| Article Index |
|---|
| Instructions at a Dharma Session |
| Karma |
| Mindfulness |
| Patience |
| Desire & Fear |
| Ego & Self |
| True Listening |
| Parents |
| Continuous Practice |
| All Pages |
Page 2 of 9
Part 1, Karma
Your structure of reality
Karma defined …
The word karma refers to our entire structure of thoughts, ideas, and emotions. At each and every moment in our lives, karma forms the basis of our judgment, interpretations, and intentions. It is constantly changing, transforming, and evolving based on the experiences with which our senses come in contact. Our intentions represent the karmic pattern of our past. It is an incredible, yet predictable, machine that governs our behavior next month, tomorrow, or even the very next moment. It is also culturally and biologically imprinted to a large degree. Each of us is not just some individual, but rather an individual that has been culturally imprinted by all the forces of our environment and past experiences.Its relevance to Buddhism …
Every moment of interpretation in our lives is based upon our past karmic conditions. These conditions are so fundamental in determining who we are that we will not even be able to imagine ourselves not judging, thinking, or acting while we experience each moment of life. In Buddhism, freedom refers to freedom from our past karmic conditions. Rather than simply be a slave to these karmic structures that govern our judgments, intentions, and actions, we can aim to gain some freedom from the immediacy of the machine called “me.” When we practice Buddhism, we are trying to burn out these past karmic structures and gain some freedom in the process.Its relevance to a Weeklong Retreat …
In a weeklong retreat, you are probably not going to be enlightened and get absolute freedom of mind. You will find that gaining even a slight bit of freedom is difficult when the self is coming back full blast at you. But when you push that you aside for say, five minutes, you gain five minutes of freedom from the karmic thrust of your past. You may even be able to understand the karma beyond what you are doing now into a future life. Most of us, though, are not there yet. What we are trying to do is to clean out our karma for the next year, not the next life.During a Guan Yin or Chan session, everyone will be in a state, albeit a different one. It is really important not to look for some prototype of what you are supposed to experience because what you are going to experience is based on the karmic conditions of your mind. Even though we are all going through the same form, each person’s experience will be completely different.
