Be afraid to break even just one precept. In fact, be very afraid. For if you seem to get away, you might break it again, easier and easier, in worse and worse ways. Before you know it, each and every other precept might be broken too. From the Dhammapada, as translated by Acharya Buddharakkhita, ‘[Verse 116] Hasten to do good; restrain your mind from evil. He who is slow in doing good, his mind delights in evil.’
Once with a criminal record, it is understandably harder to be trusted by others, and even oneself. There will be need to prove first to yourself, that you are worthy of trust again. There must be deep conviction (pardon the pun), to never ever do that criminal again. From the Dhammapada on such resolution, ‘[117] Should a person commit evil, let him not do it again and again. Let him not find pleasure therein, for painful is the accumulation of evil. [118] Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good.’
What are the repercussions of doing more and more evil? With the seeds of evil planted, when conditions are eventually present, the karmic fruits of suffering will be reaped. As the Dhammapada taught, ‘[119] It may be well with the evil-doer as long as the evil ripens not. But when it does ripen, then the evil-doer sees (the painful results of) his evil deeds. [120] It may be ill with the doer of good as long as the good ripens not. But when it does ripen, then the doer of good sees (the pleasant results of) his good deeds.’
With more evils done, they will generally bear their bitter fruits sooner than later, correspondingly. The lack of mindful repentance will allow unchecked evils to accumulate much more quickly than expected. All evils start small, almost inconspicuously, until they grow to be too horrendous to hide. According to the Dhammapada, ‘[121] Think not lightly of evil, saying, “It will not come to me.” Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the fool, gathering it little by little, fills himself with evil. [122] Think not lightly of good, saying, “It will not come to me.” Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.’
When we see ‘cool’ criminals in the movies, a part of us might want to see them get their cool escapes. Yet, another part of us want appropriate consequences. Such unsettling tension perhaps reflects our own moral dilemmas. Do we want karmic payback or karma-less payoff? The truth, is however ‘slick’ the crimes committed, most crimes are not without innocent victims. We should not feel glee and gladness for criminal escapades. What we should look forward to instead, is that the criminals make amends in time, in ways cooler than how they did their crimes!
