Minding only to Do Good

Yutang Lin

Causes and consequences are indeed too mixed up for us to fathom.
Not being able to judge fairly, one shouldn't become self-righteous.
Despite others' accumulating bad karmas as deep as the great ocean.
We strive toward cultivating Bodhicitta by planting good deeds only.

Comments:

Sentient beings' past karmas are very complicated; therefore it is difficult to fathom the causes and conditions leading to their karmic consequences. It is beyond us to judge the right or wrong of others' activities; therefore it is imprudent to criticize others out of self-righteousness. Whenever we see or hear about others' suffering and difficulty we should heed only to pray for their well-being. Only in this way could we develop the Bodhicitta that transcends antagonism. As to how much bad karma others have committed and how they will receive the consequences of such karmas, it is regulated by the law of causes and consequences, without any need of our extraneous concerns.

Written in Chinese and translated on March 28, 2001
El Cerrito, California

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