The Buddha neither subscribed to what we might call in the West strict determinism which implies that every event has a previous cause; that all things are unchangeable and invariable (niyata) in their course; nor did he uphold the theory of complete causeless arising (adhicca-samuppanna) which in the West we call indeterminism (the universe is governed by blind chance).
Buddhism's position is between the strictly determined (niyata) and the undetermined (adhiccasamuppanna). For example, birth requires sperm, egg and the consciousness of a discarnate spirit called a gandhabba (M. i. 265). Only then can death follow which means there in an inevitability in this: we who are born will all die. With our death our consciousness is now laden with our volitional patterns (or karmic impressions) which will connect with a nama-rupa (the third nidana in the 12-Nidanas). We will experience some kind of birth again either, hopefully, as a god (deva) or a human, or maybe some kind of lower being.
Our present psychophysical body that we inhabit, we need to keep in mind, was previously willed out according to the Buddha. Our birth was not the result of blind chance—a roll of the cosmic dice. On the same track, we are willing our next state of being in which consciousness is being continually modified by our actions and desires. At this very moment we are capable of profound change or we can stick with the same old pattern of behavior.
If we are "willing", we are not awakened. That is why we'd have to stay in samsara.
Posted by: Bernd | March 31, 2015 at 09:55 AM
It is interesting to compare the concept of "karma" with the Augustinean concepts of "Grace" and "Original Sin" as well as with Schopenhauer's conditioned merely phenomenal world of which the substrate is the Will. The common conception here is that the world is completely both conditioned P."sankhata" and phenomenal. But Transcendence-Grace-Awakening is both possible and the only possibility of escape.
But how and by what is it effected ? Can the conditioned being by (conditioned) deeds (virtues, exercises,etc) accumulate merit, good works/karma, which lead eventually after eons of incarnations to Liberation, or is the essence of Liberation rather the instant annihilation of all karma and the very preconditions of karma that follows instantaneously from awakening from the illusion and dream of the phenomenal world ? - i.e. Grace not works or our personal merit saves and we are no longer under the Law (Karma). But then should we not like the Quietist and Dogen just sit and wait for Grace-Illumination-Emancipation to descend upon us? But surely it is essential to desire Liberation, to in a way understand Liberation, and to study and meditate on the Sutras/Scriptures/Masters - these things are (maybe like the Dharani) "sacraments" that are deeds yet transcendent deeds, they are the drum-beats of Dharma than annihilate (like the Vajra) all karma and conditioning of beings. If we are in a dream, it is not by continuing dreaming that we are going to wake up, but if in our dream we start to think about dreams and that such questions as "is life a dream ?" or "am I dreaming?" can be asked, then surely we are on the right path.
Posted by: Augustinus | March 30, 2015 at 12:58 PM