came up with after meditating on this matter. I do not know if that is true or not. Therefore I wish someone could validate me if I’m right or guide me in the right direction if my reasoning is incorrect. That’s my intention of writing this post. Kindly help.

Thank you

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AN 4.77:

“Mendicants, these four things are unthinkable. They should not be thought about, and anyone who tries to think about them will go mad or get frustrated. What four?

The scope of the Buddhas …

The scope of one in absorption …

The results of deeds …

Speculation about the world …

These are the four unthinkable things. They should not be thought about, and anyone who tries to think about them will go mad or get frustrated.”

I don’t think the suttas are going to give you the answer you seek. The Buddha taught us the basic principles of the results of actions, not exactly how or why it happens.

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This may help - please read the notes too.

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Most probably can’t be proven due to no faculties. Unless someone has reached an arahant with perfected faculties and with psychic power.

But Buddha taught this that can apply right here and now on SN 55.7

… ‘I want to live and don’t want to die; I want to be happy and recoil from pain. Since this is so, if someone were to take my life, I wouldn’t like that.

But others also want to live and don’t want to die; they want to be happy and recoil from pain.

So if I were to take the life of someone else, they wouldn’t like that either. The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by others.

Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on someone else?’

Reflecting in this way,

  1. they give up killing living creatures themselves.
  2. And they encourage others to give up killing living creatures,
  3. praising the giving up of killing living creatures.

So their bodily behavior is purified in three points.

Practical way, do you want someone to kill you, if not, do you think someone want to be killed by you? Then, if both not, why do you still want to kill?

Likewise for all precepts. Keep doing precepts in daily life 24/7, then the faculties become clear. Then, maybe can see the result of why precepts are needed and kept unbroken by all nobles.

If you look at the nobles like General Siha AN 5.34, you can see he had direct knowledge and not merely based on faith from Buddha.

… When it comes to those four fruits of giving that are apparent in the present life, I don’t have to rely on faith in the Buddha, for I know them too.

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Thank you for the answer. It is very helpful.

True. However, sometimes I find myself frustrated following the precepts. For example, one precept is that we should do good to others at the expense of our happiness. (This is from Bodhicaryavatara). When I do this I feel miserable many times. What do you suggest in that case?

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That is a very good question, around which much confusion exists indeed. I suggest you to have a look at the following article: Kamma Niyāma . This is a part of a larger work. If you have time you can read the whole exploration of the working of consciousness contained in this book: Paramattha- A Guidebook for consciousness… (free to download). Just, if you want to go deeper into the matter.

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What’s exact reason that if I do bad to others, bad will happen to me?
Righteousness.

The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can know it?

I, Am who Am, search the heart;
I test the inmost being,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his deeds.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows into flesh of self will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows into the Spirit will from the Spirit reap life eonian.

And let us not be weary in
well doing: for in due season
we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:7-9

MN 115 :

They understand: ‘It’s impossible for a likable, desirable, agreeable result to come from bad conduct of body, speech, and mind. But it is possible for an unlikable, undesirable, disagreeable result to come from bad conduct of body, speech, and mind.’

They understand: ‘It’s impossible for an unlikable, undesirable, disagreeable result to come from good conduct of body, speech, and mind. But it is possible for a likable, desirable, agreeable result to come from good conduct of body, speech, and mind.’

They understand: ‘It’s impossible that someone who has engaged in bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, could for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But it is possible that someone who has engaged in bad conduct of body, speech, and mind could, for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’

They understand: ‘It’s impossible that someone who has engaged in good conduct of body, speech, and mind could, for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a place of loss, the underworld, a lower realm, hell. But it is possible that someone who has engaged in good conduct of body, speech, and mind could, for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ That’s how a mendicant is qualified to be called ‘skilled in the possible and impossible’.”

Do good to others and keep your happiness.
That would be win-win for both sides.
What you mention sounds like sacrifice:
it’s when one sacrifices time,
wealth, or another thing for others.
Hard it is to provide a more specific reply,
unless you elaborate and provide example.

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“Mendicants, sentient beings come together and converge because of an element. Those who have bad convictions come together and converge with those who have bad convictions. Those who have good convictions come together and converge with those who have good convictions.”
-SN14.14

So with the example given by you:

-if you engage in violence and kill other animals for your taste, this means you have a way of thinking that -to some extend- killing or harming other living beings is okay to do.

-living among so many people around and having such way of thinking will engage you with others who have the same way of thinking. Why is that? Because you and those people like something in common to talk about or even do together.

-the more you associate with those such people, the bigger the chance you can get harmed by any of them. When it happens, this gives rise to your suffering.

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If you look at the “four consolations” of AN 3.65, you might get to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter that much.

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I think before you do bad things to others - ill will will arise within you. Ill will refers to not wanting or wanting it to be different. i.e : Not wanting to see him happy.

Since you have ill will, when you face with a ‘similar situation’ → you will give rise to unpleasant feelings because you have ‘decided’ that you do not want to see it.

‘similar situation’ here doesn’t have to be the exact same, any situation that leads to rising of the same ill will is considered similar.

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One possible way of understanding it is the following. If I do bad deeds, when I die I will not reach parinibbana because I will still be craving for existence. I will therefore transmigrate to another existence according to my mindset. If doing bad deeds is in my mindset then my next existence will probably be similar to the next existence of someone who has done more or less these same bad deeds. This next life may even turn out to be full of people who do bad deeds to each other all the time: various degrees of unhappy existences.

Same goes with good deeds and happy existences

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A fool experiences three kinds of suffering and sadness in the present life.

Suppose a fool is sitting in a council hall, a street, or a crossroad, where people are discussing what is proper and fitting. And suppose that fool is someone who kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct, lies, and uses alcoholic drinks that cause negligence. Then that fool thinks, ‘These people are discussing what is proper and fitting. But those bad things are found in me and I exhibit them!’ This is the first kind of suffering and sadness that a fool experiences in the present life.

Furthermore, a fool sees that the kings have arrested a bandit, a criminal, and subjected them to various punishments—whipping, caning, and clubbing; cutting off hands or feet, or both; cutting off ears or nose, or both; the ‘porridge pot’, the ‘shell-shave’, the ‘Rāhu’s mouth’, the ‘garland of fire’, the ‘burning hand’, the ‘bulrush twist’, the ‘bark dress’, the ‘antelope’, the ‘meat hook’, the ‘coins’, the ‘caustic pickle’, the ‘twisting bar’, the ‘straw mat’; being splashed with hot oil, being fed to the dogs, being impaled alive, and being beheaded. Then that fool thinks, ‘The kinds of deeds for which the kings inflict such punishments—those things are found in me and I exhibit them! If the kings find out about me, they will inflict the same kinds of punishments on me!’ This is the second kind of suffering and sadness that a fool experiences in the present life.

Furthermore, when a fool is resting on a chair or a bed or on the ground, their past bad deeds—misconduct of body, speec them, rest down upon them, and lay down upon them. It is like the shadow of a great mountain peak in the evening as it settles down, rests down, and lays down upon the earth. In the same way, when a fool is resting on a chair or a bed or on the ground, their past bad deeds—misconduct of body, speech, and mind—settle down upon them, rest down upon them, and lay down upon them. Then that fool thinks, ‘Alas, I haven’t done good and skillful things that keep me safe. And I have done bad, violent, and depraved things. When I depart, I’ll go to the place where people who’ve done such things go.’ They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breasts and falling into confusion. This is the third kind of suffering and sadness that a fool experiences in the present life. -MN 129