瑜伽論記 3.42

3.42

Regarding ‘karma of fixed experience’ and ‘karma of indeterminate [experience]’: the Tripiṭaka Master explains: ‘In karma of fixed experience, both the time and the retribution are fixed; indeterminate karma is the opposite of this.’ Ji further explains: ‘The aforementioned purposeful karma will definitely bring about maturation; the aforementioned non-purposeful karma will indeterminately bring about maturation.’ The Abhidharma[samuccaya] states: ‘Regarding karma of fixed experience, fixedness has three kinds: 1. fixedness of action: through the power of past karma, one induces a determined body; in this lifetime, one must create this karma within a fixed time limit and will never transgress it, such that even the spiritual power of Buddhas cannot prevent it; 2. fixedness of experiencing maturation: precisely the karma of fixed experience mentioned here, whose fruition will definitely be experienced, though the time is not yet fixed; 3. fixedness of stage: karma fixed in stage as experienced in the present life, the next life, or subsequent lives.’ What is revealed in meaning here is that if karma is subsumed under a path of action, it is called fixed; preparatory and subsequent karmas can be either fixed or indeterminate. If not yet regretted and not yet liberated, it is called fixed karma; if already regretted and already liberated, it is called indeterminate karma. When it says here “performed and accumulated”, “performed” means creating active karma, and “accumulated” means augmenting seeds.