the Godfather

Retreat participant My son is thinking about opening a gun shop. I’m wondering if you could comment as to whether this would create negative karma for him? From my take on the owl precepts, I don’t think so.

Lamas You are correct. Karma concerns intention. If your son hopes that people will kill or wound others with the guns he sells, then it would create negative karma. If he hopes his guns will not be used for that purpose – if not, it will not. It would be the same if your son were to consider opening a kitchenware shop. If your son hoped that people will kill or wound others with the kitchen knives he sold, then it would create negative karma. If he did not have that intention it would not. Likewise with a sporting good store and the baseball bats he stocked. Likewise with a hardware store vis-à-vis chainsaws, axes, chisels, power screwdrivers – why even a pen thrust directly into the eye can be a lethal weapon. We observed that fact when we saw the third Godfather movie.

This is the difference between the Buddhist understanding of karma and the Hindu understanding of karma. Although the Ulukhamukha Upadesha Dakini Sutra [the Aro gTér Song of the Owl-Headed Dakini] is a Dzogchen teaching – its understanding of karma is primary to all Buddhism. It is sad fact that Buddhism is not well understood by many Buddhists. The Buddhist academics are actually worth reading on this subject – as they point this out in their description of Buddhism as a religion in relation to Hinduism. It is clear from all the texts that the Buddhist presentation of karma concerns intention rather than action.