All Things But None

Where is justice in nature when only the fittest survive? Where is justice in society when the wealthiest and the most powerful have all the advantages? In this world, it seems natural for the strongest to exert undue power over the weakest. It is no surprise that the rich oppress the poor, the smart ridicule the dumb, the old bully the young, and the healthy insult the disabled. Where do we find justice in all of this?

Nowadays, it seems like our lives are full of confusion and contradictions. There is no longer a sharp contrast between black and white, or right and wrong. Instead, there are gray areas where there is no definite or absolute definition of rightness or fairness. So many judgments are passed on the basis of appearance or family background. If a person comes from a good family, his or her stock immediately rises; if a person comes from the ghetto, his or her stock immediately falls. Since we see the world through an hourglass, where do we expect to find justice?

The situation is even worse in politics, where every decision is based on personal interests or needs. It is common practice for politicians to forego public welfare in the interest of big corporations. We do not need to look any further than a candidate’s campaign finances, of which most of the money is made up of funds from big companies and special interest groups. Therefore, a promise to the voters is just an empty promise, a ploy to gain election or re-election. When a promise goes unfulfilled, how many times have we seen elected officials making excuses, or placing the blame on others? Do we honestly think that there is justice in politics or government?

Where is justice when money and power and fame and fortune are deciding factors in society? Where is justice when the wealthy can push their way through everything, while the poor must suffer indignity? Where is justice when cheating is allowed and honesty is punished? Where is justice when selfishness is praised and lending a helping hand is ridiculed? Where is justice when the weak are bullied and the aggressors are feared? Where is justice in this world of inequality?

Someone once said, “Unreasonableness cannot win over reason, rationality cannot take precedence over law, legality cannot defeat power, and nothing is more superior than universal truth.” What is the universal truth that reigns over everything else? It is the law of karma, based on the principle of causation. No matter who or what you are in life, no one can escape karma or death, for the law of cause and effect applies equally to every living being. According to the Buddha’s teachings, karma or volitional activity bears fruit in accordance with weather one’s actions have been wholesome or not. It is a natural process, unsupervised and undisturbed by any supernatural power or force. By increasing our credit balance of good deeds, we alone have the ability to modify the course of karma.

Therefore, it is imperative that everyone understands how karma works, for true justice resides in karma. Neither money nor power can alter the course of karma; neither fame nor fortune can change the result of karma. A doer of bad deeds will always reap the fruit of retribution, while a doer of wholesome deeds will always reap the fruit of goodness. In the end, no one is exempt from the universal truth of karma and causation.

Text: Venerable Master Hsing Yun