Collective Karma
by Roshi Hogen Berman

(Although I, Hogen, am preparing this paper, the true credit for the inspiration and basic content is attributed to the late Francis Story (The Anagarika Sugatasananda).

From time to time the question of whether there is "collective Karma" or not, keeps coming up. The question that arises is: "Is it possible for groups of people, whole nations or generations, to share the same Karma?"

"Or is Karma a strictly individual and personal thing?"

Although I make this presentation and discuss some of the factors influencing this idea one way or another, it is the responsibility of each individual to ponder and contemplate this concept and find the solution for themselves.

Often in our studies of the Buddha's Dharma, the Sutras, and the commentaries by the patriarchs and enlightened teachers, we had heard or read that none can suffer from the Karma of another, nor profit by the Karma of another. In the Majjhima Nikaya, 135, it states:

"Owners of their Karma are the beings, heirs of their Karma, their Karma is the womb from which they are born, their karma is their friend, their refuge. Whatever Karma they perform, good or bad, thereof they will be the heirs."

But, you say, it may happen that large groups of people, through being guilty of the same misdeeds, for instance racial persecutions, mass killings, torture, etc., come to make almost identical karmas. On the basis of this observation the question arises, "Can this be called collective Karma?"

Yes, it would appear that it can in one sense; yet we must understand that the use of the term is deceptive. What we are then calling "collective Karmas" is made up of many individual Karmas, each of which must and will have its "individual fruition". No man necessarily shares the Karma of others of his national or other group relationship simply by being one of that group. Each individual is responsible only for his own particular share of the deeds and the reasons for which he carried out the deeds. If he does not share the same reasons with others, his own karma will be quite different.

Perhaps one of the reasons we have difficulty with understanding Karma is the use of the term, "The Law of Karma." We begin to think of it as a universal law, such as the law of cause and effect. It can be defined that way, if one is aware that some causes are created unconsciously by the actor and although they create an effect, they are not karmic in nature. This is where the confusion arises, we try to give the Law of Karma the same attributes as the Law of Cause and Effect, and that is really not the case. The term Karma (Skt) or Kamma (Pali), simply means "action", action driven by one's volition. If there is no volition involved but still action, the deed is not karmic in nature. Does it create an effect, yes indeed, the law of cause and effect tells us it does and we are intelligent enough to recognize that truth. The effect of a karmic deed is called Vipaka --- this is not the name of the effect of all actions, vipaka is only what we call the effect of Karmas. Westerners usually give Karma some sort of mystical connotation that it doesn't really deserve by using the term incorrectly. They might say with a deep sigh, "It is my Karma that events turned out so bad." They should be saying, "It is my vipaka." At least then they might recognize that what is happening at this moment is simply an effect of their own personal deeds. As their vipaka is now, it was programmed by their karmas sometime in the past.

In the Anguttara Nikaya 6;63 the following is attributed to the Buddha:

"Cetan ,* O Bhikkhus, is what I call action; for through volition one performs actions of body, speech and mind." *CETAN - (Pali): Volition; the exercise of will to create an action. Of course the question will always arise, "To what extent can one person dominate and direct the volition of another?"

Unfortunately, sometimes to a very dangerous extent; but only if the one being dominated surrenders their will to the external influence. Then we have to recognize that that in itself is an act of volition, a karma, a voluntary submission to another person's will. People of today must protect themselves against political and spiritual quacks that roam the earth because we are often inclined to surrender our will to them. And they are not always easy to identify.

In addition to the preceding, there is now the problem of intense indoctrination, which became popular during World War II and was carried to its highest form during the Korean conflict. We have been witness to whole nations behaving under a compulsion imposed upon them from without. We have been witness to the development of techniques for manufacturing incredible atrocities using what might be termed mass mind impressions and mass hysteria. These may take the form of propaganda, brain washing, mass suggestion, etc. There is no question that these are all features or effects of these supposedly new techniques. The question is, can they produce something we can classify as collective Karmas and vipaka?

I believe that they cannot produce a thing called collective Karmas or Vipakas. They can certainly produce individual karmas and Vipakas that are practically identical, but they will remain personal and individual regardless of how they are instigated. No matter what influences a person is subjected to, his or her reaction to them, his karma and its vipaka remain his or her own.

Suppose a man is forced by torture or threat of death to participate in some atrocities? I think we have to assume that it must be his past karmas that have placed him in this set of circumstances. It is his ripening karmas and the resulting vipaka finally producing their fruit. Still he has some alternatives, he can submit and for the sake of saving his life continue to make more unwholesome karma or he can refuse and let his enemies do what they like. His refusal to participate in unwholesome deeds even under the threat of violence on his person will be positive karma and he will have begun to travel the path towards moral purity. Whichever decision he chooses to make it will be his decision and the Karma, Kusala or Akusala, will be his own.

We should remember that there are different kinds of causes and different kinds of effects. Karma is one kind of cause and vipaka is it corresponding effect. We must spend some individual effort to distinguish between the various other possible causes and effects and try to envision their impact on our lives as we go forth in the relative external Samsara world.

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