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The Mechanism of Karma: The Mahayana Presentation,
Except for Gelug Prasangika
Berlin, Germany, March 9 - 11, 2001
Revised January 2004, August 2008
Chart for Understanding Karma
| Phase 1: Immediately Before Committing an Action, Due to Karmic Aftermath of Previously Having Committed the Same Action | |
|---|---|
| Impulse to Commit the Action
(physical, verbal, or mental karma) |
Motivating Mental Framework
|
| Phase 2: While Committing the Action | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action Itself (karmic force) |
Impulse to Start and to Continue the Action
(physical, verbal, or mental karma) |
Accompanying Mental Framework
|
| Phase 3: Karmic Aftermath of the Action That Is Left on the Mental Continuum Once the Action Has Ended | |
|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
| Phase 4: What the Karmic Aftermath of the Action Ripens Into in the Future | |
|---|---|
Ripens until Liberation as:
Ripens until Death after Liberation as:
|
Ripens until Enlightenment as:
|
|
Simplified by omitting the mechanisms for the tainted feelings of some level of happiness experienced during phases 1, 3, 4, and 6. |
| Action #1A, Due to Karmic Aftermath #1A of Action #1 and Resulting in Karmic Aftermath #1B | Karmic Aftermath #2 of a Completely Different Action #2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Committing Action #1A, Which Will Lead to the Tendency to Repeat Action #1 | Tendency for Tainted Feeling #2 of Some Level of Happiness |
| Karmic Aftermath #1B | Experiencing the Ripening of Karmic Aftermath #2 as | Activators, Aimed at Tainted Feeling #2 and Which Activate Karmic Aftermath #1B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tendency to Repeat Action #1, Which Will Lead to Feeling Like Committing Action #1B | Tainted Feeling #2 of Some Level of Happiness |
|
| Experiencing the Ripening of Karmic Aftermath #1B as |
|---|
| Feeling Like Repeating Action #1, Which Will Lead to the Impulse to Commit Action #1B |
| Karma | Causal Motivating Mental Framework for Committing Action #1B | Karmic Aftermath #3 of a Completely Different Action #3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impulse To Commit Action #1B, Which Will Lead to Committing Action #1B |
|
Tendency for Tainted Feeling #3 of Some Level of Happiness |
| Action #1B | Contemporaneous Motivating Mental Framework While Committing Action #1B | Experiencing the Ripening of Karmic Aftermath #3 as | Activators, Aimed at Tainted Feeling #3 and Which Activate Karmic Aftermath #4 | Karmic Aftermath #4 of a Completely Different Action #4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committing Action #1B, Which Will Lead to the Tendency to Repeat Action #1 Yet Again |
|
Tainted Feeling #3 of Some Level of Happiness |
|
Tendency to Repeat Action #4, Which Will Lead to Feeling Like Repeating Action #4 |
| Karmic Aftermath #1C | Experiencing the Ripening of Karmic Aftermath #4 as | |
|---|---|---|
| Karmic Tendency to Repeat Action #1 Yet Again | Feeling Like Repeating Action #4 |
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