STUDENT:

Where does the karmic force reside?

SHIH-FU:

In the teaching of the Yogacara school, the eighth consciousness (alaya consciousness) is known as the storehouse consciousness. It stores the consequences of our actions. Karmic force resides there. Mahayana Buddhism describes the eighth consciousness as containing the seeds of all our karma, but we should not think of these seeds as separate units of karmic force. The eighth consciousness is not comparable to a computer memory disk, where data increases or decreases. The eighth consciousness does not become larger or smaller as individuals create karma and experience consequences. Although it consists of many different karmic seeds, the eighth consciousness is one, ever-changing karmic force.

STUDENT:

If a bomb falls on this city, it cannot be my personal retribution. What about collective karma?

SHIH-FU:

Collective karma exists. If a bomb were to fall on this city and we all suffered, we should understand it like this: All of us, at different times and in different places, created similar karma, and at this time the karma for all of us ripened simultaneously for such a consequence to take place. We do not share the karma of other people. Every person suffers the consequence of his or her own actions. However, one consequence may take care of many people's karma.

STUDENT: