Are You A Karmic Creditor Or Debtor? 您是冤亲债主还是债人？ The Daily Enlightenment Buddhist Inspirations (since 1997)

In the long course of rebirth,
we are indebted to many
just as many are indebted to us.

— Shilashanti (Part 1)

Some say [1] children are either here
to repay their parents’ (karmic) debts (还债) of kindness (报恩),
or [2] to claim (karmic) debts (讨债) from them,
getting revenge (报仇) as karmic creditors (冤亲债主),
but the possibilities are more than those.

It is possible for [3] a child
to repay the kindness of one parent,
while [4] claiming debts from the other parent,
with all these done ‘naturally’,
without memory of their past lives.

It is possible for [5] the child
to switch from repaying kindness
to getting revenge, and [6] vice versa,
when character changes in the present life,
due to new experiences and choices.

It is possible [7] for the parents
to repay the kindness of the child.
or [8] to claim debts from the child as karmic creditors,
but the possibilities are more than those,
with all kinds of combinations.

It is possible [9] for one parent
to repay the kindness of the child,
while [10] the other claims debts,
with all these done ‘naturally’,
without memory of their past lives.

It is possible [11] for the parents
to switch from repaying kindness
to getting revenge, and [12] vice versa,
when character changes in the present life,
due to new experiences and choices.

The truth is,
most relationships are dynamic and mixed in nature
because the fruition of past karma (过去业)
and creation of present karma (现在业) are dynamic and mixed,
with all having mixed habitual tendencies that can change,
while Buddha-nature (佛性) remains unchanging.

As we are all one another’s karmic creditors and debtors,
switching roles as karma ripens and is created,
with us being the suffering ones and the ‘insufferable’ ones,
may we not add fuel to the fire of hatred to keep it raging,
and may we add the ambrosia of compassion to put it out.

The more we label anyone
to be as if condemned forever to be evil,
the more will we deepen enmity,
forgetting that relationships can change
beginning with one party’s sincere change — us.