Lama Marut

Sources:

Lam Rim Chenmo, by Je Tsongkapa (LRC)

Wheel of Knives, by Dharma Rakshita (WK)

Yoga Sutra, by Master Patanjali (YS)

Sutra of the Cause and Effects of Actions (SCE)

Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, by Master Shantideva (GBWL)

Tenrim Chenmo, by Geshe Drolungpa (TC)

Liberation in the Palm of Our Hands, by Pabongka Rinpoche (LPH)

String of Precious Jewels (Ratnavali), by Arya Nagarjuna (SPJ)

The Manusmriti (MS)

PHYSICAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

General Overview:

The principal karmic cause for all physical health issues (sickness, injury, physical weakness, handicaps, and short lifespan) is hurting or killing other living beings or not respecting life. “Killing” covers all forms of taking the life of a sentient being (plants are not regarded as having sentience), including killing animals of all sorts (great and small), murder, abortion, and suicide. Just supporting the killing others are engaged in (e.g., supporting a war) also results in you collecting the karma of killing.

Another major cause for harm to your own body is “sinful” or unethical actions in general (i.e., any action of body, speech, or mind done with the intention of harming others).

In some texts, it is also said that certain specific actions of spiritual neglect or misusing resources that have been dedicated to spiritual purposes may also result in health problems. Physical weakness can result from pride.

Rebirth:

The karmic effect of serious or frequent killing is rebirth in a hell realm; killing done to a “medium” extent may result in birth in the realm of the craving spirits or pretas; and killing done to a “small” extent is a cause for rebirth as an animal. (LRC) The TC gives killing in general as the cause for rebirth as an animal. According to the GBWL, certain kinds of killing (including hunting and fishing, as well as killing one’s parents) results in a rebirth in the lowest hell called “No Respite” (avici).

Specific Rreferences:

Frequent illness comes from doing harm to the bodies of others (WK)

Injury to yourself comes from inflicting pain on others (GBWL)

Serious health problems such as “pneumonia, fevers of death, cancer, or water filling your limbs” are the result of misusing resources that have been dedicated to spiritual purposes (WK)

Physical pain derives from unethical actions (GBWL)

Migrane headaches are from not keeping spiritual promises and pledges (e.g., breaking vows) (WK).

Short life span, easily getting sick, having little physical energy are all the results of killing (LRC).

Physical weakness can come from pride (GBWL).

SCE gives some specifics: One who is stingy in sharing fire and light is born sickly. Night blindness comes from always finding fault with others. Being born dumb comes from slandering the religious teachings, whereas deafness derives from not wanting to hear religious teachings. Someone who sees their teacher and does not rise out of respect is born paralyzed; turning one’s back on the image of a Buddha in a temple results in being born hunch-backed. Heart pains are due to having annoyed others. Someone born missing an organ is paying the karmic cost of breaking one’s religious vows. A goiter on the neck is from eating alone. One who castrates animals is born with an incomplete sexual organ.

Another list of specific health problems comes from the MS: Someone who kills a priest is born with consumption. Diseased skin comes from sleeping with your religious teacher’s wife. A slanderer has a putrid nose; an informer, a putrid mouth. Someone who steals grain is born missing some part of his body, while an adulterator of grain has a superfluity of parts of his body. A thief of food has indigestion; a “thief of words” is a mute; a man who steals clothing has white leprosy; and a horse-thief is lame. A man who steals lights becomes blind, and a man who extinguishes lights, one-eyed. A sadist is always sick, while an adulterer is rheumatic.

Corrections and Antidotes

All forms of health and longevity come especially from respecting and caring for the lives of others, and also from not using for yourself what has been given for religious purposes and keeping your spiritual promises and pledges (WK). According to the GBWL, patience is a cause for health and long life. That same text also says that physical well-being comes from abandoning “evil-doing” or harming others in any way.

In the YS it is said that the karma of never harming other living beings is that “in your presence all conflict comes to an end” and the result of avoiding sexual misconduct (esp. adultery; avoidance of sexual misconduct in its highest form is celibacy) is physical energy and strength.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

General Overview:

The karmic cause for ugliness (which is, of course, perceptual, relative, and subjective – so this would include all ideas of being overweight, or any kind of dissatisfaction with one’s body such as feeling one has too large of a nose, too small breasts, etc.) is almost always often identified as anger. Alternatively, the cause is making holy images improperly or carelessly or pride.

Rebirth:

Specific References:

The karmic cause for physical ugliness is anger (WK, GBWL, SCE, etc.) or making holy images improperly or carelessly (WK). One text says not looking good can come from pride (GBWL).

