Understanding Kamma: The Law of Action and Consequence : หน้า 44/207

A senior monk once discussed kamma: "The word kamma is a neutral word that does not imply good or bad since kamma means action. An action always carries a consequence. Why do we feel full? It is because we've eaten. If we didn't eat, we'd be hungry. In physics, there is the law which states that the energy of an action is equal to the energy of the opposite reaction. Sir Isaac Newton discovered this and termed it the third law of motion. In terms of Dhamma we can say that whatever your action, you will experience its consequences in return. Scientists discovered this law of the physical world and the world accepted it only a little over 300 years ago. But the Lord Buddha discovered the Law of Kamma and taught it to the world over 2,500 years ago, and what He discovered was much more profound and insightful. Let's take abortion as an example. If we look at this situation on the surface, we think that the unborn child did not have a choice. It was the parents' fault for not wanting to have the child, so they chose abortion. The Lord Buddha taught us not to view any situation superficially. He taught us to look deeper and ask questions. If there were so many potential parents in this world, why did the baby not go to another family, but entered the womb of the woman who would abort it? The reason is because the unborn child has kamma from killing animals from a previous life. When it was time for it to be born, due to the retribution from the killing, it was conceived in the womb of a person who also liked to kill animals. The mother and the baby must have an equivalent kamma in order for the child to enter her womb. Otherwise, conception would not have taken place. Once it entered the womb, the mother suffered a morning sickness and may have felt a craving to kill animals. Or she may want to consume fresh blood to reduce the sickness, believing that if she does not, the sickness will not go away. For others, the circumstances may be even harsher. When the mother experiences morning sickness, she may want to get rid of the unborn child immediately through an abortion. This is the result of a more severe kamma. The consequence of an action is much more complex than what we really see. For instance when there is an increase in the births of people with previous kamma from killing, the resulting build-up of kamma becomes collective and the government of those people passes laws that permit abortion. When a person with merit enters the womb, how does this affect the mother? The Lord Buddha explained that when a person with great merit enters the womb, the fruit of his merit will lead to more prosperity for that family. The mother will await her unborn child eagerly. She will make offerings and wish for a blessed The Warm Hearted Family 86 The Birth of a Meritorious Person The Warm Hearted Family The Birth of a Meritorious Person