Karma can be divided into two types based on the time scale in which you will experience the karmic retribution: “Fu-Jogo” and “Jogo.” Fu-Jogo means that the time is not fixed, and no one knows when the bad or good harvest will arise. Jogo means the time you will experience the result is fixed. There are also three types of Jogo, which differ by how soon you will meet the results of your karma: present order, extended order and later order.

People understand that the nature of karma is that it is the result of our own previous wrongdoings which we made in a previous life (we just don’t remember), of the present life, and we must reap what we have sown by ourselves. However, if you cannot completely atone for the harvest of bad karma during your life, it will be transferred to your children or grandchildren just like an inheritance. This shows that our bad karma is not always only caused by us. Therefore, since olden times people have feared karma, prayed to the Buddha and examined their own behavior carefully.
It is especially important that we should know that by making good karma we are able to extinguish bad karma. Therefore, karma is not fatalism, but is an improvable problem.

[O]ur bad karma has a big influence on our lives. Once we have created bad karma, we have to reap the undesirable harvest that will inevitably arise as a result until the bad karma runs out. Examples of this harvest may be long periods of illness, accidents, family feuds, trouble with children, health, business, human relationships, etc. Karma influences our whole life and shapes the stream of our lives with good and/or bad fortune.

When human beings are born, they shoulder the karma they have created in previous lives, and live their lives under the influence of that karma. Karma is a fundamental teaching of Buddhism, as is the cycle of rebirth. Essentially, karma means action, effect and the activity of being reborn. Put simply, there are two types of karma: good and bad. Bad karma is called “Zaisho.” Most of the time, when people mention karma, they are usually referring to bad karma or Zaisho.

At last, we have been able to meet the Lotus Sutra in this world. We who believe in it no longer need to worry about the worlds after death. We will be able to advance to the Buddha World by consistently chanting the Odaimoku. We can live following the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, which is the Bodhisattva way – to live for other people, helping and supporting people who are suffering, making them feel as at ease as possible. It is not necessarily just supporting people, but spirits also. Please come to the Temple to observe the O-Bon Segaki Service, which is a traditional Buddhist ceremony to save suffering spirits. With these merits, we can give peace to our ancestors and obtain merits in our life, extinguish misfortune and curses, and extend our lives to obtain good fortune.

After death, there are six worlds which we can be reborn in: Hell, Gaki, Chikusho (Animal), Ashura, Human and Heaven, and there is one world in which you can no longer reincarnate – that is, the Buddha World. There are seven worlds to go to after death. Which you choose depends on your life and the level of enlightenment you attained when you were alive. We may advance to the Buddha World, which is the true peaceful place, through our repeated reincarnations. The last teaching to advance to the Buddha World is the Lotus Sutra, which we now believe in. From olden times, the Lotus Sutra has been described as the most difficult teaching to meet and understand, because even to see the Lotus Sutra requires immeasurable years of accumulating merits across many lifetimes.

What is Hell? There are eight major levels of Hell which people can go to, depending on how unenlightened they were when they were alive. …

1. Tokatsu Hell is for prisoners who abused husbands, wives, children and animals.
2. Kuronawa Hell is for prisoners who killed living beings, were thieves or committed suicide.
3. Shugo Hell is for prisoners who had love affairs or who committed acts of carnal desire.
4. Kyokan Hell is for prisoners who killed living beings, told lies, drank alcohol, or made someone drunk and caused them to commit a crime.
5. Dai-Kyokan Hell is for prisoners who told lies, and those who drove or lead someone to commit a crime.
6. Shonetsu Hell is for prisoners who had evil ideas, tempted someone to commit a crime, and wished to be reborn in Heaven through suicide-death.
7. Dai-Shonetsu Hell is for prisoners who killed living things, committed evil sexual acts, drank alcohol, told lies, or wounded a Buddhist.
8. Mugen Hell is for prisoners who killed living beings in the order of a grave karma killing their mother, father, a minister and/or wounding the Buddha. This Hell is also for people who ruined a Buddhist temple and the Sangha, and denied the teaching of Buddhism.

All Buddhist events, ceremonies and services are included in the Buddha’s heart. The Buddha says in the Lotus Sutra, “How shall I cause all living beings to enter into the unsurpassed way?” Although we may not know the meaning of Buddhist events in detail, they work very well for our lives. It is just like medicine. though the patient does not know the ingredients, as soon as the medicine is taken, it works to cure them. Therefore, if you hold a Buddhist ceremony or service as often as you can, your family and relatives will be able to maintain a good relationship for a long time. Any good relationship cannot last without effort. In other words, an effort to pray for deceased family members and ancestors works to knit our relationships firmly and peacefully.

Nichiren Shonin’s powerful motive to give relief to the people of Japan came from a simple and pure heart. “I would like to save suffering people and make the country peaceful.” This may seem like a simple and common wish – one which everyone has. The major difference is, Nichiren Shonin’s compassion was not common. In those days, the country was full of suffering people. The Shogunate did not have any effective policy for the relief of people’s suffering. Also, the Buddhism at that time taught people about, and particularly emphasized, happiness after death and did not encourage people with regard to their present real lives. Nichiren Shonin had questions about such Buddhism, and sought to find the true answer in Buddhism. In fact, most of his congregation were poor people and low-class samurai. This shows his purpose as giving relief to suffering people well. In order to achieve this, the Lotus Sutra, which had never been taught to ordinary people before, was awoken by Nichiren Shonin.

These are Nichiren Shonin’s words:

“In this fleeting life, you cling to temporary pleasures day and night and do not care about the reverence of the Buddha, the teachings, or praying for your parents or ancestors. You spend every day uselessly in routine work without any inspiration. After death, how are you going to justify your life before Enma, the King of Hell? How are you going to get to the peaceful Buddha world while crossing the deep seas of suffering?”

One famous old doctor said, “After death, we human beings have to appear before Enma-san! When we die, we are shown into Enma’s court, and balance-scales are placed before us. ‘Place all the things that you have received from others when you were alive on one side and the things you gave to others on the other side.’ If the items received are heavier than the given, Enma-san will say, ‘You have taken advantage of people’s kindness without giving to others. You have to go to Hell.’ If your giving was more than what you received, Enma-san will inform you that you may enter into the other better worlds, or the peaceful Buddha world.” The doctor described Enma’s court like this. “I don’t think I have given enough. I would like to work harder so that medical treatments will be more helpful for others.”

That doctor saved many lives and was always improving medical treatments, but he said, “It is still not enough.” Such words have never come from a selfish or arrogant mind. Being fearful of Enma-san disciplines our selfish and arrogant mind, making it humble and compassionate. In other words, Enma-san awakens our Buddha-nature. He is like a mental trainer for savage, greedy human beings.