Negative Effects of Misinterpreted News on Understanding Buddhism : หน้า 194/207

Negative circumstances resulting from carelessly reading negative news If parents do not teach their children to thoroughly analyze the truth in articles about monks, the children may thoughtlessly believe these articles. This could cause them (and us) to miss out on merit opportunities. When they over-generalize that all monks have fallen off the path of morality, they will make judgments without thorough analysis; all they are seeing is the one-sided news. They may then lose interest in Dhamma study, resulting in a lack of understanding about life. They will not know that we must abide by certain laws that govern the world as well as our lives. This knowledge is taught in Buddhism and enables the student to follow the right path in life. The rule that governs this world is the Law of Kamma. This means that a good deed yields a good result, and a bad deed yields a bad result.’ The consequences of a good deed are called ‘fruits of merit’ and the consequences of a bad deed are called ‘kammic retribution’. Basically, one is solely responsible for one’s own actions. Fruits of merit and kammic retribution do not answer to any person’s belief, but they answer to the rules that govern this world. The rule that governs life is the Law of the Three