Every action has a result. Whether our actions cause joy and happiness or pain and suffering to others, we accumulate ties commonly known as karma. Our present actions and intentions sow future karmic seeds of happiness and suffering.

Each person has two main sources of karma, their root nature, and their self nature.

Our root nature is the accumulated effect of actions from our past lives combined with those of our ancestors. Root nature is like the root of a family tree, where our ancestors' merits and karmas are passed down to us. This combines with our own personal past karma to create our current situation in life.

Our self nature can be described as the accumulation of actions and intentions of our present life, now.

Many people believe that root nature cannot be changed, and we should try our best to bear our suffering while striving to accumulate merit and plant good karmic seeds for the future.

Dharma practitioners, taking refuge in Guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, can repent, receive a reprieve and protection from current illness, suffering, and disasters. Through the practice of esoteric dharma, they purify their karma and learn to accumulate merit by doing service for others.