Throwing karma

[Ratna Shugden]

Does throwing karma determine one's lifespan?
If it does, can one increase or decrease one's lifespan after that?

[MoMo]

Does throwing karma determine one's lifespan?

By not taking the ripening karma into consideration. We could analyze it with conditions we are well familiar with (desire- form realm) as such:
The cause and condition that sustains one current life come to an end.
One had to take rebirth, there’re only two way to go upper or lower realms.
Assuming that your negative karma catches with you and you had taken the rebirth as a common housefly, your life span will only be approximately about 30 days.
 If your next rebirth is of a fortunate one, you took rebirth as a human. At the era of degeneration human life span are assumed to be 100 year.
From the about there’re stark contrast in length of one live span! From 30 days to 100 years.

If it does, can one increase or decrease one's lifespan after that?

There really nothing much we can do about to lengthen our life in with whatever form we took rebirth in. It already pre-determine by the form aggregate of that particular form. There’re only many causes that can shorten it as oppose to causes that lengthen.
Take the example of house-fly to live a maximum life span of 30 days. All one need to do is gorge on any food one chance upon, stay alert and avoids any predator such as birth, lizard and spider.
As for human rebirth, apart from fundamental needs of living an modern human life such as food, shelter, taking care of our environment, medicine and ..etc. we can also performs many virtuous  deeds that serve as a direct causes to “lengthen” our life such as liberating of life, changing our diet in avoiding harm of others life form…

[Ratna Shugden]

Thank you.
(I wish that they create a 'Thank You' button for posts.)

[RedLantern]

This life is termed a precious human birth. Karma is very critical in Buddhist thought and practice. Negative karma leads to negative rebirth and positive karma to positive rebirth. In order to secure a higher rebirth in our next rebirth we need to practice positive actions in this life. There are two types of karma: throwing karma and completion karma. Which realm one is born in is determined by throwing karma. But although we are all reborn as human, we have different qualities. This is the result of completion karma.

[eyesoftara]

I agree with Momo that on the macro perspective that if one is born as a fly or as human the Maximum life span if a fixed range and to add the conditions possible are also fixed. For example a fly cannot enjoy sleep on a bed every night and a human cannot fly like a fly. The throwing karma of a human is generically categorised as a human rebirth but there are huge difference is the conditions between each and every humans.

Basic to that according to the Lamrim are the 18 opportune conditions to be able to practice the Dharma. Even lacking 1 of these 18 conditions will not allow us to practice the Dharma.

Based on this, the questions whether one can increase the lifespan within the human life. No we cannot say live to 200 but certainly we can live to 80 or 100 and not die at young. We can for example live a healthy life, have a checkup every year, be aware of our environment to avoid accidents, do not take a profession that is dangerous. In Buddhism it is known that if one practices the long live deities like White Tara, Amitayus and Namghayma one can extend one life.