The Bodhisattva Precepts alert us to what we should or should not do. We should not break precepts, but if we do, what is done is done. We should then repent and continue with our practice. Nevertheless, we are still responsible for the karmic consequences.

Precepts in Buddhism should not be thought of as commandments that are either kept or broken. You should think of precepts more as clear bodies of water. If you break a precept, then you pollute the waters. The precept is still there, but it is not pure anymore. By repenting and vowing to try harder, you help to purify the precept once again.

STUDENT:

Can thoughts alone cause harm to others?

SHIH-FU:

If you think bad thoughts about someone all the time, day after day, the cumulative effects of those thoughts can grow very strong. Eventually you may be lead to say or do something that will harm that person. If you have bad thoughts about someone for a day, it is doubtful that something bad will immediately happen to that person.

On the other hand, there are people who cultivate mind power and use methods with which to harm someone directly with their thoughts. This is extremely rare and not relevant to what we are talking about. For most of us, thoughts remain within the mental realm. You must speak or act in order for things to happen.

STUDENT:

Good thoughts generate good karma, but what if the intention behind having good thoughts is to get good karma?