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ABHIDHAMMA IN DAILY LIFE - Abhidhamma.com

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infants. The absence of sufficient means makes room for wholesome kamma to take effect.<br />

Sufficient means includes knowledge, intelligence and right effort the <strong>com</strong>bination of which can<br />

rectify certain defects.<br />

In the case of unsuitable time one person cannot do much to alter the conditions. Only the rulers<br />

are capable of doing so. Nevertheless, except in the time of global turmoil, one can move to<br />

places where there are capable leaders. Local leaders such as the village headman, <strong>com</strong>munity<br />

leaders and abbots can make conditions improve in their localities to some extent. Now, we<br />

know that the three deficient conditions, physical feature, suitable time and deficient means can<br />

be improved and rectified to a certain extent.<br />

The easiest to rectify is deficient means. If you are lazy you can reform yourself to be<br />

industrious. If you are short-tempered, you can practice patience and be<strong>com</strong>e an affectionate<br />

person. If you are vainly proud, you can admonish yourself not to be so. If you lack knowledge<br />

and education, you can learn from the wise. In a short time you will accumulate knowledge and<br />

wisdom. Those who try to reform themselves, to rectify their faults will benefits not only in the<br />

present life but also in the countless existences to <strong>com</strong>e i.e. in samsara.<br />

7.13. Do Not Always Depend On Kamma<br />

Those who believe that past kamma deeds and their results solely determine the destiny of<br />

a being is a wrong belief. This is wrong because it professes that all good and bad effects<br />

experiences by all sentient beings are sole results of good and bad deeds done in the past<br />

existences.<br />

Therefore Buddhists who believe that past kamma actions alone determine the present life are<br />

wrong.. Keeping in mind the four sufficiency conditions and deficiency conditions, you can be<br />

positive that the results of good and bad kamma are pursuing you all the time.<br />

The right views are:<br />

• The effects of evil deeds can produce effects only when deficiency conditions prevail.<br />

And<br />

• The effects of past good deeds <strong>com</strong>e to you only when the sufficiency conditions prevail.<br />

Even if you have done bad deeds in the past they will not produce effects if you diligently<br />

cultivate sufficient means. If in this life, you strive to fulfill parami perfections such as Charity,<br />

Síla, etc., you will be reborn in a luxurious abode. If you keep on cultivating sufficient means in<br />

every existence, you will forever enjoy sufficiency condition. Then your bad kamma kusala will<br />

never get the chance to harm you until the attainment of Nibbána.<br />

Therefore do not worry about your past kamma deeds, which you cannot see or recollect. Try to<br />

be righteously prosperous in this life; reform yourself and develop sufficiency means to the<br />

highest levels so that you will soar higher in the cycle of rebirths.<br />

7.13.1 Reciprocal Effects<br />

Page 76 A Gift of Dhamma Maung Paw, California

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