If karmic retribution were immediate, how would humanity react? What would the world become?
🪷 In the "Saṃyutta Nikāya," Volume 31 (SA 791), it states: "The World-Honored One said to the monks: If one sees the rapid fruition of karma, no sentient being would dare to commit unwholesome deeds."
The Buddha told the monks: If the results of all unwholesome deeds ripen immediately, no sentient being would dare to engage in such actions.
👉 This passage directly points out that if karma were instant, humanity would be completely constrained by "fear," and would not dare to give rise to unwholesome thoughts and actions driven by greed, hatred, and delusion. The world would superficially appear to be "law-abiding," but this adherence would stem from fear rather than genuine self-awareness.
🪷 In the "Majjhima Nikāya," Volume 17 (MA 83), it states: "Karma has three times: immediate results, results in the next life, and later results."
Karma matures at three different times: immediate results (in this life), results in the next life, and results much later.
👉 The Buddha emphasizes that there is a time difference in the maturation of cause and effect. If all results were immediate, the significance of "karmic education" would be completely lost, as sentient beings would only do good out of fear of immediate punishment, rather than from compassion and wisdom.
🪷 In the "Mahāyāna Sūtra on the Six Perfections," Volume 2, it states: "If one knows that the results of karma are not false, one should diligently cultivate wholesome deeds, not merely out of fear of retribution, but should generate compassion."
One should strive to do good because they understand the reality of karmic results, not out of fear of retribution, but from a compassionate heart aimed at benefiting sentient beings.
👉 Immediate karmic retribution would lead people to focus solely on "immediately avoiding pain" for self-protection, making it difficult to truly cultivate compassion. The essence of true practice is not to "fear the bad results," but to "willingly plant good causes."
🌎 If all karmic results were immediate, what would humanity and the world become?
✅ On the surface, humanity would appear "law-abiding," as all unwholesome thoughts would immediately bring suffering;
✅ However, behind such behavior, there would be no conscience or spontaneous goodwill, only fear of being "struck down" by immediate consequences;
✅ The world would fall into an atmosphere of mutual "intimidation," as people would constantly try to force others to make mistakes and suffer immediate retribution;
✅ Spiritual practice would also degrade into a "transactional mindset": I do good to receive immediate rewards, rather than out of a genuine intention to benefit others;
✅ Without the time gap between cause and effect, there would be no "space for repentance," and many beings would remain in despair, as a single evil thought would lead to immediate suffering, leaving no time for self-correction.
✅ Buddhist teachings reveal:
As stated in the "Aṅguttara Nikāya," karma has "immediate results, results in the next life, and later results," which gives us opportunities for reflection and repentance, and fosters compassion, patience, and wisdom. If karmic results were always immediate, the world might appear orderly, but it would lose the genuine space for learning and self-purification.