Specifics regarding personal appearance are given in several texts. According to the SCE, being tall comes from paying honor and respect, while being short-legged is the result of contempt. The person who “hinders the bright splendor of the Buddha” is born black* and thin. Someone who likes to gnaw bones is born gap-toothed, while obstructed nostrils derive from making bad-smelling perfume as a gift to the Buddha. Someone who kills fish is born hare-lipped, one who plucks pigs’ bristles is born with greenish hair, while one who pierces ears is born with deformed ears. One who touches the image of the Buddha with his garment is born red*, while one who puts an image of the Buddha a smoky place is born black*. Someone who sees the Buddha but does not pay homage, merely tapping his forehead from afar, is born with a dent in his forehead. A person who sees his spiritual teacher or parents and lowers and turns away his head is born with a short neck, whereas one who abuses his superiors has a short tongue. The person who has no eyebrows has been irreligious and unjustly taken another’s wealth.

[* These are almost certainly not racial terms -- and definitely not in the modern sense of those of African heritage being "black" and Native Americans being "red" -- but rather in all probability refer to some sort of specific skin disease that was interpreted as having the skin go "black" or "red."]

According to MS, someone who steals gold has mangled fingernails, and a man who drinks liquor has discolored teeth.

Corrections and Antidotes

Beauty (in all its forms, including, for example, achieving weight loss for those who perceive themselves overweight) comes from patience (GBWL, SCE, SPJ, WK etc.). According to the GBWL, patience results in both beauty and charisma.

MENTAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

General Overview:

In general it may be said that all mental and psychological problems derive from past actions which involve being unhappy about others’ happiness, taking pleasure in others’ suffering, or not taking yourself and your own words and actions seriously. Upsetting others in general is given in one text as the karmic cause of all kinds of mental suffering; in another, the general cause for all negative mental states of is mistaken worldviews.

Specific mental problems are sometimes mentioned. Depression or low self-esteem is caused from idle speech (i.e., not taking your words seriously comes back as the perception that you are not worth taking seriously); or from encouraging others to do bad deeds (your lack of caring about the welfare of others results in you not caring enough about yourself); or from pride and arrogance. A personality dominated by anger comes from ill will towards others; a personality dominated by insatiability is the result of craving or coveting what others’ have (this, it would seem, is the karmic cause of addictions of all sorts); and stupidity or a low I.Q. as well as self-destructive tendencies (e.g., masochism) are the results of wrong worldview. Anxiety and worry are said to spring from irreligious or blasphemous attitudes.

Rebirth:

One of the karmic effects of an action is that one habituates oneself to that action. There is a tendency to do the misdeed again. In the case of the causes that bring mental and psychological problems, if such causes are left uncorrected or are reinforced they will result in specific types of mental and personality traits and predilections in one’s future live, such as the predisposition to depression, anxiety, addiction, etc.

Specific References:

The cause of feeling that no one respects what you say or thinks it has any value, as well as the lack of self-confidence and other self-esteem issues, is idle speech (inclusive of meaningless chatter, criticism, bickering, useless joking, whining and complaining, and , especially gossiping about others’ difficulties or problems; also refers to reciting prayers while not thinking about their meaning) (LRC).

Craving or coveting (being unhappy about the happiness or successes of others; desiring others’ possessions or personal qualities — their intelligence, health, fame, youth, spiritual achievements) is the cause of a personality dominated by desire and never being satisfied (LRC).

Ill-Will (being happy about the misfortunes of others or wishing bad things upon others) results in a personality dominated by anger (LRC).

Stupidity, a deceitful personality, and the tendency to be attracted to views that will harm you spring forth from wrong worldview (e.g., holding with certainty that there are no such things as karma and rebirth) (LRC).

From upsetting other people in the past comes different kinds of mental suffering (WK).

Encouraging other people to do bad deeds results in depression (WK).

Anxiety and worry is a result of irreligion and blasphemy (“doing wrong deeds against Angels and the secret teachings”) (WK).

Negative mental states are the cause of your peace of mind constantly disturbed by likes and dislikes (WK), or they are due to false conceptions and worldviews (GBWL).

Among other results, pride is said to result in a life where one is devoid of joy and happiness (GBWL).

Corrections and Antidotes

The best way in general to promote your own mental health and psychological well-being is to rejoice in the happiness and successes of others. Strictly avoid all forms of jealousy and envy. Also, be careful not to gossip or engage in other forms of idle speech, including not doing what you say you’re going to do. Perhaps one of the most effective ways to gain a healthy sense of self-esteem is to carry out the promises you make. Any kind of problem with addiction or dissatisfaction is countered by being satisfied with what you have, while problems with mental slowness or misunderstanding are corrected with right views (worldview begets worldview). Problems with anxiety and worry can be solved by religious faith.

Another general cause for mental well-being is wisdom, avoiding false conceptions about the nature of the world (GBWL).

The YS says that deep insights into your true nature come from “truth, purity, sweet thoughts, single-pointedness of mind, and mastery of one’s senses.” According to that same text, unsurpassed happiness comes from contentment, and embracing spiritual hardships destroys impurities and gives you mastery over mind and body.