[A]ll actions, good and bad, are stored within human beings as latent energy influencing all subsequent conduct and attitudes. Not the slightest action is lost. Whether or not others see, whether or not the gods observe, whether or not the perpetrator is fully aware, every act remains as a phase of experience. And the accumulation of past experience shows in conduct and countenance. When continually committed, wickedness becomes a habit, evident in a gruff or insolent tone of voice, a shifty eye, a cruel look, and a scornful attitude that incurs dislike and distrust. Conversely, a person who repeatedly does and thinks good acquires a pleasant voice quality and an air of benignity that inspire admiration and affection. In other words, good or bad, ordinary habits become an unconscious part of an individual’s being, apparent to all. No more eloquent testimony for the cumulative effect of experience could be furnished.
Basic Buddhist Concepts