金剛經纂要刊定記 2.37

2.37

Generally speaking, karma is of three kinds: wholesome, unwholesome, and immovable. Experiencing [its retribution] occurs in three periods: present, next, and subsequent [lifetimes]. If one creates wholesome or unwholesome [karma] in this life and experiences suffering or pleasure in this life, it is called karma with retribution experienced in the present life. If one creates wholesome or unwholesome [karma] in this life and only experiences it in the next life, it is called karma with retribution experienced in the next life. If one creates wholesome or unwholesome [karma] in this life and only experiences it from the third life onward up to hundreds of thousands of lives, it is called karma with retribution experienced in subsequent lives. Nowadays, there are people who create wholesome or unwholesome karma and, seeing no retribution immediately before their eyes, doubt that cause and effect exist; this is entirely because they do not understand these three periods of retribution. Thus the Fo ming jing says: "Those who practice good meet with frustration at every turn, while those who practice evil find everything going their way, causing foolish people in the world to claim that good and evil are indistinguishable. In my sūtras I teach that there are three kinds of retribution," as recounted above.