Buddhist karma smack-down

Someone recently pointed out to me a certain sutra in the Pali Canon where the Buddha sets the record straight on karma and rebirth. The sutra is the Maha-kammavibhanga Sutta (MN 136). It’s rare to see the Buddha deal harshly with followers, but in this sutra two of his disciples, and another man who claims to have met the Buddha (which the Buddha denies) all assert that they know how karma and rebirth work. The Buddha states that all three are misguided because they’re basing their assumptions on incomplete information:

When this was said, the Blessed One told the venerable Ananda:

“I do not even know the wanderer [Potaliputta] by sight, Ananda. How could there have been such a conversation? The wanderer Potaliputta’s question ought to have been answered after analyzing it, but this misguided man Samiddhi [the Buddha's disciple] answered it without qualification.

And then:

Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ananda: “See, Ananda, how this misguided man Udayin interferes. I knew, Ananda, that this misguided man Udayin would unreasonably interfere now.

The sutra is kind of long and uses awkward language, but the translator, Ñanamoli Thera, summarizes the key points well:

1. People with only a partial knowledge of the Dharma often pass off information, thinking “this is so”. In other words, without carefully considering the matter, they jump the gun and assume they have all the information they need.
2. The workings of karma and rebirth are much more complicated than most people give credit. Assuming that good karma = good rebirth in the next life is a mistake. There are a huge web of factors to consider (other karma in the person’s life, other karma in their past lives, other random causes and conditions).

Long story short: Don’t assume you have all the facts.

Definitely take the time to read the whole sutra through: it’s a great explanation of what karma is and isn’t, and really helps to set the record straight. A lot of people, even expert Buddhists, make mistakes in their explanations, so it’s good to carefully weigh their teachings in light of what the Buddha taught as well.